Two Desperate Characters

 

Two Desperate Characters Captured and Lodged in Jail                                     Thursday, April 18,1872                                                                 


In yesterday's UNION AND AMERICAN was noticed the arrival in this city of the Sheriff of Fentress county with two prisoners, Robert Step and James Hull, charged with the murder of a man named Lewis Hill in Fentress county the 20th of November, 1871 . The facts in relation to the arrest together with the alleged circumstances of the murder, are these. Last year some time a man named William Smith was arrested for stealing a horse from a gentleman named Nathaniel Dobbs, and indicted by the Circuit Court of Fentress County. The murdered man, Lewis Hill, was the chief witness against Smith, and in order to escape conviction, it is said Smith in company with Hull and Step, went to Hill's house in the night and there the three shot him four times, producing instant death. Hill 's family, consisting of a wife and six children, were terrified at beholding this act and rushed frantically from the building. Hill 's body was dragged out and left about eight feet from the house, which was then set on fire. The neighbors, being informed of the murder, went to the scene and found the house in ashes. The charred remains of the murdered man were dragged from under the burning debris, so badly disfigured as to be almost beyond identity. Smith, Hull, and Step were arrested and indicted, but owing to the insecurity of the Jamestown jail were carried to Livingston, Overton county and confined in jail for safe keeping, the trial having been in the meantime postponed. Just before Christmas they broke jail, using instruments furnished by friends from the outside, and made their escape going in the direction of Scott county. J.C. Taylor, Sheriff of Fentress county, went in pursuit of the fugitives and succeeded in arresting Smith the 26th of December, who is now confined in jail at Jamestown.  It was thought that Hall and Step had made for Missouri or Illinois, and measures were at once taken to ensure their apprehension, the Governor having offered a reward of $300 for each of the fugitives. Sheriff Taylor, accompanied by a young man named L.T. Smith, left home on the 8th and coming to this city, reported to Gov. Brown who at once made requisitions for criminals in on the governors of Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky. Last Monday Sheriff Taylor and Smith started via Evansville for St. Louis. Upon the train reaching the depot at Henderson, Kentucky, sheriff Taylor stepped out on the platform to take a hack for the transportation boat. As he did so he saw both of his Hull standing with his back towards him and Step looking him full in the face. Taylor caught Hull by the arm, and drawing his pistol, presented it at Step, who started to run, telling them to give up. This they did, though Step was heavily armed. The accused were just in the act of purchasing tickets to come towards Tennessee, and as the train was leaving in a few minutes, the Sheriff saved them this trouble, giving them a free pass to this city where they are now confined in jail until the July term of the Fentress County Circuit Court. The Sheriff yesterday received his reward of $600 and left this morning via Lebanon for his home in Fentress county.

Title   Nashville Union and American (Tennessee) Volume New ser., no. 1033 -new ser., no. 1211

Citation   "Nashville, Davidson, Tennessee, United States records," images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHK-93TQ-H774?view=explore : Dec 28, 2025), image 389 of 696; . Image Group Number: 008992399


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