Joseph L. Peter

Joseph L. Peter Shot - All Clarendon was shocked and surprised by the news received Monday night that Joseph L. Peter had been assassinated at his home in Holly Grove. The full particulars of the awful crime, for which we are indebted to Mr. T. G. Trice, are as follows: Peter was in the blacksmith and carriage maker’s business and kept a line of buggies, carts, whips, cushions, etc., and had the best equipped shop in the county, and was doing a thriving business. A Mr. Thornton, representing a Memphis carriage company, stopped off at Holly Grove and went to Peter’s house to sell him a bill of goods. This was about 7:30 P. M. Peter told Thornton that he had a book in his shop which contained a list of articles wanted and that he would go to his shop and get the list, the shop being just across the street from the Peter residence. Peter had gone but just a few minutes when two pistol shots were fired, and Peter was heard to say, “O! Lord, Im shot.” His wife’s name is Laura and some think he said “O! Laura, I’m shot.” Thornton and another man ran toward the shop and found Peter lying in the road about 40 yards from the shop. Other parties soon gathered around and carried Peter’s almost lifeless body to his home where he died in five minutes without speaking. Every effort was made to get him to tell who shot him, but he could not talk and all that he ever said was, “O, Lord! O, Lord!” and would groan as if suffering great pain. Examination showed that he had been shot twice. One ball entered his stomach below and to the left of his navel, the other entered his breast (after grazing his arm below the elbow,) just above and to the right of his right nipple. One of the shots from the pistol set his shirt on fire and it was still burning when his friends reached him. Peter had no enemies that himself or any of his friends knew of. On the contrary he was admired and respected by everybody. The theory is that some parties had planned a burglary and had gone to Peter’s shop for tools to be used in entering a house or cracking a safe. That Peter went into the shop, struck a match to give him light to get the book he was after, saw the man, that they both recognized each other and to avoid exposure the burglar did the shooting.

(Editor’s note: From a reading of Macedonia Cemetery: Joe L Peter b Apr 3, 1853, d Oct 13, 1890)