1919 Mar – Killing of Lucien H Hartsfield

YOUNG MAN KILLED NEAR FT. PILLOW
BEN CROSS KILLS L. H. HARTSFIELD LAST THURSDAY

Also Wounds Mack Parham-Hartsfield shot in Legs and Chest, and Parham in Mouth-Motive for action of Black Unknown

A short account of the shooting and killing of Mr. Lucien H. Hartsfield, a former citizen of this 3rd district of this county, which occurred near Ft. Pillow, Lauderdale county, on Wednesday of last week, was published in our issue of last week. We were unable at that time to get the particulars of the killing, or who it was that did the shooting. It has since developed that Ben Cross, colored, a former resident of this city, is the guilty party.

Details

The particulars as given to a representative of the Leader are that Hartsfield left the home of his father, Mr. J. T. Hartsfield, on Wednesday afternoon a short time before sunset, to go to Ft. Pillow, in company with J. T. Pursell and Mack Parham. They met Cross in the road near that place, and he opened fire on Hartsfield at close range with a shotgun without warning. Both loads entered his breast and legs, and young Parham received some of the shots in the jaw and shoulder, but was not seriously wounded. The negro succeeded in making his escape, but the father of young Hartsfield has posted a reward of $250 for his capture.

Burial

Hartsfield’s body was brought back to his former home in this county, and his burial took place at Shiloh burial ground at 4:30 o’clock Friday afternoon. He was about 30 years of age, and was not married.

Mystery

It was stated that Hartsfield and the negro had had no previous difficulty or misunderstanding, and the reason for his murdering the young man in cold blood, as it is stated he did, is a mystery that has so far been unsolved.

(The Covington Leader on March 20, 1919)