The Western Democrat

The Death of Mr. Lemmonds of Union County.—
A few weeks ago we copied from the Wadesboro Argus an account by a correspondent of that paper of the death of John Q. Lemmonds of Union county, and purporting to give the cause thereof. As there is considerable excitement in Mr. L.'s neighborhood about his death, we have been requested to say that that account is almost entirely erroneous. The article in question, after stating that Mr. Lemmonds was found dead in a shaft of the Crump Gold Mine about the last of October, goes on to say that he had been to Monroe, and returning home intoxicated, went to a neighbor's house where he suspected his negro of getting liquor; that on returning from said house it was probable that he lost his way and fell into the shaft and was drowned, as the road to his house lay near the mine, although the jury of inquest rendered a verdict of "supposed murder."
We are informed that the jury's verdict was "murder," and that there was no doubt in their minds but that the deceased came to his death by foul means. He had not been to Monroe, but had been to a house of bad repute in the neighborhood where he may have drank liquor (although that is uncertain); but the road from this house to Mr. Lemmonds' home does not lead by the mine, for that is in an opposite direction beyond Mr. L.'s residence. His hat and wig were found about a mile from the mine, and he was considerably bruised about the head when found, with a severe wound on the knee. Everybody in the neighborhood believes that he was murdered and thrown into the mine.
We make this statement at the request of a friend and highly respectable citizen of Union.