1

To His Excellency William Carroll
Governor of the State of Tennesse,

Whereas two most appalling murders have
been recently committed by, and upon the
citizens of this county - The first was com
-mitted by Edward Willingham, on the 15
of July Last, upon the person ^of Thomas Spiers
This was a cool and deliberate murder, having
followed the deceased eight or Ten miles,
waylaid, and shot him, and made his
escape, which wound produced immediate
death, The second murder was committed
by John Ross on the 19^th of september Last
on the body of Joel Y. Graves who died
Instantly in the road where he was assaul
=ted from having received 8 or 9 stabs with
a knife or dirk, A Edward Willingham
is a man of the Comonwealth rather slender
made little or no baird [sic], light Hair,
& blue Eyes. - he is a very profane, and
rough man in his deportment, - John
Ross ^is a man under the common Heighth [sic]
by no means rough in his manners, black
or yellow eyes, generally goes decently, clad
in Home spun cloth, and when in Compa
ny has not very much to say, and is
about 25 r 4 yeras of age, & we suppose Willingham
to be about 30, or, 35 years of age, We the under
=signed feeling as we do a lively interest in
the well being of this Community, cannot in