Poisoning of Water Source

“We have direct news from Athens, in Henderson county, that one well was poisoned in that place on Sunday night, and that upon investigation, over one hundred bottles of strychnine were found in possession of the negroes. After a severe punishment, the latter related the particulars of the plot—which was to poison, as far as possible, the family breakfast, and the knife and pistol (with which they were well supplied,) to compete the fiendish work. All the old women and young children were to be murdered and the young women were to be taken as wives by the hell hounds. So far as we have heard, the negroes being examined separately, tell exactly the same story, the truth of which we cannot for a moment doubt. A negro belonging to Mr. Barron at Science Hill, Henderson Co., was hung last Friday for having a quantity of strychnine in his possession. He confessed to having a hand in the insurrection.”¹

M. H. Bonner of Henderson to editor of the Marshall Republican

“Authenticated statements were made, that in several places poison had been found with negroes, and confessions made that on the day of election this poison was to be administered in the food at breakfast, and deposited in the wells and springs, and that a general plot had been made for an indiscriminate, wholesale destruction by poison and arms on that day.”²