Mag Corbin

 
The Courant American
Cartersville, Georgia
December 14, 1899, page 1
 
Transcribed by:  
 

Shot Woman and Babe.
The Former Fatally The Latter Slightly Hurt.
Young Man Also Wounded.
A Tragedy Near Adairsville Last Friday –Young Man Doing Shooting Flees.

An ugly tragedy occurred about five miles east from Adairsville last Friday morning. In a sparsely settled locality Mag Corbin, about 16 years old, a girl of ill repute lived with her mother.  Two young men from near Adairsville, Jim Mayfield and Frank Bibb, the former aged about 22 and the latter about 20, were out hunting and went to the Corbin house to spend the night.  The next morning Mayfield was urging Bibb to make a fire, which he hesitated about doing and Mayfield picked up his (Bibb’s) gun that was sitting in a corner a cocking it pointed it at Bibb, who sat on the side of the bed where the Corbin girl and her babe were laying, saying as he did so, “I will shoot you both if you don’t get up.”  Bibb told him not to point the gun at him, as it was loaded, Mayfield paid no heed to what was said but pulled the triggers one on an instant after the other, when  the gun went off.  One of the charges passed through the girls head, tearing a large portion of it away.  A part of Bibb’s throat and chin were torn away and an ugly wound made in the shoulder.  The babe received some slight injuries from shot striking about the face.

The girl, as soon as shot ran to the door, and fell and immediately expired.  Bibb was carried to his home, and though painfully hurt, his wounds are not considered dangerous.

Mayfield lingered around the place of the shooting for all the fore part of the day and is said to have been much distressed about what he had done.  He went from there to his home and from there fled.  It has since been stated that he took the train at Calhoun.

As soon as the tragedy became known at Adairsville, which was about noon a telegram was sent to Sheriff Maxwell here to come to make arrest.  Officers Jim Burrough and William Puckett went at once to the scene and not finding Mayfield, went to his home, but arrived there about a half an hour after he had fled.  A careful search was made for him but he could not be found.

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News and Courant
Cartersville, Georgia
July 24, 1902

Transcribed and Submitted by:

Overtaken in Texas
Jim Mayfield Will Be Brought Back to This County This Week
Sherriff Notified of Arrest
He Shot and Killed Maggie Corbin and Wounded Frank Bibb and an Infant

Jim Mayfield, who shot and killed Maggie Corbin and wounded Frank Bibb and an infant, will be brought to this city this week from Texas where he was arrested a few days ago.

Last week, Sherriff R.L. Griffin received a letter from the sheriff of Wilbarger County, Texas, asking if Jim Mayfield was wanted by the authorities here.  The reply being that he was, news soon came that he was arrested and in jail at Vernon.  It was then asked if there was any reward offered for him and Mr. Griffin investigating and finding that there was, a reward of $150 offered by the state, so notified the Texas official.  Tuesday Mr. Griffin received the information that the sheriff of Walbarger County would be here with the prisoner in a few days.

The crime of which Mayfield is wanted created quite a sensation at the time.  On December 07, 1899, he and young Frank Bibb went out from Adairsville, where they lived, for a day’s hunt.  They put up for the night at the house where Maggie Corbin lived with her mother.  Mayfield the next morning rose and made a fire and turning to the Corbin woman who lay on the bed, and Frank Bibb, who sat on the side of the bed, and demanded they get up, picking up Bibb’s double-barrel shot gun and threatening to shoot if they did not.  Bib remembered saying the gun was loaded, and believing Mayfield funning.  The two triggers were pulled in quick succession.  One charge tore the top of the Corbin woman’s head off, the other tore a hole in Bibb’s throat and chin, and sprinkled the face of the baby, which lay on the bed, with shot.  The Corbin woman got up and went to the door where she fell and expired at once.  Mayfield fled and the officers found he had taken the train to Calhoun the day of the killing.  It is supposed he went to the home of an uncle near Vernon, Texas, where his identify finally became known and he glided into the law’s toils.

 

 

 

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