Justifiable Homicide.

Our community was much shocked on Wednesday evening last when the news reached here to the effect that Judge Levi Branson, living three miles above Cassville, had killed a negro.  It appears that two negroes had threatened the Judge’s life, and, in order to protect himself, he was forced to shoot them.  One died from the gunshot wound immediately, but the other was not fatally hurt.  We cannot give the particulars.  The following is the verdict of the coroner’s jury:

“We, the jury summoned to investigate the death of NELSON PARKS, (colored,) after examination of witnesses and post mortem examination by the physician, agree that deceased came to his death from the wounds of a shot-gun in the hands of Judge Levi Branson, and that the killing was justifiable homicide.  This April 24th, 1879.

Lindsay Johnson, M. D., Foreman
T. L. Powell,
G. H. Linn,
S. Venable,
T. S. Kitchens,
E. H. Headdon,
B. F. Pettitt,
J. H. Cooper,
B. F. McMakin.

Judge Branson is one of our oldest and most peaceable citizens, and it required great provocation to induce him to take the life of a human being.