1888 Demon Alcohol Leads to Murder

Picture was added April 18, 2013
The right image is the original scan.  The left I tried using color
correction software.  Neither is great but it's better
than nothing!  ca. 1880

While researching some of the Irvine relatives I came across Harry Clinton Irvine, the first born son of Agnes Moran and B.D. Irvine.  His nickname was Buck.   The Irvine branch of the family seemed to be full of piss and vinegar as my own mom would say.  They were a wild bunch.  In an earlier post I related the story of Sid and Tom Irvine and the murder of J.W. Kerr in Bowie Texas.  Tom did the actual killing but he left the state leaving Sid at the mercy of the law.

Back to Harry.  Harry was born Oct. 9 1857.

In regards to Harry, I came across the Hamilton Daily Democrat of March 5, 1888.  It seems that Harry and Tabe White were quarreling over a jug of whisky.  Harry shot and killed Tabe.  I've not found anything else regarding this crime.

The last thing I know about Harry is that he died at the age of 39 on May 7, 1897 and is buried in Moran Cemetery, Dresden Tennessee.  Cause of death is unknown.

Updated September 14 2019.

I came across the following newspaper article in the Memphis Daily Appeal, dated Mar 6 1888, which sheds more light on the Whisky incident. 

Killed a Negro

Tobe White, a Desperate Character, Shot by Harry Irvine at Dresden.

Special Dispatch to the Appeal

Dresden, Tenn., March 5--On Saturday afternoon at 5 o'clock Harry Buck Irvine, white, shot and killed Tobe White, colored, at this place.  The difficulty originated at the depot in the afternoon over a jug of whisky.  White and a white man were fighting, when Irvine tried to separate them.  This enraged White, who assaulted Irvine with Brickbats.  Soon afterward Irvine went to his father's residence, got a pistol, came down to the square and shot him through the left side, the ball ranging downward into the bowels and causing death about midnight.  White was the most notorious and daring negro in this section.  He it was who defied the four-mile law of the town for two years until he was sentenced to jail for twelve months by Judge Swiggart.  Public sympathy is with Irvine.

I can also update information regarding his death.  Here is the obituary that appeared in The Tennessean on May 8 1897.

The Tennessean

May 8 1897

Deaths

Dresden, May 7-(Special:) Death visited the home of Mr. D.D. Irvine and wife last night, taking therefrom the oldest son, Mr. Harry Irvine, aged about 40 years.  He was ill for about three weeks with malarial fever.  The remains were interred this afternoon at the family cemetery north of town.

From Murder in the Second Degree to Innocent...John Sidney Irvine, 1885

This entry into the genealogy blog started off completely different from where it ended up.  I scanned the images of John Sidney "Sid" Irvine and his wife, Blanche Boulware.   Sid was born in Dresden, TN August 1862. His parents were Benjamin Dabney Irvine and Agnes Moran.  He was the third born in a group of nine children.  Census records show him living in Dresden TN till 1880.  He moved to Bowie Texas soon after 1880.  I haven't been able to find out who Blanche's parents are but then I've only been searching for about 9 hours!  She was born in Texas about 1870.  By the 1900 census she and Sid have two sons, Sidney (b. 1891) and Harry Clinton Irvine (b. 1897). Blanche and Sid married sometime between 1880 and 1890.   

Blanche Boulware Irvine
b. abt 1870 - d. Dec 13 1939

That was basically going to be the blog entry today but I thought no, let me do a bit of searching to see if I can come up with something else.  And I did. 

It seems that Sid and his brother Thomas "Tom" E. Irvine ran into a bit of trouble while living in Bowie Texas.  Tom, one of Sid's older brothers, owned a Furniture business and Sid was working with him in the business.  It appears there was an incident between the Irvine brothers and a local attorney named J.W. Kerr.  According to Tom, Mr. Kerr was trying to collect money on debts before they were due and that he, Tom, would not pay them until they were due.

Tom confronted Mr. Kerr on July 1, 1885.  His brother Sid was not there at the confrontation.  On July 2, about 5 or 6pm Tom and Kerr were arguing again.  This time Sid was there but according to witnesses he did not have a gun.  Tom and Kerr had the guns and they started shooting.  At some point in the fracas Sid hit Kerr with a board and held him.  Tom approached and shot Kerr.  Kerr lingered through the evening and died of his wounds around 10pm that night.  In addition C.W. Easley was injured during the shooting when a bullet went through his right hand which may have required the amputation of his thumb according to newspaper sources.

Tom fled immediately and avoided arrest.  I have not located if Tom was ever brought to justice in Texas.  I do know he went back to Tennessee.  In 1894 he married Mettie May Gardner and had a daughter, Annie A. Irvine.  He remained in Weakley County until his death October 20, 1918. His occupation, according to the death certificate, was "decorator."  He died from stab wounds that became infected and his death was ruled a homicide.  I'm sure there must be an interesting story there!  He's interred at Sunset Cemetery in Dresden.

Sid was arrested immediately.  Over the next four years he went through four trials.  The first trial found him guilty of second degree murder and he was sentenced to five years in the penitentiary.  He appealed.  The second trial found him guilty of manslaughter and he was sentenced to two years in the penitentiary.  He appealed.  The third trial ended in a hung jury.  The fourth trial the jury found him not guilty.  Sid remained in Bowie till his death in 1927.

If you are interested in more about the case of Sid and Tom Irvine be sure and read Irvine vs the State of Texas.

John Sidney "Sid" Irvine
b. Aug. 1862 - d. 1927