The Chisholm Murder Case
On the night of December 13th, 1899, two brothers, Pearl and Horace Wallace, went to the home of William Chisholm at the hour of midnight, called him out of his bed and out to his yard and shot him.
He lived for one hour. He was 24 years old.
William O. (Bill) Chisholm, Jr., was the son of William O. and Isabel
Lewis Chisholm, Sr. He was married to Carrie Rushing and
they had two daughters, Vasie, 5 and Icey, 3. Carrie was pregnant with a third child , a son, whom she named Dewey who was born the night his father died. The horror of seeing her husband shot caused Carrie to go into premature labor and the baby did not survive. According to family legend, the baby, Dewey Chisholm, is buried in the casket with his father.
What's the story behind the murder of Bill Chisholm?
If you can shed any light on this mystery, please let me know!
From the Franklin Advocate, December 21, 1899
A Brutal and Cowardly Murder
Human life is becoming cheap in the good old county of Franklin. Another bloody tragedy was enacted within her borders on Wednesday night of last week which ended the life of a useful citizen, Mr. Bill Chisholm. Near the hour of midnight of that night he was called from his slumber to his front gate and shot down most cruelly in cold blood. In his dying statement he implicated the three Wallace brothers, saying that Pearl Wallace did the shooting - all his near neighbors. In fact, two of the brothers left for parts unknown immediately after the killing, but were subsequently captured at Brookhaven and are now held in jail there to await their preliminary hearing before Justice Sullivan. Eugene Wallace was arrested in this county and is in jail here. Thus is added to the already bankrupt county another expensive murder trial, to bear still more heavily upon her overburdened and tax ridden people. It is time to call a halt on transactions of these kind which reflects upon the good name of our county. The following is special to the Times Democrat from Brookhaven, dated December 18:
"Horace and Pearly Wallace, young men charged with the assassination of farmer William Chisholm in Franklin county last Wednesday night, are now in jail here, having voluntarily surrendered to Sheriff Applewhite after learning that they could not return to Franklin county during the present state of public feeling without danger of being lynched. The Wallace brothers, whom the man killed charged with his death in anto mortem statement, spent the night after the murder in this city. One of them had a double barreled shotgun, and explained that they had come here to consult counsel in behalf of a cousin who was in trouble in Franklin. Starting on their return home they learned of the statement made by Chisholm incriminating them and the intense feeling it had aroused, and turned back, voluntarily surrendering to the sheriff of this county. Citizens of Franklin who were here today say the young men's original story is untrue, and that if the neighbors of Chisholm could get hold of them, Judge Lynch would make short work of their case. They are considered safe here."
From the Franklin
Advocate, January 4, 1900
Last of the Chisholm Murderers Behind Bars
Constable W. H. Cupit succeeded Monday last in
arresting Albert Newell who is charged with being accessory to the murder of
Bill Chisholm. Newell was brought in at code by the constable and confined in
the county jail and insures the last one of the trio charged with the brutal
assassination of Bill Chisholm to be placed behind the bars. Newell has long had
rather an unsavory reputation in this community and his implication in the
murder of Chisholm makes the atmosphere hereabouts especially warm for him just
now.
Pearl and Horace Wallace, the other two accomplices,
who are confined in the Brookhaven jail, have formerly waived their right to a
preliminary trial and by order of court have been remanded to jail without bail
to await the action of the grand jury of this county. The order of the court
further directs that the prisoners be confined in the Lincoln County jail until
further notice. This we learn from a letter directed to Justice M. L. Sullivan
by Messrs. Cassidy, attorneys for the defendants.
From the Franklin Advocate, April 5, 1900
Circuit Court
One week from next Monday, the circuit court will
convene here and will probably be in session the full term of two weeks. We
learn from the officers that there are large dockets in both civil and criminal
cases to be disposed of. The Wallace brothers, charged with the murder of Bill
Chisholm, which created considerable excitement in the northern portion of the
county at the time of the commission of the crime last fall, will be for trial
at this term of the court.
From the Franklin Advocate, April 12, 1900
Newell Is Out
The case of the State vs. Albert Newell, indicted with
Pearl and Horace Wallace for the murder of Bill Chisholm, was called for trial
Wednesday morning, and after an investigation, the district attorney suggested
an order, caveat processum, which was accordingly taken and the prisoner set at
liberty.
From the Franklin Advocate, April 12, 1900
Ninety-Nine Years
Life Sentence in the State Penitentiary Given Pearl Wallace
The case of the State against the Wallace brothers and
Albert Newell, indicted by the grand jury on the first day of the present term
of court for the murder of Bill Chisholm, has been a cause of great interest and
the court room has been crowded from the time the trial of Pearl Wallace
commenced.
A severance was commanded and a venire of fifty men was
summoned in each case. A jury was secured and on Friday evening last, the trial
of Pearl Wallace was begun. The court and the crowd present then for twelve
hours, listened to an unbroken line of the most damaging testimony by witnesses
for state and defense, that was ever rehearsed in the courts of the county.
The process of taking testimony was closed on Saturday
evening and Hon. W. M. Whittington for the prosecution, opened the argument by
an eloquent and convincing speech, followed by H. Cassidy, Jr. for the defense.
Court then adjourned until Monday morning, when the argument of A. C. McNair for
the defense and district attorney Ratcliffe for the prosecution, was heard and
the jury having been instructed by the court, was directed to retire and
consider their verdict.
At three o'clock p. m., the jury returned into the
court the following verdict: "We the jury, find the defendant guilty
as charged, and recommend that the penalty be imprisonment in the state
penitentiary for life."
Thus closed the trial of the arch conspirator of one of
the most revolting assassinations ever committed in South Mississippi. It is not
our purpose here to criticize the verdict of the jury, but it is our privilege
to say that the people who had been quietly and anxiously listening throughout
the course of the trial, were surprised and disappointed that the jury should
interpose to prevent the execution of the sentence of the law.
Again the people of Franklin, who we can with
pride say, are as a body, as good and law-abiding as any on earth, are left to
wrestle with the problem: whether or not the law of the land will protect them
from the red-headed assassin.
Translated letter from Elisha V. Lewis to his sister, P. Lewis
May 29, 1900
McCall’s Creek P. O.
Franklin County, Mississippi
Dear Sister , P Lewis
I seat my self this morning to drop you a few lines. We are all well at this riting and hope that these few lines may you enjoying the same blessing. Brothers Jack and Arthur and sister Isabel and families is well. Isabel’s son William was assassinated last December on the night of the 15th by Pearl and Horace Wallace. Pearl went to the farm for ninety-nine years and Horace for 20 years. I think they should have been hanged as they went to his home at the hour of midnight called him out of his bed and out to his yard and shot him. He lived about one hour. This was a trying think to have to stand. I would like to hear from you and all your family. George and Cornelius and Colosia and Sallie is married. George married James Coward ‘s daughter. Cornelius married Aaron Afton’s daughter. They have no children. Colosia married John Nettles. They have five children. Sallie married Tom Rushing and live on the head of Horse Creek , six miles due North of where I lived when you left the state. I have a fine place in this part of the world. Am running gin and yeast and team saw mill. Lumber is the biggest thing in this part of the world today. You would be surprised to see this country today. Nearly all the timber is sawed up. That is the pine timber from Brookhaven and I live sixteen miles due west. Two railroads run near me, one of them runs through your old place on Big Creek and the other runs through Tom King’s old place on Hunt’s Creek. Timber has sold as high as five dollars for an acre. I should be glad to see you once more if possible in this world., though we are a long ways apart. I forgot to say that Sallie was the mother of (illegible) girls also Colosia has all girls. We have four boys and two girls. William, James, and E J Lewis and John Irvin and Clarence Wall Lewis. He is the youngest who is going on seventeen and two girls that is single who is going on 21 and 14 Mary Lewis and Clara R Lewis who is the youngest. Brother Jack has three boys and three girls. Brother Arthur has seven boys living and two dead and one girl and she is married. He also has one boy married and he has four children. Brother Jack also has one girl married who has four children. I would like to visit your country if I could. Jack and Arthur are in South Carolina.. There has been may changes in this part of the world since you left the state. All the (illegible) that I first knew in this country has floated over the river to the land from when no transfer has ever returned. There is few that is older than I am. I am sixty-two as you know. So I will close for this time, hoping that if we never meet in this world, we may in heaven where the weary shall find rest. So for now sister in the flesh and I hope in the Lord. Sarah says tell you howdy for her.
Elisha V. Lewis
What is known:
Horace and Pearl Wallace were the sons of William Wallace and Catherine Lee Wallace.
William P. Wallace and Catherine Lee were married in Franklin County, MS on June 22,1868.
Horace was 5 years old on the 1880 Census for Franklin County, MS. He married Lucy E. Watson on November 16, 1895 in Franklin County, MS.
Pearl (or Purley) was 3 years old on the 1880 Census for Franklin County, MS.
© 2003 by Ann Allen Geoghegan for the American History & Genealogy Project
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