More details about Lee English, John S. McDuffie and Rube Burrow

Yesterday, I posted a news item from the June 9, 1909 edition of The Evergreen Courant that described nine federal grand jury indictments against prominent citizens in Monroe County, Ala. Those indictments stemmed from a double slaying in January 1908 that involved H.C. Walston and Lee English.

English was a well known Monroe County resident of the time because he was the man who killed John S. McDuffie, one of the men involved in the capture of the famous train robber, Rube Burrow. This connection to McDuffie and Burrow is what originally caught my eye about the story and led me to post it online yesterday. I’ve been researching McDuffie on and off for the past couple of months.

Last Thursday, I e-mailed the June 9, 1909 Evergreen Courant article to Rick Miller, the author of “Rube Burrow, Desperado,” a great book that came out in February. I wanted to get Miller’s thoughts on the killing of McDuffie, and he, in turn, sent me a copy of an article that he found in the June 30, 1904 edition of The Monroe Journal newspaper. What follows is the complete text of that article.

“John McDuffie Killed by Edward English"

“News reached here at a late hour Tuesday night of the killing of Mr. John McDuffie near his home at River Ridge on the afternoon of that day by Mr. Edward English. There were no eye-witnesses of the tragedy but from the best information it appears that Mr. McDuffie went to the field where Mr. English was at work and renewed a quarrel which had occurred some months ago.

“It is stated that Mr. McDuffie was armed with a stout stick and advanced on English, when the latter drew his pistol and fired four shots at close range, taking effect in Mr. McDuffie’s body causing almost instant death. One or more shots took effect in the mule ridden by McDuffie, killing it.

“The sheriff was notified and Deputy Jones left at once for the scene of the killing. Mr. English surrendered to the deputy without resistance and is now in jail. Up to a few months ago, Mr. McDuffie and his slayer had been the best of friends.

“A rupture occurred in the early part of the year over a business transaction and bad feeling had existed since. Their friends had apprehended trouble for some time. Both men were well known throughout the county. The families were well-connected, and the tragedy is deeply deplored. Mr. McDuffie leaves a wife and several children who have the profound sympathy of the community.”

Miller also included the following note along the above article: English was listed as a boarder in the 1900 census of the McDuffie household. English himself died in a shootout with an H.C. Walston in January 1908, in which both men shot each other to death in a dispute over an African American worker, Jesse Thompson. Three men who had accompanied Walston to the scene were later indicted for murder, but acquitted in 1909.

In the end, if anyone out there has any more information about the incidents describe above or yesterday’s post, please let me know.