COLBERT COUNTY, ALABAMA
OBITUARIES
DAVID JONES
Contributed 15 Jun 2004
by
Lee Freeman
From the North Alabamian and Times, November 27, 1873, p. 3.
An Assassination
On last Tuesday Mr. David Jones, who lives on Bear Creek, in this county, came
to Tuscumbia for the purpose of closing a trade, with Maj. S. W. L. McCleskey,
for some land, which he had purchased from the Major. On his way to the depot at
Roberts store he met a young man by the name of Tony Weaver, with whom we are
told he had a difficulty which resulted in a fight, in which pistols were drawn
by both parties, but not used. Jones came on to Tuscumbia, transacted his
business with Maj. McCleskey and took the 4 o'clock train for home. He and his
brother left the depot about dark. They had not gone far when they were shot at
by some person unknown, one of the Jones was instantly killed; we have not
learned which one;1 and his brother was badly wounded. We are extremely sorry
that such a crime has been committed in our hitherto peaceful county. The
perpetrator deserve the extreme penalty of the law.
1 David Jones survived, his brother was killed.
Married four times, Confederate veteran and businessman David Jones died at
Oakland, in Lauderdale County in 1937. According to grandson Oliver Jones, of
Florence, David Jones operated three grocery stores in Florence, which he later
converted into saloons. In December of 1891, a fire broke out in the taproom of one
of Jones' saloons on Court Street. The saloon was situated near where Grogan's Jewelers is
today, in what was then known as the Stafford Block on Court and Mobile Streets.
The fire completely destroyed the buildings in this block.
David
Jones' third wife was Mary Elizabeth Freeman (1871-1909) my great-great aunt.
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