Troy Times

June 27, 1867

WEST, MARTIN A. - Murder - On last Monday a murder took place in the town of Tampico in this county, under circumstances, as near as we can now learn the facts, about as follows: Martin A. West and David Willis some months ago were paying their attentions to some lady of that neighborhood and out of this a difficulty arose which, some two or three weeks ago resulted in a fist fight between the two young men to the disadvantage of D. Willis. This difficulty instead of getting better seemed to get worse, and on Monday about noon the parties meeting in Tampico an alteration occurred and Willis ran into his house and brought his rifle and shot West, the bullet entering the right side between the 8th and 9th ribs, killing him in a few minutes. The deceased was a young man of about 21 years of age, and the prisoner about 20. Willis was arrested yesterday morning upon a warrant and will be tried before W. H. Morningstar to-morrow. The deceased and the prisoner were both white men. We make this statement as it has been frequently stated on the streets that the parties were negroes or one white and the other colored. -- Greenville Journal