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The Triplett Tragedy

from Am I Born to Die? by The Ghosts of Johnson City

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With a melody created by The Ghosts of Johnson City, the lyrics of this song tell the real-life cautionary tale of a pair of terrible murders on Christmas day in 1909 in Elk, North Carolina. On Christmas morning of that year, Marshall Triplett was stabbed to death by his brother, Columbus Triplett (who also went by ‘Lum’) during an argument that is said to have begun over one brother accusing the other of not sharing his whiskey. Lum reportedly then attempted to surrender to Marshall's son, his nephew Granville (who went by ‘Gran’), a deputy. Gran ignored his uncle’s pleas for mercy and beat and kicked him severely and locked him in a cell in Boone, where he died as a result of the injuries he received in the beating.

Granville Triplett was tried and sentenced to 18 months on the chain gang but it is said that he served only 3 months of his sentence. The song ends with an admonition in which the listeners are urged to avoid ‘strong drink’ and to live a good life in which they ‘mind’ their ‘kind parents.’

lyrics

A horrible sight I'll now relate,

On Yadkin Elk it did take place,

On Christmas morning at nine o'clock,

The people met an awful shock.



At Marshall Triplett's this begun.

The brothers met, it seemed in fun.

They drank together all as one,

And then the trouble it begun.



Then Marshall seemed to stand in the rear,

And struck Columbus with the chair,

"There is one thing that I do know,

You drink only to save your own."



They met in combat near the barn.

Mrs. Triplett went to stop this wrong.

Columbus stabbed Marshall in the thigh,

And left him on the ground to die.



Then Marshall's wife in great distress

Stayed by her husband while in death.

The children's screams was heard around,

Which did produce a solemn sound.



Then Lum went off at to go away

And met Gran Triplett on his way.

At Leroy Triplett's this was said,

Lum said to Gran, "Your father's dead."



Lum said to Gran, "I'll let you know,

I've killed your father at his home.

I'll now surrender up to thee.

You treat me kindly if you please."



Gran said to Lum, "One thing I'll do.

If you killed father I'll kill you."

He then beat Lum at a dreadful rate

And made bad bruises on his face.



Gran then took Lum to Wautauga jail.

He went behind the bars to stay.

Those beats and bruises they inflamed,

Which brought Columbus to his grave.



Those brothers sleep in the same graveyard,

Their wives and children troubled hard,

Their resting place there sure must be,

Till they shall rise at Judgement Day.



At Judgement Day we hope they'll rise

To meet their Savior in the skies.

To sing God's praises o'er and o'er,

And be with Christ forever more.



The sheriff then went on the round.

To see if Granville could be found.

There at his home he did abound,

And at that place he was then found.



Sheriff Webb held court up in our town

And sent him on to the chain gang.

For eighteen months he there must stay,

Except the governor hear him pray.



Young men, take warning by this case,

Don't use strong drink while in life's race.

Leave all such stuff then far behind,

And your kind parents you should mind.

credits

from Am I Born to Die?, released October 20, 2015

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The Ghosts of Johnson City Portland, Maine

Based in Maine with musical roots in Appalachia and the Deep South, The Ghosts of Johnson City present simple and soulful versions of old mountain music, Civil War songs, coal-mining melodies, disaster chronicles, haunting murder ballads and tunes of love and loss in times of poverty. ... more

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