George Ephraim DeBruhl's untimely death

The North Carolina Citizen, Asheville, North Carolina
Thursday August 22, 1878

A homicide at Forks of Ivy- An unfortunate affair occurred at the Forks of Ivy, in the northern portion of this county, on Wednesday of last week, resulting in the death of George DeBruhl. The particulars of the affair, as brought out in the coroner's inquest over the body, are substantially as follows: James Rank Deaver,
a young man some eighteen years of age, who lives a short distance from the mill of Shep Deaver, had on the afternoon in question gone to this mill to have some grinding done, and, while seated in the mill with his brother John Henry Deaver and some others, Ben and George DeBruhl, brothers residing in the same neighborhood, came into the room, both being more or less under the influence of liquor. Ben DeBruhl accused young Deaver of having used insulting language towards his wife, which the latter denied. DeBruhl insisted he had, and said he intended whipping him, which he proceeded to do, his brother George with an open knife preventing interference. Upon concluding, George DeBruhl said he would thrash him some, and commenced to do so, when Ben DeBruhl pulled him off Deaver. Young Deaver then left the mill and started home, and Ben and George
DeBruhl, going out of the mill, (sic) the latter saw Deaver and swore he would thrash him again. He started for Deaver and chased him around the gin mill and some wagons, Ben DeBruhl catching his brother several times to prevent him from beating Deaver any more. Deaver ran away from the yard towards home, when George DeBruhl started in pursuit. After running some fifty yards, Deaver found DeBruhl was gaining on him and, drawing a pistol from his pocket, he wheeled and fired upon DeBruhl when within some five paces of him, the ball passing through
DeBruhl's heart and killing him instantly. The deceased was a man about fifty years of age, and leaves a large family to mourn over his sad end. The affair threw a gloom over the entire community, no such occurrence ever taking place in that locality before.
Young Deaver has surrendered himself to the authorities at Asheville, and will have a trial today before Justices Summey and Sawyer.

Asheville, North Carolina
Thursday, November 14, 1878

Acquitted-- On Monday James Rank Deaver was arraigned before the Superior Court of this county for killing George Ephraim DeBruhl some three months since, the affair happening in the Ivy section, a full account of which we gave at the time.
The evidence brought forward in the trial was in substance the same as that given at the time of the occurrence, showing that the killing was done in self defence. The case was given to the jury at 12 0'clock on Monday night, who on Tuesday morning returned a verdict of not guilty..

Copied from the microfilm of The North Carolina Citizen kept in the North Carolina Room of the Pack Memorial library, Asheville, North Carolina by Gary J. Pressley. May 1976