From the July 1, 1887 issue of the Mt. Echo Newspaper:

B. F. TRUELOVE and John EVANS, living near Clarksville, Ark., had a dispute over a razor worth fifty cents. On the 21st ultimo, EVANS shot and killed TRUELOVE while the latter was plowing.

Arkansas Gazette dated June 22, 1887 Page 1, Col 5:

A Bloody Murder.
The Assassin is Captured and Tells How it was Done.
Full Confession Made to a Gazette Reporter
A Respected Farmer Shot Down in His Own Field

Special to The Arkansas Gazette Clarksville Ark., June 21:

The quiet of our town was broken this Morning by a man riding rapidly on a horse we with perspiration and inquiring for the sheriff, stating that B.F. Truelove, living four miles west of this place had been ambushed and shot through the heart while plowing corn this morning. Sheriff Jett and a posse were soon mounted and off for the scene of the dastardly act. Everybody was excited and eager to know the correctness and cause of the murder, for this is the first one in the county for a long time.

The sheriff returned in about an hour bringing with him as prisoner John Evans, who made a confession to the deed and on being interviewed in jail by The Gazette reporter made the following statement.

I am John Evans, formerly of Wilson and Cannon Counties, Tenn. I have been in this state and county about two years, I shot Mr. Truelove this morning. I went to make a crop on his place this year and he being a very quarrelsome man everybody predicted that he would whip me before the year was out. I said I guessed not.

Everything moved on well until about two weeks ago, when I sold my crop to Monk Harris. Mr. Truelove and I settled up at that time, I owing him $3.50, which Mr. Harris assumed satisfactorily to Mr. Truelove. But Truelove and I owned a razor in partnership, worth about fifty cents, He demanded the razor. I told him to set his price and I would give or take. He swore he would do nothing of the kind, but he would beat H--l out of me if I did not give him the razor, I did not do it, but left him. He then told Harris that he would have the razor or my blood. He also told Richards and Shackelford that he was going to kill me, that now such d--d coward as I was should boast around him.. That was several days ago. Yesterday I went to Truelove's house to gear my mule to go to plowing. He was lying on the porch, raised up and ask me about the razor, I told him I would do what was right abut it, but he commenced to abuse me and drew a stick over my head and threatened to 'wear me out'. I then left his premises, went out in the neighborhood and borrowed a gun from a neighbor telling him I wanted to go a hunting, but I did not. I meant to kill Truelove.

I loaded the gun with fine No. 1 buckshot and this morning I went to the field where he was plowing corn and told him that I had come to settle that little business. He said, 'all right'; let yourself in, and I shot him and started to town to surrender myself.

I am 26 or 27 years old. Never had any serious trouble before.

Sept. 27, 1887 page 1, Col. 6. of the Arkansas Gazette:

Tried the Insanity Dodge, but it would not work.

Sheriff Jett of Johnson County, was in town yesterday for the purpose of transferring John Evans from the lunatic asylum to the penitentiary for safe keeping. Evans is the man who killed Truelove in Johnson county in June, and was placed in the penitentiary for safe keeping. It was thought then he had become totally insane and was removed to the asylum, where he remained six weeks. A day or two since, Dr. Hooper wrote Sheriff Jett to come and get Evans, as he was not, and never had been insane, as he had watched him closely and there were no symptoms of insanity. It is supposed that Evans was trying the insanity dodge until his trial came up in December as the murder of Truelove is said to be a very cold blooded one.