Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1854-09-07
Truf Of u TumVr'H 35ortfplio.
Circumslantial Evidence.

OlfCulIISidIilldt EfIuCHCt'
Ia the summer of 1917, a MAJ
named Rawsoo had been arreste'
E.and committed 10 jail for the al
, legged murder of Peter Ga,nut, il
; one of tue townS OF the county ii
which I Ics;ded. 1t was hayin:
time. Garnut and his sou, lat
of fourteen years, bad been en-
gagged during The d4v, 10 hauling
hav from meadow some hall mil,
distant from the house. AS esen.
ing ap2roached they completed
tbeir work, and The last load was
uoon The wagon. Garnut mounted
upon the Top 10 drive home, and
directed bis son to go Iround by the
pasture, wh:cl lay 10 different
direction, Tor the COWS. The boy
proceeded in one direction aud the
father dove on across the field in
another. 10 the cours e OF half an
hout the Id reached home, and
about the S sane time the team and
load OF bay arrived, but without a
driver, and the li0es dragging on
the ground- Alarmed and fearful
of accident, the boy and a hired
man who was working about the
house, hurried OF in the direction
4of the meadow. On reaching the
edge of the fed they behe'd Gar
nut lying on bis back, and lsawson
running rapidly across the lot.
away from where the former lay
To Icuch Gatnut was the wor k of
a moment. He was dead, and vel
tcring in sofe! The heed man
Immediately pursued Rawson.
shouting murder, at the top Of his
voice. Rawson heard him.
He turned his head, hesitated,
and slackeacd his pace. "Stop,
murderer siop!'' cried the man,
..you have Ljllcd bimp' Raw son
suddenly halted aud wheeled
round, his clothes were covered with
blood, AMI his countenance betrayed
great agitation. He seemed stunned
for moment. Then suddenly start
ing be changed his course, and ran
like deer for the woods, which he
soon entered, far in advance Of MS
pulsuer and disappeared amid the
dense foliage. The man followed to
the border. but finding pursuit hope
less, returned. In the meantime
Che boy had given the alarm, and
several of the neighbors had arrived
OF the field. 0n examination a deep
wound was found on the left side OF
tie deceased, tending upward under
the rib in the region of the heart
The hat was off, and there was a Sc
we're concussion on the back of thel
head, apparently the effect. of a
heavy blow. About four rods from
the place where the dead man lay
was a pitchfork that the deceased had.
used during the day, one prong OIL
which and part of the handle were
covered with blood-ne this instru-
ment dark pool of blood cl5tted
the grass; while between the pool
and the place where the corpse lay, all
tract of crimson indicated that the
body had been removed. /
Garnut and Rawson were the ow n-I
ers of adjoining farms, and there
had long been bone Of contention
between them. There wasa dispa te
about the division line. Garn ut
claimed that mistake had been
made in the original survey, aud tha
Rawson was in the possession OF
land riabtfaTy belonging to the for
mer; while the latter insisted that
the FIRST survey, accompanied by ae-
tual location and long possession
could not be questioned. The dis
puto ripened into an open quar- ell
ind finally Glrnut commenced an
action of ejectment to recover POS pos
session of. the locaS IN gao Ihis
suit was pending at the time of { he
alleged murder.
Rawson was working in corn
field adjoining the meadow on the day
in question, aud angry words G,, nau .
ihen passed between them. ne
conduct and agitation Of the accused,
taken in connection with the long
Standing enmity between him and
the deceased, appeared to satisfy.
every one Of his guilt. Parties
were formed for his pursuit. ] he
woods we're scoureds and the follow