Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-01-22
Triul-for OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Tes-
From the Huntsviu. tAia) Democrat, Jan. ion.


We have rlrely witnessed triad that more
deeply enlisted the attention of our citizens
than one which occurred at the Court House
last week and which lasted fornearly five days.
! We refer to the trial of Abner Tate and bis
old man servant George, who were charged
with having murdered in November or De-
cenber, 1912, a man whose name was sup
posed to be j. X. Rice; and that of Abner
Tate, his man George, aud John Gordon, who
were charged with the murderUfa man in the
Spring of l845, whose name was supposed TO
have been Charles B. Sawyers. Mr.. Tate is
an old and highly respectable citizen OF this
county, having resided here for about forty
years and always borne the character of an
industrious, peaceable nan, and good neigh
Dor. Mr.. Gordon is a citizen of Cannon
County, Tennessee, where he has been resi-
dirg for nine yeaFs-for about ten or eleven
years prior to that time be lived with Mr..
Tate in this county and was engaged in dri-
wing wagon. His character both here and
IN Tennessee was that of an honest, upright,
quiet, peaceable, industrious man. Having
heard that a prosecution was commenced
against Mr.. Tate, and that he was involved in
| the charge, he voluntarily came down to the
trial. After his arrival warrant of arrest
was issued for him and he was arrested when
on bis way to the Court House He went in
and asked to be tried withTate, and all the par
ties were tried at the same time upon both
charges.
Green B. Strother, Morris K. Taylor, and our
Mayor 4. P. Davis, were the presiding Magis-
trates. d. @. Humphreys, Esq and r. NJ.
VannOy, Esq, appeared in behalf of the prose-
cutiOn. L. P. Walker, ESQ.,, Mich. Davis, Jr.,
and Robinson q Jones, appeared for the de-
fendsnts.
We have rarely seen Justices Court of
equal ability. The cause was ably conducted
by the counsel on both Sides
There was proof that a man named Rice,
who was coach maker and resided in Tuska-
loosa about the year 1910 or 1S41, member
of the firm of Briggs & Rice, disappeared from
Tuscaloosa in 1S41 THAT he was supposed to
be deranged when lie left, and was traced
eight miles South of Tuscaloosa, and was not
afterwards heard of.
1t was also proved that one Charles B. Saw
yers, of Coffee County, Tennessee left his home
in December, 1889 for South Alabama, with
load OF apples, leaving behind wife and child.
That after dsposing of his apples he started
home and sold his wagon and team and
brought drove of horses and again returned to
Perry and Marengo Counties, and after selling
his horses, started home and reached Tuska-
home, and where he spoke 20 some of his friends
of his great desire to get home. He did not
however reach home-his wife went in
search of him, but was unable to trace Tim
beyond Tuscaloosa, where he was on the 9th
OF June, l640-and not hearing any further
account OF him, and believing him to be dead
she intermarried in January, 1874, with
Mr.. Willis.
! The prosecution was commenced upon the
complaint of one D. II. Bingham, who, it
seems, now claims to be resident citizen of
Lauderdale Oounty-but who, as the testimo-
ny disclosed, lived many years ago about Tus-
kaloosa, has been sometimes travelling with
and exhibiting an astronomical panorama, and
who according to his own account, as proved
has at one time been engaged in building a
bridge across the Arkansas River at Little
Rock.
The warrant of arrest was issued upon the
affidavit of Mrs. Barbara Hazel now of Tisha-
mingo County, Miss, where she has resided
since July 1S45-but who was recentlybrought
to this County, by the prosecutor. For many
years prior to her removal to Tishamingo
County she resided in this county in the i'm
mediate neighborhood of Abner Tate. About
the year 1885 she was abandOnedby her hus-
band, John Hazel, who settled in Tishamingo
county, Miss. After being abandoned by her
husband, she became midwife and a nurse
/ for the sick, and was employed in that capaci-
! ty by Abner Tate and his neighbors. After
her removal to Miss, and about the latter part
of the year 1S45, she seems to have ooujured
up singular deusions about those who had
been her most generous patrons in this county,
and for whom she had previously manifested
q strong attachment.
H. I Il. L.
her of stealing various thngs-that some had
pursued her 10 cowhide her for stealing, and
amongst other things that ynung gentlemen
was claiming to have been her partner in her
professional business of midwife2-and it was
about the same time that she seems to have
ascertaned that her friends Tale and Gordon
were murderers, and that George had been
trying TO to murder her with an axe. More
than ten years had elapsed since the old wO-
man was in this county, and it was said that a.
number of persons who had seen her thought
her to be sane, and the court house was
tErOnged during her examination. She is about
>ixty-iive years of age, and though uneducated,
seems TO have had vigorous intellect and
very strong will of her own. Her account of
he supposed murders was very marvellous aud
well calculated to stagger the credulity of
the most crednlous, even il told of a company
of highwaymen-bu it was narrated with a
particularly and minuteness of detail that
seemed TO arrest attention and to impress
persons unacquainted with the parties ac-
cused, or with the true state of her mind,
with the idea that it NIGHT BE TRUE.
The cross examination no viewer OF the wit
ness, and the clear proof of the other decisions
OF the witness, soon satisfied the court and
intelligent bystanders who listened to the
examination, that she was monomaniac and
still laboring under the insane decisions which
took possession OF her mind ten years ago. 1t
was not shown that Rice, who was alleged by
the prosecutor To have been one Of the mar.
dered men, had ever been seen North of Tusk
aloosa, nor was any account given of Sawyers
between the 9th of June, 1640, when he was
seen st Tuskaoosa on his way home, and the
Spring of ls45, about five years after, when
he was alleged TO have been murdered in this
county, or that either Of the men supposed 10
have been murdered, was ever known to
either Tate or Gordon.
The case was submitted without argument,
and the Court aier few moments consnlta-
ton, discharged the accused aud announced
that 10 one Of them had even the shadow Of q
doubt rs TO tie entire innocenoe u the parties
charged.
IL was a matter of surprise 10 many that a
man who was stranger 10 our midst, shoald
have undertaken this prosecution, at 50 late
period.
The testimony disclosed that he had assert
...--.r-. 81 Dfas.