The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1858-12-09
From the Chattanooga Representative.
JOHN w, WHITE, THE REDOUBT.
ABLE ALlAS-HiS DEATH AND
RESITRRECTION.

was considered irreproachablc by
those who knew him, there not hav.
ing been even the breath of suspicion
against him, in any connection, preyi-
Gus to his arrest by the United States
Marshal upon the charge Of forging
numerous Land Warrants. The
charge was one Of grave import, and
fell upon his friends and kindred like
the shock Of an earthquake. lis kin.
dred and family connections were
stainless in character, and Of the most
respectable class in the common.
wealth; and bis friends were almost
lcgions, comprising the most rcSpccta.
bic. intelligent and worthy citizens the
country afforded. Then it may be
we'll imagined with what chagrin,
despair and modification the news of
his arrest, coupled with the ignomini-
Gus charges, created in his home cir
Gle, wucre the people thought they
knew him best. The conste rnation
was awful and dcath-likc.
lie was tried before the proper au.
thoriies and acquitted upon the
grounds Of n want Of sufficient evi.
dcncc in the opinion Of the court
which sat at Cleveland, Tenn.
In Il few weeks thereafter, the Mar
shall rc,arrcstcd him upon similar char
ges, only much more numerous than
in the first instance. He was tried be-
fore Court Of Inquiry in Chattanoo.
"a, Judge West II, llumphrics, Of the
l. S. District Court, presiding. The
investigation lasted some five or six
days, and adjourned to meet at Knox
Vile on the i.h Monday of November,
counsel Tor defendant submitting the
case and giving bond and security for
defendants appearance in the sum Of
$4,000.
Mr.. john W. White from that time
remained about his home, as far Us we
can learn, never appearing in public
more than once or twice, aud left
Chattanooga about The last otOctober.
or the first Of Noyembar, for the pur-
pose. as rumor said, OF visiting Jack
son County, Ala, to collect testimony
for his approaching trial.
Nothing was heard OF him from the
day Of his departure, Gas we can lcarn)
until about three weeks ago, which
was by letter to friend in this city,
stating that he was in Arkansas, look
| ing up Witnesses, and that his horse
! had died, for which he had given Il
watch, but had retained his fine gold
chain. The next news was that from
| the Memphis papers, which state |
upon the authority Of certain indyld-
uaIs by the name of Brooks an" Pan
/ der, that q person was found dead in
an isolated log hut. near the road side.
ten miles east Of Clarendon. Ark, and
from certain papers found on the body,
and the name on the shirt. it was evil
IDENTITY John w. White, orChaltanooga.
The account further stated that there
were no marks Of violence on the body,
which appeared to have been dead
several days; the boots were muddy;
some five dollars found in the pocket
Of deceased, and a "tac go'd chajn.'
1 This news reached & altanooga, his
friends started in post-hastc after his
body, and on reaching Memphis wrote
back that from all the facts that could
be CLEANED, that White was certainly
dead, and that they had procured a
metallic case for the transportation,
Sc, Of his remains. In u few days
after the reception OF this intelligence
II letter was received addressed to two
gentlemen OF this place, purporting to
be from an old acquaintance by The
name of Gibbs, confirming the rumor
Of Whites death, and giving it us his
opinion that White had been murdered
although the informant said there
were no disccrnab!r marks Of violence
about the body. The writer further.
more stated that Il ruilan looking set
of men had held an inquest over the
body, Justice OF the Peace, acting as
Coroner, and that the body was buried
in a very rough coffin, in u grave a
bout three feet deep.
Immediately upon the reception Of
this letter u second one was received,
addressed to the Postmaster Of this
place. purporliug to be from the Coro-
ncr that held the inquest. This letter
was conIirmatory OF the identity and
death Of White.
! After the lapse Of several days, the
parties that went after the body Of
White returned, and stated that they
went to the place designated. disinter-
ed Il body, which was plain to their
minds was hot that of John W. White,
although the corpse wore the clothes
OF the aforesaid John w. White. One
of the parties that made the cxamin-
alton was an elder brother Of White,
and the other an old friend and ac-
Guaintancc. They were satisfied that
The whole matter was a hoax.
/ The day after the arrival of these
parties from Arkansas, a Mud
letter was received from the point,
addressed to our Postmaster, and
signed John Russell also cOnfrmato.
ry Of Whites demise and identity.
This letter was scrutnized by those
well acquainted with Whites hand
writing, and pronounced Ito be his.
So far. thus closes this magnificent
farce. That John W. White is guilty
ofthe charges preferred against him by
the General Government, there is not
the slightest doubt; that more con.
sumatn sMindler and ACCOMPLISHED vii.