Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-12-01

Ewing.
have known Mr.. Poindexter six or seven wears.
in Clsrksville and here lately. came here twice
on a VISIT and staid with him a week each time l
know MIN as well as I know anybody He was al
ways q very quiet. respectful maa to everybody
especially To old gentlemen and ladies. He was one
OF the most quiet and retiring men lever saw in my
life never knew of his having but one difficulty
before he came here
Cross examination
Ihaveheatd good many gentlemen speak of him
eaeh liIle have been here / heard of his having
TWO aimcqites here. saw it in the papers.
have heard him talked about good deal since his
death, but not before that time
Layman freeman Direct examination BY Mr.
Bate.
L was near the spot when this difscpltv occurred
last Friday week. ! was on the Oppposite side of
the street from where the difficulty occurred was
going towards the Union building I was ooin0 on
Dut heard the word stop, artieulated and turned
around, and the gun raised and then nv atten-
Fton was turned towards the person pointed at and
saw the person fall who raised the gun. or who
was shot, did not know at the time was not Der-
sOnally acquainted with either OF the parties There
were but few seconds intervening between the
word STOP and the firing. i turned around and
as turned the gun was raised and fired. By the
pointing of the gun it directed my attention whom
it aiming. / did not see Mr.. Poindexser until
the shot struck him and then he was careening to-
wards me, and fell. Tsaw that he had umbrella
in his hand l saw no pistol about him. He was in
full view of me. don't know the exact distance
was from Mr. Poindexter-perhaps 100 feet. l saw
nothing in his hands but the umbrella. Idont know
| the position Of his hands. lie was standing when
he received the contents of the gun He in the
act of falling when first him. He fell slowly.
He had the umbrella still over him when | saw him,
L l did not see what became Of Mr.. Hall. | saw the
gun but not the man that shot it.
I Gross examination by Mr. Bricn.
The explosion of the gun called my attention to
the man that was shot. saw Mr. POindexter in the
act of falling. That the first saw of him. l
did not see HIM till he was shot. He was standing
rather sideways to me when he was shot He was
careening at the time when ! saw him. don't know
precisely what position he in at the time he
shot.
John L. Rice. Direct examination by Mr.. Bate.
Twas on Cherry street in my room when this diff
fieulty occurred. My room is just above Mr.. Ewings
office. knew nothing about it till after Mr.. Poin-
dexter was shot. saw him staggering and falling
heard a loud peremptOPy voice, and Immediately
afterwards the firing. | did not hear the word, to
tell what il was. II all came together one imme
dately followed the other heard but enc voice
There might have been something before that which
II did not hear. Ny door shut, and the windows
were down. l suppose | should not have noticed
the voice at all had it not been for the report.
went TO the window and saw Mr.. Poindexter stag
gering He was takeu into Mr.. Childress office.
No cross examination
Mr. T. +. Kendrick. Direct examination by Mr..
Bate.
1 was on Cherry street last Friday rweek when
OAiuSAteE was SHOT, was NJ gas
Office door 1t is in Coopers building about thirty
feet from Deaderick Alley. Mr.. Poindexter was
about in front OF Andrew Ewings door, in full view
of where | was standing-his back and right side
being towards me. Isuppose was about 90 feet
from him. As / came out of the door, | saw Mr.
POindexter the opposite side of the street and
thought Iwould watch him. He went as far Mr.
Ewings cellar. and l Mr. Hall come out and
hollo three times l did not think Mr. POindeXteF
took any notice the first time and after the third
time Mr. Hall shot Mr. PoinIcNtps had his head
towards the ground. He had umbrella over him.
He was walking moderately. / was not really eX-
pectng a difficulty | knew Mr.. POindeXter and
Mr.. Hall His (Mr. POindeXteP's) attention seemed
to be attracted about the second time. think Mr..
Hall then said, stop, sir.' Mr.. Hall said, stop "
three times, think, though could not well distin-
guisn. 1t was said in quick succession. could not
tell how long before the firing after the hast excla
. matiOn-perhaps two or three seconds. think Mr..
PoindeXter was standing still when he was shot
did not anything in his right hand He might
have had an umbrella. did not any pistol in
h his hand. His right side towards me. / saw
his right hand. and there nothing in il at all.
Mr., Hall went into the Aelrs office. Mr.. Poindexter
fell and was taken in. / had not Mr.. Hall be-
fore that morning.
Cross examination by Gov. Brown: Ny attention
was Immediately drawn TO Mr.. Hall and Mr.. Poin-
dexter. My attention was first drawn to Mr.. Pom
dexter, because | saw him going up the street and
had heard talk of fight between him and Mr. Hail.
though did not really expect one. II the first
time had seen him that morning. / could SEE what
his right hand was doing though cOud not see his
whole front. saw Mr.. Hall when he first came out
could not state how he had his gun except that he
hadit. He said stop three times, heard II dis
tmctly. was about eighty or ninety feet from Mr.
Hall. | was further from Mr. Hall than from Mr.
POindexter. Mr.. POindexter did not stop the first
time he was told. / think he stopped when he was
ttOld the second time. | could not tell what he was
doing as could not his face. Mr.. Halls gun fir
ed and he fell saw nothing fall from him. did
not go there.
T. B. Childress Direct examination by Mr. A Ew-
ing: was at home the morning OF the difficulty SIT
ting in my office reading had just come down
from breakfast and had not been in there exceeding
two minutes. l heard the report of gun pre-
sumo, and jumped up and ran to the door. The !
report seemed to up the street and consequent
ly cast my eye down the street. saw Mr. POndex-
ter reeng, and ran to his assistance. He was reel
ing to the right, sinking down gradually. placed !
my arm under him, and lifted him up, and at first |
thought he could walk, and then Mr.. Nenabe came |
and was convinced he could not walk and Mr. |
Nenable aided me, and We carried him into the Of
nee. lie gasped but twice after he carried in |
and laid upon the settee neither saw an umbrella
nor pistol; my whole attention was directed to Mr.
POlndeXter His feet about one foot this side |
of the far end of Mr.. Ewing's Office When l saw /
HIM he was rather near the edge of the pavement. |
He gasped with grOan or two but said nothing |
and moved his head twice after he was laid on the
settee, and expired After lifted him up, saw Dr.
" atson up the street. and called to him. He came
in and looked at him. and took hold of his pulse and
SAID "he IS dead did not see the umbrella. and
never saw it. heard no words and heard nothing
till the report of the gun Ny Office is the second
door from Mr.. Ewmgs Office. There is a stairway
between my Office and Mr. Ewing's. Ny door was
OPEN was sitting there reading. | have known
Mr.. POndexter since he las been here, and be-
fOre-when he was Elector l know his character
among his friends for peace and violence. | am in
he same predicament that Col. Stokes was / have 4
'ny heard his friends speak Of him. do not think
ne had been here sufficiently long 20 establish gen
raj character IN the community. / had heard it \
aid he very nearSighteI-I had heard it spO- TX
Ken of in connection with the use Of pstOl-that
ne could not do harm with pistol. He very j
mail man, and would not weigh over ninety or
linety-six pounds The first man ] saw was Mr.. |
Fenable, who standing on the cellar door. As
sprang out, he came up and supported him on the
'ther side. When took Mr.. PoindexteP up. cast {
ny eyes up the street to if any there, I
md saw no one except Mr.. John Hall The Messrs. 4
eabury and one of them assisted TO carry I
f.. POindexter in. '
Mr.. j. E. R. Ray recalled Direct examination. d
don't know whether Mr.. POindexter was ac- f
uaintcd with Mr.. Hall or not personally. reeol b
ect some time previous probably ten days. or two b
Tesks to his death, was in conversation with p
IT. POindexter. 1t was shortly after Mr. Halls j c
onneetion with the NelSS Office. lie told me he c
id not not know Mr. Hail. and asking me if ! Ii
new him. He said he was gentleman he had Il v
ever seen. Ur
Mr.. J. o. Grifith-Direct examination by Mr. A. Fl
wing il
l was partner with Mr. Poindexter in the UNION N
Nd AMERICAN office. / know from conversation d
18th him, that his eyes not perfect mine il
have only general impression as to the distance
could see cannot say that recollect positive t'
r, that he defined the distance. recolleet that d.
lere a certain distance at which everything r.
as very ndistnct. am not positive to wheth- 1 ."
it a short or long distance. My impress I W
on is. that Mr.. POindexter had never recognized in
r. Hall at ALL and did not know him personally. b,
he clothes brought yesterday, were the clothes "
hich Mr. POindexter at the time of the diff NJ
Ilty. had them in my keeping it
Cross examination by Mr.. Brien. &C
did not know that there was to be difficulty | re
tween Mr. Hall aud Mr.. POindexter on that morn in
g. knew there had been a difficulty but not till tn
came up to the office that morning did 1 know of til
e article in the AerS. i came up after breakfast
lid not anticipate difficulty between them Ibid in
It hear anything from Mr. POndexer on that sub as
Ct | live at private house. He boarded at the OF
Cloud. Ibid not see him that morning. / came I tn
the office that morning after my breakfast. and VI
ok out the letters from the Post Office among ed
hch there for him. | went 10 deliver il ed
him in the editorial room, and waiting for him. de
tered into conversation with some gentlemen in Ina
e ROOM While there the news came that Mr.. ca
,ndexter was shot. That was the first intimatOn |
heard of the difficulty Ihad heard of the difficulty ut
tween him and John Hall and had heard il shaken do