Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-07-13
THE LATE HOMICIDE.
Examination of Mr.. Stanley for Shooting
Henry curtls.
The Air Rseking with Psrlury--.Hlsh Tss
tImsnlais to the Character Of
the Accused.
The Case coutlnusd tin this Morning.

The examination of Mr.. J. B. Stanley,
cx-Sherif of Fayette county, for shoot
ing a negro named Henry Curtis, on his
place six miles from town, on Friday eve
ming last, took place yesterday before
Judge Irving Halsey, in the Municipal
Court room.
Attorney General Luke E. Wright, as
sisted by General Horrigan, G.. F. Z. Cook,
Esq, and j. w. Smith, Esq, appeared for
the State. and General Gideon J. Pillow,
General John f. Sale, Orville Yerger,
Esq, and Captain Parham for the defense.
Squire Elliott took the bench at half
past ten O'Clock and asked if they were
ready to proceed with the case.
General Pillow, for the defense, asked
for a change of venue, and after some re-
marks on the subject from various par
ties, Mr.. II. S. Parham proceeded to draw
up the necessary affidavit to obtain the
same. Several propositions were sub
mitted in regard to the matter, but Judge
Halsey happening to come into the court
room Just at that time, they were all with
drawn, and by mutual agreement be-
tween the attorneys he was requested TO
hear the case in his eL 06icb0 capacity OF
committing magistrate. He assented, and
the counsel announced that they were
ready to proceed with the case.
The witnesses, or rather five OF them,
all negroes, were brought in, sworn and
I ReN AAA11A ~ AoAlN 80 -
being Charles Harris. We do not think
it necessary to go into the testimony in
detail, but give the main points merely.
He said that he knew the deceased and
was with him on the eveningof his death.
He was killed by Mr.. Stanley. He did
not see Stanley shoot him, but saw the
flash of the pistol both times. He was
standing about two lengths of
! the Courtroom from Stanley and
Curtis at the time. He could not see
them, as they fgere IN the SHADOW of the
trees. He (witness) in company with
five others, one of whom was the de-
ceased, had gone over to Stanley's place
that evening to sea "Uncle Jim," Mr..
Stanley's driver or head man. They
had not been there long when Mr.. Stanley
came home. He rode up to the house and
called for Mitchell Ia servantl to take his
horse. Witness here explained the rela-
tive position OF the house, quarters, etcI.
Curtis (the deeeased) was standing on the
doorstep and also called for Mitchell.
Stanley asked: "Who the hell are you"
Curtis replied that he was Henry Curtis.
Stanley asked what he wanted there, and
Curtis answered that he had come to see
"uncle jim" Stanley ordered him to leave
the place, and added that he didn't want
a pack of damned niggers losfing around
the premises at night. Curtis made some
reply, when Stanley again told hin to
leave the place or he would kill him so
dead that they couldn't skin him." and
called for his double barreled shot
gun. He didn't get his gun how
ever. Curtis started to go but didn't
move fast enough, and Stanley hit him
with something; couldn't say what he hit
him with. He told Curtis to get ahead of
him. Saw him drive Curtis of toward
the gate. The gate is thirty or forty yards
from the house. Curtis was mumbLiRg
-,U,nfhsn- Had Cfarlou eau - / mill
kill you in a minute if you don't go
of" Witness then " saw a flash, and
hen directly, right away, another flash;
then heard Stanley boiler, 'Liddy, come
here quick; this Niger is about to kill
me- A minute or so afterwsrd he called
Duprat. He called in q loud voice. 1
heard him distinctly. Duprat is the next
door ~neighbor."
Gross examined BIZ State.-Never saw
any clubin Curtis hands. When we went
back, after Curtis death, didn't see any
club on or near him.
Redirect.-I left right of. 1 left him
calling for Duprat. Icame back with the
Others about thr~ee-quarters of en- hour
afJerward.
C-roSs-eramtned BIZ the Defense.-
Couldn't see Stanley and Curtis when
pistol fired; saw the flash of the pistol; I
was about two lengths of this room from
them; directly after second shot Stanley
hollered, "Liddy! come here, this nigger
is killing me-" l went of over home;
came back with the others in three-quar-
tiers of an hour; Duprat hadn't got there
then; he lives within three or four hum
bred yards of Stanley; Stanley was sit
couldn't see whether he was bleeding or
not; the deceased is a big man-will
weigh a hundred and seventy-tve or
pounds; he was very stout-built;
as near as l can remember il was be-
tween eight and nine O'Clock when the
affai came OFF; there were six of ouT
party in all that went there that night;
all six OF US lived at Brooks except one;
we never asked permission of Stanley to
visit his place; when we went back we
had a double arreled gun, single-bar-
relied gun, and a revolver in the crowd;
Jonas Davis had the pistol in his hand;
the six were Charles Harris, Joe Waldron,
Henry Bennett, Chss. Graham, Mitchell
and Henry Curtis; l had my banjo with
me; l0aS nearer to the fght than anybody
else; Stanley called to his wife after the
second shot; l heard no blow struck.
DR.. Pool (lOhitet SlcorR.-Am a practicing
physician; have been so for fourteen years;
was called on on Saturday about three
o'clock by Squire Elliott to examine dead
body of Curtis; one ball had passed
through the left breast, near the heart,
which was cut out under the shoulder
blade; it entered about an inch and a half
from the center of the breast bone; the
passed through the nostrils into the
brain; it ranged upward; l followed the
ball with my probe some five inches; Ell
Their wound was mortal; The deceased
was lying in a path about thirty or forty
feet from the gate; there was no indica-
ton of a struggle around where he lay.
Query, by the StGte.-Did you see any
blood on the gate?
ARSVer.-I saw what l took to be blood
the gate.