Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1871-06-08
Established December 18TH, 1850,

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/ went from the table to the
reading room, and after 1had
read an hour, / heard one man
say to another: 5ai's go. s,..s'l -. !.
"Let's go over to the courthouse;
they're trying Joe Shfef..A They
went out; and, remembering my
talk with the District Attorney,
my curiosity was excited, and /
followed them. So a EHE'
When / entered The court room,
the victim Of the robbery was on
the stand. He was plain SIM
pie old man, and gave in bis evil
dence with apparent truthfulness.
He testified stha he was stopped
about sunset, some months before,
while passing from Carlisle to his
home with one thousand dollars
that he had drawn that afternoon
from the bank. 1t was a lonely
spot and there was no house with
in half "a mile of it. He was
jogging leisurely along, when a
light wagon drawn by two horses
dashed up beside his buggy, and
three. of the four men in it jumped
out, while the fourth held the
reins. They were all masked,
One of them seized his horse by
the bit, and stopped him, and the
second snatched the lines from,
his hands, and the third climbing.
half into the buggy, and taking
him by the arms demanded his
money. He said that he instant
ly shouted as loud as he could !;
when the ruffian dealt him a saw
age blow with a sling shot which
knocked him senseless; and when
he came to himself again both
robbers and money was gone.
He recognized only one of the
four; the man that struck him
As he drew back to give the blow
his mask dropped and revealed
the face of Joe Slifer, the prisoner
at the bar. He knew he was
positive of it-and all the cross
examination could not weaken or
shake his evidence upon this i'm
portant point.
No other witness was called for
the prosecution; none seemed
necessary. The prisoners lawyer
got up and made aplapsible state
ment to the jury that the COM
plainant was mistaken about rec
ognizing Joe Slifer on the occa-
sion referred to; that Sitter was
not there at all, but that he was at
Norcott, fifty miles north of Car
6sle, sat the very hour of that |
robbery, and that he should prove
it by at least two good witnesses.
He sat down and called out
sCaleb. Wye," and everybody
leaned forward expectantly. En 4
The witness came forward with
a slow, limping gait, leaning on a
cane. He was apparently man
of middle age, and was dressed IN
a suit Of sober black, with white
choker about, his neck. His hair
was silver gray, and as he mounted
the stand, and leaning on bis
cane, turned his eyes placidly to|
the prisoners counsel, he present.
ed an appearance which would at
tract attention and respect any
where. 9srelssT ia7e'l - -
Isaw him; and though / did
not betray any surprise, / know
that my heart gave a tremendous
thump. For saw the bilious,
thin face, the crooked nose, and !
the SCARED forehead of the dodgerl
whom j had seen twenty.foufl
hours before in the doorway of |
the saloon. With this difference,
however, the hair of that man
was almost black, while this mans
was silver gray. ~ 5,s59 ,..er.
] edged my chair quietly up be-
side that of the District Attor-t
ney, and while the man was testi-
tying ] managed to whisper in the
officers ear without attracting the
attention of the witness. The
latter testified that he was a deal
er in ready-made clothing at Nor
cott, and one of the firm of Wye
Il Peasants. That on that day tes-
tified to as the day of the robbery,
be and his partner were at their
store at Norcott, and there was an
unusual call for goods. Joe SliferI
was then in town; they knew him
well, and had often employed him
to work in the store. On this
particular day they sent for him !;
be came Immediately; and he re.
mained at the store, waiting on
customers, from two o'clock to /
eight, without once leaving, it'll
Mr.. Pleasants was in court, and
he could testify to the same facts.
The FIRST question of the DistrictE
Attorney made the fellow start