The Sweetwater enterprise. (Sweetwater, Tenn.) 1869-187?, 1872-02-15
ALL ABOUT REPU.
TATI0N."
The Notions for Severance and what
Became Of Them.
Judge Hall Wisely Solves The Per,
DleXity,

argument upon the various motions for
severance in the now famous suits for a
damaged reputation. 1t was evident to
the Court that the question must ulti-
mately he determined, i'll any event, by
the Supreme Court, and that the inter-
ests Of parties, as well us OF the public,
would be best subseryed, by having an
adjudication in the Supreme Court with
out an unnecessary waste OF time and
labor in the Court below. In view of the
fact that the net of the Legislature in
question allows to the defendants the
right Of appeal in case of an adverse do
cision to them, without further proceed
ings in the case, his Honor, at the on
]clusion Of Judge Browns argument, and
before Mcssrs, T%hornburg and Caldwell
had been heard, announced that, in view
Of the number of suits of like character
and the certainty that tho questions in
VOWED must finally be heard in the Su-
prcmc Court, and inasmuch as he had
doubts regarding the onstitutionality Of
the law, he thought it would be best now
to let tho motion be ovcrrulcd, so that
an appeal could be ut once taken. Ac-
c%ordiugly, the following is the entry in
the case Of the Lnion md Amrrirun,
which was made the test case:
John Barter rs. .JoS. d. MabrH D.. O.
Grl0ih, ,John Z. Burrh, Ira p. Zones,
Ho. M MrKec, Irqcis Winham anal
MmrS 7. BeH.
Came the parties, by their Attorneys,
and came on for argument the several
motions heretofore entered in this cause
by the Attorneys of the defendants, J..
o. Griffith, John G. Burch, I'm p. Jones,
Jno. NJ. Mckee, Travis Winham and
James I. Bell, for q severance Of trial as
to each Of said defendants, and II trans
fer of this cause as to each of said de-
PENDANTS 10 the county Of his residence,
and said motions having been argued by
counsel and considered by the Court,
and the Court being Of tho opinion that
N
the first and second sections Of the Act
Of tn" Legislature Of Deccmber, the 10th,
1871, entitled can Act to authorize par
ties defendant in certain actlonsto sever
and have the causes MS to themselves
transferred to the county Of their resi-
dence, v are rs to suits brought and pen
ding i'll court before the passage Of said
Act, unconstitutional and void, and that
said several motions are not therefore,
well taken; and the Court, therefore.
o%ycrTuirs and dlsallow, cacil and I'LL OF
said motions for Il severance, and for a
transfer Of this cause. TO which action
of the Court in oyerruling and disallow-
ing said motions, said defendants each
except i'll law, and pray an appeal to the
next term Of the Supreme Court Of the
State Of Tennessee, to be held ut Knox.
vile, on the second Monday in Septem.
Der, 1872. And the Court being of the
opinion that under the fourth section o.
said Act, approved December 1lth, 1871
said petitioners CT defendants are en-.
titled to IN appeal at Tins stage OF thj
cause; and said defendants having exc
cuted bond with security as required by
law, thoreupon sald appeal is granted
To which section Of the Court in grant
ing an appeal, at this stage Of the cause
the plaintiff excerpts,
Proceedings in I'LL the other suits o
like character will be stayed, to await thu
decision Of the Supreme Court, mex
Fall, upon the question thus taken Il,
) i'll the case Of the Union and Amrricau
} The docket, for the time being, will b,
relieved Of the blockade, and parties in
tcrested III our Court, either as suitors
witnesses or attorneys, already feel
2 temporary sense of relief.
y, We care not to say anything in regarc
| to the merits Of the legal c~ontroyors,
! over the validity OF the Act of the Leg
' %isiature. We may say, however, tina
! the counsel for the multitude Of defen
, dants entertain no doubts, whatever, Il
to its constitutiOnality and as to the &C
ton of the Supreme Court in regard Il
it. 1t may be interesting to notice hoy
= the record Of the various suits will stand
- when the general severance actual
comes. Here IS the way the list wi
! read:
ALL FOR ONE DAMAGED REPUTATION.
John Baxter w Joseph \ Mabry, for $4,000
John Baxter vs. Z W Charlton, for $4,000
john Baxter w ! SClarke, for $4,000
John Baxter VS. Rolfc s Saunders, for $50, 30
e John Baxter VI Jno NJ Fleming, for $4,000
! John Baxter vs. " T Ramage, for sjl,01
John Baxter vs. S { Ramage, for $1,000
John Baxter VI Jos 4 Mabry, for sjO,oO
!, John Baxter vs. JnoC Vaughn, for $jO,00
O John liaxter VS. D Woodward, for $4,000
John Baxter vs. ) 7 Wins, for $4,000
John BnXter VS. J NJ Clsmenston, for $780, 90
JOHN Baxter VS. Joseph \ Mabry, for $4,000
John RaXtcr Vi j o Griffith, Tor $4,000
h john Baxter ~ Jno { Burcl, Tor $4,000
John Baxter vs. Jno NJ Mckee, for $50, 90
John Baxter VS. Travis Windlam, for S50, 90
John Baxter VS. Ira 7 Jones, for $5U,O0
John Baxter W. james 4 Bell, for $4,000
= John Baxter VS. JOS 4 Mabry, for $1,000
John Baxter W Albert Roberts. for $4,000
John Baxter VS. Eugene Roberts, for $1,000
u John Baxter VS. George L Puryis, for $50, 90
fpanl Fatal al IAN ,