Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-04-05

IhlOAN; OAIUhDA i
u the Two women, Dus ssotning against Mrs.
Houeen outside ofthst.
MAI. STILL SWORN.
Direct eraainatiOn--l live within of q
mile OF the Housens; used to be q justice
Of the peace; have known Housen ever
since be was born; don't kn5w an5thing
specially against Housen; Mrs. Housen
came to my house when was acting JUS
tice of the peace and said she wanted
pease warrant against Housen (ruled out
as Incompetent testimony; Mrs. Housen
stands fair in the neighborhood.
MRS. YowELL, (ooLoRED1 SWORN.
Direct Examination live 200 yards
from Mrs. Housen's; know where the body
was found; between nine and ten O'Clock
that night, heard some one calling, "Wlkes"
"Wilkes !" three times; woke my hus-
band and told hlmJ but neither Of us got
IN; the calling was in loud tone; know
Willis Barnes when | see him; don't know
Nolan or S .okes; saw Willis at the burying
of Mrs. Housen.
URIAH PEBBLES SWORN.
Direct Egdnaindtion.-I know the
Housen family; arrested Mrs. Housen last
Saturday, at her house; she was in bed; APP
peared to be sick and felt delicacy about
telling her what wanted of her; told her
l wanted her to come to Nashville, but
dfan'G tell her what wanted of her until We
got on the pike, and then told her she was
charged with being implicated in the muir
der of Mrs. Housen; she appeared to be
very much frightened, and asked if the mig
gers had said anything to implicate her,
and then asked if her testimony wouldn't
go further than Iigger's testimony; she
said she had no money to pay a lawyer,
and told her her husband would do that,
aud she said Hwhat if her husband would
60 back on her," never knew anything
about their family troubles except what
young Mrs Housen told me; she said she
wasn't treated well by either her husband
or mother-in-
Cross eIdmined-I told Mrs. Housen,
when went to arrest her, that her hus-
band wanted to see her, and that she had
better bring some bedding with her; after
we loft the house, l told her that
she was implicated 10 the murder;
she has good character in her neighbor-
hood.
SAMUEL BARNES SWORN.
Direct examination. Was with PEBBLES
when he arrested Mrs. Housen; found her
in the bed; as we came along she seemed
agitated, but no more than any woman
would be; she asked where her husband
was; we told her he was arrested; after we
told her she was arrested, she wanted to
know what the evidence was against her;
we told her one CT the niggers had confess
ed and thought implicated her; she asked
if we thought her husband would desert
her, being accused of the murder of bis
mother; we said We thought not; am par
ticulary acquainted with Mrs. Housen; she
bore good character; l went to school
with her; as we came along, told Mrs.
Housen Willis Barnes had confessed.
Cross examined. Il told Mrs. Housen
thought her word would be taken before
that of Niger; have known her from
child; her character is excellent.
BOB PAGE (coLoRED) SWORN.
Direct eIGminGtiOn.-I live within
quarter of mile of Mrs. Housen; know
Willis Barnes; Tuesday evening after the
murder he was talking to me about religion;
he came to my house On Sunday about six
weeks ago and said he had something on
hand that he wanted me to help him; he
said there
WAS MONEY IN IT;
he saw Mr.. Housen and bis mother going
down the pike to church, and he said he
didn't want Housen to see him, because be
wanted to go up aud see Housen's wife on
business; last year he told me old Mrs.
Housen had $500 or $500 in her bosom
every time she went down the pike.
SALEM sPATTERsON, COLORED, SWORN.
Direct EEdmindtiOn.-I live about mile
from Mr.. Housen's; know Willis Barnes;
saw him the morning Of the killing; my
wife said Wilkes and Rama Hamer were at
my house about shutdown Monday; heard
Robert Page say that Wilkes said he knew
Mrs. Housen had S5a0 in money, and as he
was too lazy TO work, he intended to get
that money, and in two years he would own
the Housen farm.
CroSS-CrGmined was fishing in Mill
creek the night of the murder; saw Mr..
Housen there fishing; that was two miles
miles from Housen's house, and it was afs
ter dark some time when saw him.
FEET MEASURED.
With the examination Of this witness
the counsel for the State said they had no
more testimony to offer, but desired that
the TWO negroes be brought forward, and
that their feet be measured, in order that
it be seen how the length of their feet
would compare with that of the measure
taken Of The barefoot track found rear the
scene Of the murder. The court consented
10 this, and Constable Robertson was
selected to do the measuring.
Nolan was brought forward first, a
sheet of paper placed on the floor, and
Nolan's foot barred and placed upon the
paper, when it was found that his foot was
about two inches longer than the measure
which had been produced in evidence.
The measurement of Stokes foot re-
vealed the fact that it was very near the
length of the measure, and it was quite evi.
dent that Stokes had been going barefoot
ed, his toes showing marks of having been
frost bitten. The shape of his foot was
carefully marked on the paper, and several
witnesses who had seen the tracks referred
to as icing found near the scene of the
murder, were shown the shape Of the foot,
and all testified that it resembled, in seve-
raj particulars, the impression made in the
mud, near the place Mrs. Housen was
found hanging.
TESTIMONY FOR THE DEFENSE.
The counsel for the defense offered the
following testimony:
COOK BATTLE (CoLoRED) SWORN.
Direct examination by Mr.. Brien.-I
saw Mr.. Housen fishing the night of the
murder and asked him what luck he had,
and he said he had caught two little ones.
DELLAR BATTLE (COLoRED) SWORN.
Direct erdnlinGtiOn.-I was out fishing
the night of the murder with Salem PAtter-
son and Cook Battle; saw Mr.. HouSen fish,
ing about two miles from his house; the
boys spoke to him as we passed by; this
was early in the night.
The counsel for Mr.. and Mrs. Housen
stated that they had long list of witnesses
on the point of the good character sustain
ed by their clients among their neighbors.
The counsel for the State announced
then selves satisfied as to the good charac-
ter of Mr.. and Mrs. Housen, and further
on that point was unnecessary.
THE NEGROES.
Mr.. Goodlett, of Nolan and Stokes coun-
sci, said that as no case had been made out
against his clients he would ask for their
discharge, saying that he was able to prove
an alibi in the case of Nolan, and the testi-
mony relative to the measurement of the