Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-05-29
WEST TENNESSEE'S SENSATION.
A Merchant Murdered I'm Cold Blood
by His wife's ParamOur-Thew Woman
Assists In the Crime and Then Turns
gtatess Evidence.

Some two weeks since, mention was
made in these columns of the murder of a
merchant of Rutherford, Gibson county, by
the name OF Cayerhill, in his own house, on
the night Of the 18th inst, as he was lying
quietly sleeping in bis bed, From q gen.
| tleman who reached Nashville yesterday,
direct from Rutherford, We get the follow
ing additional information with regard to
this horrible affair.
1t seems that the alarm was given, on
the night of the murder, by Mrs. Caverhill,
who, amid her screams and violent ex-
pressions of grief, as she hung over the
mutilated form of her dead husband, said
that she had seen man escaping from the
room, and that the murder had just
been committed. Upon examination,
however, it was found that the
body was cold, and thus the falsi-
ty of the wife's statement was fully
established and suspicion against herself
aroused; and soon after, a woman of disre-
putable character, by the name Of Mrs.
Gallagher, who, it seems, had been tempo
rarily employed by Mrs. Caverhill, was ar
rested under belief that she knew some
thing about the bloody deed. This suppo-
sitiOn proved to be correct, as the woman
was SO thoroughly frightened that she at
once made confession duplicating Mrs.
Caverhill, man by the name of Cally,
and herself, and she said that Mrs. Caver-
hill and Cally-whose wife, now deceased,
was sister of Mrs. Cayerhill-had been
on terms of criminal intimacy; that they
had plotted to kill Caverhill, and that they
had promised her $500 if she would aid
them, paying her $50 at the time; that
Cally had committed the murder by beat
ing his victim over the head with a car
coupling pin, and that Mrs. Caverhill had
waited half an hour after the hellish deed
was cOnsummated, before giving the alarm.
Mrs. Caverhill and Cally were thereupon
arrested, and the three were tried before
board of Magistrates last Wednesday, at
which trial our informant was present.
Mrs. Caverhill was allowed to turn States
evidence, as the testimony of the woman
Gallagher was not considered reliable, but
this testimony Mrs. Caverhill substantial
ted in the main, but said Mrs. Gallagher
had struck the first blow, which was fol-
lowed up by a number inflicted by Cally.
The latter, together with Mrs. Gallagher,
was committed to Jail in the midst of great
excitement, and threatenings of lynching
on the part of the excited populace and
thousands of country people from Gibson
and Dyer counties, who attended the
trial.
Caverhill was a middle-aged man, we'll
known and highly respected in that sec
ton. His family consisted of his wife and
several children, to whom he was a kind
husband and indulgent father.
Mrs. Caverhill was several years younger
than her murdered husband, is rather gay,
somewhat fond of dress, and has conducted
herself in such manner with Cally as to
excite remark.
Cally is about thirty years Of age, is also
a merchant of Rutherford, and was uni
versally respected. Hewas member in
high standing in the Cumberland Presby-
terrain Church, where he was Superintend-
ent of the Sunday school, and is a Royal
Arch Mason. He has two children, one of
whom, little girl, was present at the trial,
and when her father was on the point Of
being conducted to Jail, she begged piteous-
ly with those who had him in charge to not
stake papa away"
Mr.. Caverhill was a man of considerable
property, and left, i'll addition to his stock
of goods, an insurance policy on his life for
several thousand dollars.