Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-04-29
ACCUSED OF MURDER.
The Inmates Of our County Jail who
are Charged with having Shed HUI
man blood.

are Charged with having Shed HUI
man Blood.
At the present time there are fifteen per-
sons confined in the Davidson county Jail
on the charge Of having been instrumental
in taking the life of their fellows, of which
number ten are white and five colOred. The
following brief sketch of these prisoners
may be of interest to our. readers:
Mitchell Pearson, aged A, was brought
here from Bedford county last December.
He was sentenced to be hung for the muir
der of an aged citizen of Bedford county,
but an appeal to the Supreme Court was
taken, and the case viii not be heard until
next December.
Albert Powers, charged with killing
Maurice Eagan in the Merchants Ex-
change in this city, last winter, is p
years of age. His case will probably
be disposed of at the next session of the
Criminal Court of this county, which meets
next Monday.
Conrad KeSSler, SO years of age, is con-
fined on the charge of killing lis wife, last
December. The parties resided iR Edge
field and the circumstances connected with
this bloody deed are familiar to our
readers.
Robert Bates, aged q, is charged with
killing young Briley at a dance last winter
the affair happening in Davidson county,
some thirteen miles from Nashville. He
was arrested in Shelby county, near Mem
phis, last month, and for day or two after
being confined in Jail boosted considerably
of the deed for which he was arrested, and
also claimed that he had killed negro in
Edgefield and one i'm Nashville. He is en-
tirely uneducated. being unable to read,
and after two days of Boosting, his fellow
prisoners grew tired of his talk, combined
against him, and he now has but little to
say. His case will come up for trial at the
next session of the Criminal Court.
John c. Pitts, 33 years old, killed a man
by the name of Ridgeway, in Weakley
county, and was brought here for safe keep
ing last January.
Fletcher Woodward, accused of killing
the City Marshal of McMinnville, has been
confined in our Jail for safe keeping since
the 10Th of last November. He is 81 years
of age.
Gilbert and James Flynn, two brothers,
aged 81 and 10 years, respectively, are con-
fined on the charge of being WOOdward's
accOmplices.
JOlll NIL lSlC II d NdSuNillC 10Y lie
was arrested last fall on the charge of rob-
berry, but was released on bond before his
trial came of, his mother becoming his
surety. While out on bond, he became in
volved in an affray by which young man
named Wiley EdmOnds, of Edgefield, lost
his life. He was thereupon rearrested
and was tried upon the charge of robbery
and murder, and was found gnilty, but
owing to mitigating circumstances con-
nected with the killing, was sentenced to
the Penitentiary for only six years and a
half, being sentenced for ten years on the
charge of robbery. The case was appealed
10 the Supreme Court, and he is now await
ing trial before that tribunal.
The case of Mrs. Geraldine HOusen is
one with which our readers are familiar.
She was arrested year ago on the charge
of having inStigated some negroes to the
murder of her husbands mother. She was
tried by a court composed of three magis-
trateS, acquitted, indicted afterwards by
the grand jury and committed to Jail May
20, where she has since been confined, her
case having been postponed by the Crimi-
nal Court. Mrs. Housen is 26 years old.
Jerry StOKes, cOlOred, was arrested a few
DAYS before Mrs. HOusen, on the charge of
having killed the latter's mother-in-law, at
her instigation. lie was also acquitted by
the magistrates, but was afterwards indict-
ed by the grand jury, found guilty of muir
der, and sentenced to thirteen years and a
half in the penitentiary, but took an APP
peal TO the Supreme Court.
Willis Barnes and Dick NOlen were ar
rested as accomplices of Stokes. The
former turned States evidence, but is kept
in Jail as a witness against Mrs. HOusen.
Nolea was acquitted and released.
Charles Frisbee, cOlOred, twenty-four
years of age, was lodged in Jail on the h
of last October for killing his wife, in a
very cruel and bloody manner, having cut
off her head with an AK.
Turner Greer, cOlOred, was found in the
Jail when the present Jail officials took
charge Of that institution, in the fall of
1872. He has been sentenced to the peni-
Tertiary for life for killing a negro man in
July, 1872, but the decision in his case was
reversed by the Supreme Count and he is
now awaiting a new trial.
Stephen Fame, cOlored, charged with the
killing of negro woman by the name of
SimmOnds. is Is years of age, and has been
lodged in Jail since February 4. His case
will probably be disposed of at the next
session of the Criminal Court.