Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-09-11
A MYSTERY STILL.
Fixing the Julia Hayden Murder Upon
its Authors a Difficult Business.

Preliminary Trial OF Pat Lyons at
Lebanon Concluded and The Prisoner
Diseharged-BOWen Sanders Trial 10
BeSin To-Day.
The preliminary examination of Pat
LYONS on the charge Of participation in the
killing Of Julia Hayden was resumed be-
fore Judge Williamson at Lebanon yester-
day morning, and the following testimony
taken:
RICHARD OWEN,
being sworn, testified rs follows: S.aid
during the night Of Aug. Il at uncle An
drew Lyons; when / got there, L found
Bowen Sanders there; l got there a little
before night; Sanders left just after l got
there: said he was going to Mrs. Tomiin-
sons': saw Sanders next morning bet geen
DAYLIGHT and sun-up at Andrew Lyons; he
was down stairs washing his face; also saw
Pat Lyons there that morning; he walked
me I'D; slept up stairs; don't know whether
anyone slept in the same room with me or
not; / left soon after breakfast, leaving
Sanders and Lyons there.
CrOss-e1mnined-There were two beds
in the room where l staid; when | rose
from mine, found the other tumbled.
NANCY LYONS
examined: Am a daug,..er Of Andrew Ly-
ons; first heard Of the killing Of Juii@ lHay-
den Sunday morning after the Friday night
of the killing; bad been sitting up at night
with a sick child; sat up Wednesday,
Thursday and Friday nights; Pat Lyons
caine to sit up with the sick child Friday
night about 0 or 10 O'Clock; Sanders cam
with him; they talked with me and mother
before going to bed; they did not sit up
long; Pat Lyons said he was not feeling
well and was not able to sit up; there was
a clock in the room, by which, knew at what
time Bowen retired; mother didn't 90 up
stairs after they came; Sanders and Lyons
got up next morning between sun-up and
daylight 10 breakfast; think some Of the
children walked them; l went to the spring
and went to washing after breakfast, and
did not return to the house before they
left; heard some gun or pistol shots that
morning.
JOHNNIE LYONS
examined: Am fourteen years old, and a
son of Andrew Lyons; heard of the killing
Of the school mistress the Sunday after it
was done; was at home Friday and FRI
day night; think Bowen Sanders was there
that day; saw him there the next morning
before breakfast; Pat Lyons was there to
breakfast; went with him 10 TaylOrsyille
that morning; when we came back he wens
to Mrs. TomlinsOn's; l met Wash TOmlin-
son riding a mule and going to his moth
er's that morning; met him between Mr..
TomlinsOn's and my fathers; slept Friday
night in a room adjoining fathers; didn't
hear any one come in that night.
GREEN JOHNSON, COLORED,
swOrn and examined! Live a half mile
from TaylOrsville, and in sight of the
Widow TOmlinSOn's; heard Of the killing
Of Julia Hayden the next evening after the
killing. Some persons came to my house
Friday evening and got a rusty old pistol;
there were two of them dressed in long
OyercOats, having on white hats with black
bands; their faces were disguised; couldn't
tell whether they were white or black; did
not see the stock they rode; il was early in
the night; they went OF the same way they
came, after ordering me to stay in my
house for a certain length of time; L staid
in there sometime; they didn't talk with
their natural voices; L live two and a half
miles from Joseph Masseys.
ANDREW sEAGRAvEs.
Here the question Of admitting the testi-
mony Of Andrew SeJgraycs, to which the de-
Tense had objected, again arOSe and called
forth considerable discussion. II was
whether certain declarations Of Bowen San
ders, made in the presence Of The witness,
would be competent evidence. His Honor,
after hearing argument from both sides,
ruled that declarations Of Sanders made
subsequently 10 the killing would not be
competent testimony.
Counsel for the State then Announced
that they were through, and, counsel for
the defendant conserving, the case wa sub
mitted without ar-ument.
LYONS DISCHARGED.
After a recess Of a few minutes, Judge
Williamson announced his decision. He
said the prOtracted Investigation, which
was about 10 close, had been conducted
with patienoe nddeliberatiOn. The u
sci for the State had acted with great fair
ness throughout and had striven only for
the truth. They had developed g strong
chain Of circumstantial evidence, indica-
ting that the murderers of Julia Hayden
started out in the neishbOrhOOd of Taylors-
vile, and had traced them L within a
short distance Of the homicide. = If that
chain of evidence had been connected with
the defendant, il would of itself have been
sufficient to bind the defendant oEer to the
Criminal Court Of TrOusdale. If the
chain of evidence had not been
broker as to Pat Lyons, he could not
hesitate as TO his duty; but the evidence
showed that Pat Lyons was at Andrew
Lyons residence al the time Of the killing.
Ii had been proven by three witnesses that
defendant was there from about . O'Clock
on that Friday night till the next morning
The appointments of the house showed that
defendant could not have gotten in and out
without the knowledge Of these witnesses.
The conviction forced itself upon the mind
Of the court either that the said witnesses
had sworn falsely or that the defendant was
guilty. But an abb had been SO clearly
proven that the court was compelled TO say
the defendant should be discharged. The
decision was based solely on the proof
made in the investigation.
After announcing that the preliminary
trial of Bowen Sanders would be CON-
menced this morning and charging the wit
neSses TO be On hand, the court adjourned.
Lyons was congratulated by a number Of
his friends and by Bowen Sanders, who sat
at his side by permission during the entire
trial, which lasted three days.
1t is not probable that the trial of San
ders will last longer than today, as the
same testimony which was taken in the
Lyons trial will constitute by far the larger
part of that to be introduced in the exami-
nation - Gonlo-z