Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-10-27
A BADLY USED MAN.
some Of His Rough Experiences in
DekaIb County.

10 Ihe ODiOu anu AUltilGhils
NASHVILLE, Oct. 20, 1674.-Sir; l az
rived in this city on the evening of the oath
inst, and, having seen your article headed
"Darkly Mysterious" ask that you do me
the justice to publish my statement.
have been a resident of your city for more
than year, having come here from st.
Louis. | intended to make Nashville my
home, and engaged house from Gen. Jas.
Hickman, who has known me to act hon
orably in all my dealings with him and
whose endorsement you will find enclosed
with that of other citizens. Last June,
L gave up housekeeping and en-
gagged board with X. Il. Plummer,
81 North Summer street. His en-
dorsement you will also find enclosed.
Last Wednesday, thought L would make
a trip to Smithville, in DeKalb county, to
see the prospects as to moving to that
place, as my business had not succeed
ed as well in your city as had anticipated.
A friend, Jas. Baker, accompanied me.
In order to reach Smithyille we had to
leave the train at Lebanon, and as there
was no conveyance we were compelled to
walk. Alexandria lies on the route. On
arriving there and before we sought hotel
TO put up for the night, two men walked up
to us and without asking question arrest
ed us on suspicion of being fugitives from
Justice. We were taken before a Justice
of the Peace and examined. l stated the
facts above given. The justice asked
me to mention the names of two men with
whom l had had dealings in Nashville, and
l mentioned Gen. James Hickman and K.
r. Plummer He did not ask me for more
than two, and yet, in his letter to Gov.
Brown, he says L could not give the names
of more than two men in the United States
as reference. They kept us in close con-
finement from Wednesday to Friday even
ing, when, finding they had not the least
shadow of evidence against us, we were re-
leased.
Now Tennessee must be in very de-
moralIzed condition if two peaceable, law
abiding citizens cannot travel without be-
il g thrown into prison without the least
shadow of evidence of guilt. We must say,
however, in Justice TO the citizens Of Alex
andrla, that we had a great many sympa-
thizers among its people, one of whom, Z.
II. Hudson by name, a perfect stranger TO
me, came up and offered to 20 our security.
We also had expressions of sympathy from
numerous others who said we had been
outraged.
Mark this, we were not arrested by OIL
GERS Of the law, but by two citizens of the
place, W. Lincoln and J. GoOdner, by
name, and after being dismissed we were
re-arTested at the instance of Lincoln; but
so many Of the people were convinced of
our innocence Of Gily guilt that we were
Immediately discharged. By the advice of
citizens of both Alexandria and Nashville,
l have brought suit against Lincoln for
$4,000, for false Imprisonment.
These are the facts of the case, and in
justice to me L hope you will publish this
statement. MARION T. FLORA.
NASHVILLE, Oct. 20, 1ST4.-We, the
citizens Of Nashville, have
known NJ. G.. Flora for more than a wear,
and have known him TO be honorable in
all his dealings, and never in this time
have we known anything tomake us think
he was not an honorable, honest man.
X. r. PLUMNIER,
J. G. WEST,
w. A. DICK BRIEN,
FRANK ANDERSON,
JAMES HICKMAN.