Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1875-07-08

NN''J NAN AN4b ~ iuoihu uuu IlOu>
eycutt met a short distance from the
house of the former, apparently by ap,
pointment, aud started to gather for a
solitary woods known as Wagon Hol>
low" Ausmus remarking to the witness,
who was present that they would be gone
an hour, and Ilouoycutt replying, it
might lie an hour and a hall. Ausmus
was not again seen alive. Honeycutt
came back to Ausmus house about noon
and asked if he had returned and left a
message for him. In the evening, about
two hours before shutdown, Horeycutt
was seen and heard talking to his father
in-law, Myers, on tho bank of Glinch
river. Honeycutt, being in a canoe with
a satchel of clothes, was heard to tell
Myers that it was in Wagon Hollow"
or something of that kind. That night,
Honeycutt continued his fight down the
river in his canoe, was subsequently cap.
tured by his pursuers in Rhea county,
about one hundred miles from the scene
Of the murder. The body of the murdered
man was found in the "Wogon Hollow"
about one-and-a.ha miles from tie pub.
lie road, and half a mile from the nearest
house. lie had evidently been struck
from behind with a rock and his skull
smashed in, as rocks with brain and
blood on them were found by the body.
When the prisoner was arrested he con-
fessed the killing but said it was done in
self-defenSe, but as the ground about the
body, altough soft, showed no evidence
whatever (nor did the clothing or persons
70 either the murdered or his victim) of a
struggle, that theory was not tenable for a
moment. H%Oneycutt also stated that he
left the murdered man in company with
a msn named Grccnlee, whom he saw
take his pocketbook and hide it, and when
brought back to the place, Unidentified the
spot where the pocketbook was found.
rifed of its contents, AS no tracks but
those of lloneycutt, which, owing to a
d~eformity of one foot we're Enthusiastically
identified, were found near the scene,
and Greenlee was proven to have been
some where else all day, this story was
also discredited. Various other contra.
dictory confessions were made by the
prisoner. but the whole chain Of testimony
pointed with unerring certainty to the fact
that the object of the murder was money
alone, as the murderer and his victim
had always been friendly. Ausmus, being
a man OF means, was supposed to always
carry with him q considerable sum of
money. When murdered, however, be
probably did not have more than SIS or
$40 with him.
The following is the sentence of the
court pronounced upon the prisoner by his
Honor Judge Deaderick:
"Anantas HoacycuN-You have been
convicted by jury of your own county
of murder in the first degree the highest
offelse known to the laws of our State.
The penalty which the law inAicts upon
this ofIenSe is death.
From a careful examination of the re-
cord Of the case we are unable to discover
any error for which we would be authors
lied to reverse the judgment against you .
On the contrary, we are constrained to say
that the verdict and Judgment we're album
dainty warranted by the evidence. For
the commisson of The offense of which you
have been convicted, you had no pruvoca-
ton. 1t does not appear that your victim,
who was your neighbor, ever wronged
you. But for the purpose of securing a
few paltry dollars you have committed
this great crime, for which you have for.
feited yor life.
1t only remains for us to pronounce
the sentence of the law, which is that you
be taken to the Jail from whence YOU
came, and that you be delivered to the
Sheriff of the county of Claiborne, in
convenient time before the second Friday
of August, 1875, being tie 18th day Of
said month, and between the hours of 1C
o'clock, a. M, and 2 o'clock. p. M, of said
day, within one mile of the town of Taze,
we'll, in the county of Claiborne, the
J Sheriff of SAID county oe Claiborne shall
proceed to execute the judgment of this
Court by hanging you blythe neck unit
you are DEAD-and may the Lord have
mercy on your soul p
Honeycutt is about twenty>three year,
, old, Of ~forbidding countenance, is mar.
ried and has one child. He was born il
What is now Union county, in this State.
and is n farm lahorer nossess;,, oplv mr.