Knoxville Whig and chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1875-1882, 1875-09-01

uO All IuluBS.' - Inere Is q laW,' he
said. He then told how he could do.
He said he could be missing from this
country and slip back and do what he
wanted TO. | remarked to him that |
wouldn't do that way; that If l was
going to kill him l would go up and
Kill him in the first crowd found him
in. | wouldn't care for the law. That
is about all of that conversation. |
had other conversations with him on
the same subject, at different times.
1t was generally on the road to Knox
vile as we travelled together. | don't
think we ever travelled together with
out his saying something about it. The
last time we talked together about
1t was near about the middle of
June, 1871. The substance was about
the same as the first conversation.
he also urged me to have nothing to
do with that man Reynolds, that he
was a mean man, and rebel. l had a
conversation with Ayres on the sub
ject of a blacksmith account, and
Reynolds. He told me not to let Rey-
nolds come there, and not to do his
work aud he proposed to pay me, /
believe 1t was $40, as much as Rey-
nolds' work would amount to, to not
|
would MT do any such thing, and new
er to mention the matter again, that |
would not sell out. That blacksmith
shop was in my possession, but be-
longed To Ayres. 1t was close to Ayres'
house, and } mile from Reynolds.
The conversation was at the shop. |
don't think | had any more conversa-
tion with him in regard to Reynolds
aA "a
ton with him about a bill that Rev.
nolds owed me. | don't know of any
other threats made by Ayres against
Reynolds, and have told all l know.
CROSS EXAMINATION.
Col. Baxter then read Mr. Matthew'S
statemedt to him, aud he acknowl-
edged it correct. My name is Mat
thews, and was born in North Caroli-
ma, near Asheville. Left there in 1856.
Went to the State of Iowa, remained
there one year, went to North Mis-
souri,, remained years, and went to
Arkansas. | settled near Bentonville,
and remained about 6 months; went
back to Missouri, to st. Clair county,
remained there about months, went
to Beuton county, Missouri, on Usage
river, to Warsaw, and remained a
month, perhaps; went to Jefferson
City, to the capital, not to the peni-
tentiary, that is near the capital, re-
mained tRere 10 days; went back to
Warsaw and remained there about a
week; went to Arkansas, to Benton
county, the same county, but to
another part of the county, remained
about 5 months and went to Polk
county in Arkansas, and remained
about three weeks; never meet Cope
land in my travels.
The witness detailed additional pere.
grinatiOns going to great many pla-
ces and remaining a short time, anJ
finally brought up at Kingston where
he has resided since last fall. He sale
| further: | lived on Joseph AyreS
land once. / have a family, anC
had one nearly nine years. Never mar
ried before. Married in Knox county
| lived on Joe Ayres' land from the
spring of 1871 to the fall of 1871.
rented from him. / had a falling ou
with him; / can't decide how bitter i
was. Ayres did not charge me witt
tealing, that | know of he never ac
used me of stealing to my face, no
id ! hear of him doing so. He sale
I : )mething about taking the potatoes
10 Knoxville and selling them. HI
forbid me from taking any of the po
tatoes from the ground before fall. Tn,
potatoes / took away | had right t
take away; | raised them on tht
ground that / had free of rent. II,
never accused me of slipping away
after night with potatoes and trent
corn it is not charged so in the bill
he filed against me. He claimed tina
/ was gathering and using of the croI
without paying him his share.
did not move some portions of tn
crop at night. 1t is not so charged
l did not like Ayres for what he ha,
done. / suppose l was like any othe
man who had been treated badly
There was at that time bitter feeling
i didn't like him for the way he ha,
treated me.
Col. Baxter then read his cross. eX
animation to him after which he was
RE-EXAMINED.
| am blacksmith. l went TO tn
trade when l was ten years old, an
worked at it ever since except one yea
l farmed. When L was in Iowa
worked at my trade. / was workin
in Missouri years at my trade
While / was travelling, the princips
part of nay time | was working for tn
artillery of the rebel government.
went from Asheville back to low
and stayed there one summer
working at my trade. Worke
in Knox county at my trade
My feeling towards Ayres at the tim
/ had the conversation was just tn
same it would have been towards an
other man of short acquaintance. M
and Ayres had a disagreement abou
the first of July. This disagreement
was because he had not complied wit
his written agreement. That was al
ter he offered ten dollars not to wor
for Reynolds. The first thing he di
he began TO take the implements thG
/ was to have, and that was the first {
the disagreement, They were necessi
ry to make the crop. The next dist
greement was, he had taken the hai
ness and locked them up. / don
know but that the disagreement VIZ
J more about the potatoes than anythin
else. The potatoes were dug and pl
in the blacksmith shop, and he said
dug them too late. The potatoes
sold were my own, made on grour
4 not rented. | lost everything / hS
, that year. had little, and 1 hay
igs, nf In As,,