Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-05-01
and mouth, being the result Of said wound

u was cooked ana IN the Kitchen. HetOld
me 10 get up and get it for him. / was
lying on the bed, and said l didn't feel like
getting up. He said L never cared to do
anything for him. l told him he knew l
was sick, and didn't think he ought 10
impose upon me. he then caught hold Of
me and pulled me up from the bed. l
struck at him, and he said l would
have to obey him or he would
kill me. 1 said he could kill
me, l had only One time to die. | got off Of
the bed and he pushed me down. Then
we began to dispute, l don't remember the
words we used. From this quarrel we
commenced fighting. Alice Whitesides and
Vic Coda came in, and | asked Alice to get
a policeman. She went out, came in, and
said she saw none. Joe then said he would
quit me. told him he could do it,
dint want him any way. With this
he began TO bundle up his things, and
what he had given me. | next began to
tea up my clothing, and he SAID he didn't
want anything he had given me. He then
bit me on my thigh and | cried. While /
was sitting on the bed crying the policeman
| came in, aud asked me what was the mat
| ter, if we hadn't bee11ightiDg. / told him
yes, and that l was crying because l hurt
my ankle. He told Joe he had been ar
rested before for beating me and that he
must 90 with him 10 the statiOn-hOuse,
l started toward the door, and Joe was
sitting on the bed. heard the
report of a pistol and turned around. Mr..
Frazier looked at me and said he was shot.
| l ran to him. took hold Of his head and laid
him down. l don't know what L did after
that, l was SO much excited. When Joe
was packing his things j saw him get his
knife and pistol.
ALICE WMTEsIDEs,
colored, testified that Joe Reed and his wife
were fighting, and that the latter asked her
TO 20 for a policeman to make peace be
tween them. She said that she met a
policeman as she was coming out of the
gate, and told him there was a couple in the
house fighting, and the woman wanted him
to make Ter husband let her alone. He
| told her to show him the way and she went
/ to the door and then walked of. just as
she got to the gate she heard the pistol shot
and turned back. joe Resd ran by
her but she did not notice
which way he went. When she went into
the house Mr.. Frazier was lying on the
floor and Reeds wife screaming. She
pulled aside his clothing and saw that he
was wounded in the breast. she then went
in searched policeman, and found One near
the Louisville depot. She told him Of the
/ killing, and FASTENED back with him to
Reeds house.
VICTORY CODA, COLD,
/ stated to the jury that she went into Reeds
house and he was fussing with his wife.
She told him he ought not to be so mean,
and he said it was none Of her business.
She went home and when she returned,
| Reeds wife was tearing up her clothing.
When she started out of the house she
/ heard a pistol shot, and some one SAID a
/ policeman had been Killed.
The last witness before the jury was
HENRY WHITAKER,
| cOlOred, who testified that he saw The POI
| liceman that Alice Whitesides told to come
and arrest Joe Reed for fighting his wife.
He told him Reed had said no one man
| could arrest him, and that he bad bet,
ter get somebody else to go with him,
The officer replied that he could arrest him
and went in the house. He (Whittaker)
was standing in the yard and could see in
the house, the door being open. Joe said
he couldn't be arrested, and the officer said
be guessed he would 20. While Joe was
/ standing not very far from the officer he
| pulled his pistol and fired. Mr.. Frazier
| fell on the floor, all doubled up. After Joe
had shot, he ran out Of the house with his
| pistol in his hand. He (Whittaker)
| told Reeds wife to let Mr.. Frazier
| remain where he wss till the Coroner:
/ Jury arrived. He (witness) got in the
wagon and went with the men to find Joe.
All the witnesses having been examined
/ the jury, after a moments consultation, re-
/ turned the following
VERDICT:
Eve find that the deceased came to his
| death from a pistol shot wound at the
hands Of Joe Reed, cOlored, while in the
discharge of his duty as an officer in quell,
/ ing . disturbance between the said Joe
| Reed and his wife, and that the mhrdel
was premeditated, u~nprovOked, and cold.
| bloOded.n
RAYMOND Sloan, the foreman Of the jury
/ said that he would require the witnesses "a
| give bond for future appearance, or 90 &c
| isil. to await the trial Of the murderer. Sa-
/ lima Reed, Victory Cola, and Alice White
sides were consequently taken to the work.
| house and locked up. The first was suffer.
ing from 8 spell OF sickness and was unable
| 10 walk. She had to be conveyed 10 The
Work-house in an express wagon. She va.
| greatly affected by the terrible scenes she
| had been compelled to witness, and gave
vent to her feelings in a flood Of tears.
After the c~orOner's jury had retired, the
body was laid Out on a broad plank and
remained there till the arrival OF a hearse
and coffin, when il was taken to NJ. 5
Combs undertaking establishment OF
Cherry street, to be prepared for burial,
1t was afterward taken to the home Of his
family, No. 81 North Cherry street. Fol
hours after the murder had been commit.
ted a large crowd fingered near the house,
i anxious to ascertain all the details Con
corning the foul deed.
PERSONAL POINTS ABOUT THE De
CEASED.
Officer Frazier was fOrty-siX years of age
and a native Of North Carolina. He had
been principally reared ia Giles county
and before coming to Nashville lived al
Pulaski. lie had been a resident Of this
city for the past four years. The deceased
was a man Of family, leaving a wife and
five children TO mourn his loss. The eldest
Of his children is 4 widow, with a couple
/ Of small children, ard all dependent upon
| him for support. Officer Frazier made a
/ faithful soldier in the Confederate service
during the whole four years Of the war,
/ He was a member of the Masonic fraterni.
ty. Since January, 1874, he had been
a member Of the city police force, and a
better officer never carried a mace. He was
not the man to stand back when his duty
called him to fields Of danger, but was ever
ready and willing to go when needed. Nc
man in Nashville had more friends, and
none better deserved them. As a man he
was kind, genial and warm-hearted. Many
Of the lUCkieSs ones whom he had often IS.
cOrted to police headquarters, can attest his
kindness, and among a class who are
thought not TO care particularly for any
one, there are many who felt kindly dis
pOsed toward the late officer Frazier.
Fl MURDERER.
Joe Reed, colored, the murderer of Of
fcer Frazier, was a stoutly built mulatto,
scarcely above tWenty-One years Of age,
and weighing about one hundred and fifty
pounds. In response TO an inquiry as TO
why he did the shooting, he said he
thought the officer intended to strike him.
PROMPT MEASURES o RELIEF.
Mayor Howell addresses to the citizens
the following appeal, which we have no
doubt will be literally responded to:
NASHVILLE, Tenn, April 30, 1S75.-TO
the People of Nashville: Officer Robert
Frazier, of the police force Of the city, was