Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-06-16
WOODSON.
Judge Frazier interviewed by PrOmi.
nent Citizens Of Rutherford.
The Latter Think the Prisoner Should
be Sent Back to MurfreesbOrO.
Assurances that Mob Violence will not
be Attempted.
Our Jail Still Guarded by the Citizen
SOldiery.

As regards this Rutherford county trouble,
yesterdays Developments prove that law and
order have begun to re-assert their authority.
The action Of Judge Frazier in ordering
the Imprisonment of WoOdson in the
Davidson county Jail, and the vigorous
steps taken by the authorities here to de-
feEd the iail, evidently set the clamOr-
GUS and impetuouS element to thinking.
At the same time, those measures brought
home the situation to the good people of
Rutherford in way that peculiarly affected
their county pride. COuldn', they guaran-
tee the safety Of the prisoner until his con-
victiOn? Must another county 6e resOrted
to for prison strong enough or a posse
comitatus willing enough, and must David
son be that county, while the blemish of
the 10 Reed affair was fresh upon her repu-
tation?
These questions led to sober and anxious
consultation among the citizens at Muir
freesbOrO and, though no public meeting
was held, it was suggested that a few rep.
resentative men come to Nashville and lay
the cOurty's case fully before Judge
Frazier. Maj. Jas. d. Richardson, Col.
W. q. Butler and Gen. ID. H. G. Spence,
were in Nashville on this mission Yesterday.
They had an interview with Judge Frazier
for the purpose of inducing him to consent
to the prisoners removal to the Rutherford
county Jail. Admitting that there had
been danger of an outbreak, they insisted
that quiet was restored and that
better counsels prevailed. They gave
the assurance of their own opinions and
belief, and many with whom they had con
feued, that WOOdsOn would now be safe
from mob violence at MurfreesbOrO, and
asked Judge Frazier, for their counJy's
sake, to restore him to the custody Of its
officers and laW-abiding citizens.
The Judge replied that he would gladly
consent to the removal if be had perfect as
surance that the prisoner would be
as secure there as here. he had
criminal jurisdiction over both coun-
ties, and he had but done
his duty in ordering WOOdson to be com
mitted to the Davidson Jail. Had the
same case been reversed, as to the cOuDties,
he would, in the performance Of his duty,
have acted toward Davidson just as he had
acted toward Rutherford. He wanted to
be satisfied that the negro would not be in
danger Of lynching, before revoking the
order; be, therefore, wanted ample aSsur-
ance from the citizens, generally, or the
officers, that they would be able TO protect
the prisoner.
The conference was Of a very satisfacto-
~ character to the gentlemen from Ruther-
ford, who promised to furnish Judge Fra
zier with the required assurance, in order
to have the removal take place within a
day or two. They returned TO MuIfrees-
bOrO last evening with the view of taking
steps TO carry out the promise and secure
the desired result.
In conversation with one Of them, a re-
porter for this paper learned that until
Monday there was considerable doubt as to
whether WoOdsOn was the guilty party, but
that additional evidence came to light then
which made the case very much stronger
against him, and rendered the prosecuting
counsel quite certain of being able to fasten
the crime upon him.
In pursuance of the understanding at the
Jail Monday night, by which the Jackson
guards were permitted to retire and spend
the night at home, that company reported
for duty last evening and acted as a guard
for the Jail during last night. The appre-
hensiOn Of a raid had greatly diminished,
but had not by any means entirely disap-
peared.