The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1876-06-15
MURDERED HIMsELF.
5. NJ. King a Victim to His
Own Folly.
Tradegy in a Nashville Court
Room.

u .. MAI SHdll lOI Tic D1lAulC
District of Tennessee, well known
in Giles county, having resided
here several years, shot himself
twice in the left breast in the Nash
Vile Criminal Court room last Fri
day evening at 6 o'clock, and fall
ing backwards exclaimed, 81 am
Dead" and instantly expired. The
circumstances which led to this
deed we have before given to our
readers, but with no thought then
that it We uld terminate in SO horri-
bic a tradedy:
Allen Pitts, of Giles county, was
indicted in the Federal Court for a
violation of the revenue laws. At
the October term, 1875, Pitts went
into court, submitted his case and
was fined 5000 and costs, amount
ing in all to 1857. He was also re-
quired to give bond for his appear
ance at the last or April term of
the court. The object of this was
to give him time to obtain a par
don, he having asked the suspen-
sion of judgement tor that purpose.
If he failed in his application to
the President for executive clemen-
cy, it was probable he would not
only have to pay fines and costs,
but go to Jail. At that time King
was a bailiff of the Court ami was
acting in that capacity. AS soon
as Pitts had given the requisite
bond, King, who had no such au-
thority, went to Pitts and informed
him that he { Pitts) must pay the
fine and costs over to him. Pitts
being ignorant as to how he ought
to proceed in the matter, not know
ing to whom the money should be
paid, nor when, thinking it might
help his case along, With some diff
Guilty obtained the amount. paid it
over to King, and took Kings re-
ceipt.
Shortly after Col. Ed. S. Wheat
was indicted into the office of
United States Marshal, a capias was
issued for the re arrest of Pitts and
placed in his hands. This was
along about the latter part of Feb
ruary. Marshal Wheat deputized
King to serve the warrant on Pitts,
sending King down to Pulaski by
the first train to execute the mis-
sion. On Kings return he rendered
a very fimsy excuse, saying in
effect that Pitts was not to be found.
Not being satisfied with the return,
Marshal Wheat at once dispatched
another deputy Marshal, and Pitts
was forthcoming.
When Pitts arrived here he pro
duced Kings receipt for the money,
and the fraud practiced by King
was now discovered.
The matter was reported to Wash
ington. The Attorney General sent
to District Attorney Hughes for a
statement of facts, which were for
warded. Shortly afterward, while
District attorney Hughes and Mar
shall Wheat were discussing the
matter, King walked into the room.
Hughes then handed King the At
tOrney Generals letter. King quiet
ly read it, carefully folded it up as
before and handed it back to
Hughes, remarking, ''That is true,
l collected the money" King was
at once discharged by Marshal
Wheat and was told he could no
longer work in or about his office.
King was advised by friends, to
whom he had related the circum-
stances, to either refund the money
or settle the judgement in the court
against Pitts. King went to work
to see what he could do about it.
King claimed he had a horse and
buggy, diamond ring and a gold
watch and chain which he was will
ing to dispose of in order to raise
the money to pay the amount re-
quired. Pitts was willing to drop
the thing if he could only secure
his money Kings BUGGY was
found in a shop with a lien of $50
upon it for repairs, he was behind
at Hammers for boarding his horse
to an amount equaling the value of
the animal Hammer also held
lien on Kings buggy. King o" find
ing he virtually owned neither the
horse nor the buggy claimed that
he could raise the money in Ohio
and forward the amount to Nash
vile; he departed for Dayton, in
that State, where resided his rela-
tives and friends. He returned
here on the Sd instant, and gave it
out that he was prepared to pay
over the money. Noble Smithson,
Pitts attorney, was written to by
Marshal Wheat to that effect, and
l thursday night Pitts arrived here.
After endeavOring for some time to
obtain from King what he was will
ing to do in the matter, and coming
to no conclusion, Pitts went before
the grand jury next and had
King indicted for obtaining money
under false pretenses. King was
taken into custody by Raymond !
Sloan shortly after dinner, and sub
turned over to Constable |
Thos. BallOn. Ballou went around |
with King at Kings request, to see
AucbuCI ne COuiU not QDJaln sure /
ties on bond of $1,000, at which
sum it had been fixed. Among |
others, he went to Marshal Wheat. |
by whom King was informed that
he (Wheat) could not consistently |
become his hondsman and would |
not do so. A bond was about to
be made up, and would have been
given within short time had King
not anticipated it by his own self
destruction.
King was well known down in
Giles as a man of sharp and I'M
scrupulous practices, and he leaves
numerous persons down here in the
lurch for borrowed money and other
debts. We never dreamed that he
had the courage to take his own
life, or that he had such high re-
gard for his honor that he would
rather die by his own hand than
suffer the modification of imprison-