Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-08-24
QUESTION OF JURISDICTION
A sheriff and his Deputy Arrested
Charged with COnspiring TO Pre-
vent and Hinder the Con.
stituted Authorities.

limited States Commissioner 8. s.
Garrett was engaged yesterday in the
nrpljnoinarv trial OF John Hunt ard
SherifF R. G., Harris, OF Crockett county,
who were arrested on an affidavit Ct It.
w. Wells, charging said defendants and
Others with unlawfully conspiring to.
pether for the purpose of preventing ana
hinderipg the constituted au horities OF
the State OF Tennessee, to-wit: The
deputy sheriff of said county OF Crockett,
from giving and securing to X. R.Smith,
WI. Ogerton and George w. Wells,
the equal protection OF the laws of the
State of Tennessee. sheriff r. @. Har-
ris and John Hunt were arrested upon
the above affidavit, sworn out by q. w.
Wells, father of the young man VINO
was killed in Crockett county, the four
teenth of this month, concerning which
the APPEAL published the following
SPECIAL TELEGRAM:
"BELL's DEPOT, TENN, August IA
To-day our county town, Alamo, was
made the scene of one of the most ter
rible conflicts growing gu. Of private
fAuds that has occurred since the war,
resulting in the instant death of one
man and the serious, If not mortal
wounding Of nine others. 1t seems that
a Mr.. Harris, deputy.sherif under his
father, Roll Harris, had been assaulted
q few days since by some Of his fathers
political opponents in the recent cleo
lion which resulted in his fathers re-
election, and that the parties were at
Alamo for tTial, having been removed
to that point on account of the high ex-
element prevailing in the district
where the difficulty occurred, and that
the case was again continued and re-
moved to this point for like reasons, and
bonds were written, ready to sign, the
entries made, when q pistol shot was
fired from the Justices office at the son
Of Sheriff Harris, wounding him in the
hip. The firing then commenced in
earnest, with the result above stated.
Mr.. Mac Wells was killed and two of
Sheriff Harris's sons were wounded;
sIs1 Robert Smith, Abe Tfimble, Will
liam Overton, a Mr.. Ray, Robert Aus
tin and two others were slightly
wounded"
THE TRIAL YESTERDAY
was begun, and will be resumed this
morning, only one witness, named
Hughes, having been examined. The
proof go far relates to the alleged con-
spiracy and the circumstances attending
the tragedy in which young Wells was
killed and other persons wounded. The
evidence shows that when the door was
closed the firing began, the officer shoot
ing through window, to which rush
was made for entrance to the trial room.
Oae of the prisoners, White by name,
being armed, fired a number CT shots,
and thereby managed to break through
the crowd and escape. The case will be
resumed to dsy, and other witnesses ex'
amiDed. The prosecution is represented
by United States DistTict-AttCTney Muir
ray, and the defenss by Mr.. M'FsrlGnd,
of Humboldt, and Mr.. Buchanan, OF
Alamo.
THE NATURE OF TIE CHARGE
against the defendants ara defined by
act OF congress of April, 1870, common
Iy known us the emf rcement act. The
question OF conspiracy involved In this
charge under which the defendants are
baing tried, is the same IS that-juris-
dictiOn-involved in the Gibson county
case, heard in the United States court
here two years ago, concerning which
our readers are familiar. 1t will be re-
membered that in the Gibson county
cases the question of Jurisdiction Of the
United States courts was raised and ar
gued. Judges E nmons and Ballard sus-
tanned the question of jurisdiction in
that case, but the indictments failed for
want of proof. This we believe was the
| irst time similar question of jurisdic-
tian was made, and the question has
never been determined by the supreme
court. 1t is proper to state, by way OF
explanation, that the question OF Fed
eral Jurisdiction in this connection is
entirely different from those raised and
determined either in the Cruikshank
Grant parish, Louisiana) case, Or in
the Kentucky election cases.