Union and American. [volume] (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1875-1877, 1876-01-13
DIED WITH HIS BOOTS ON.
Tom Davis Meets a Violent DeAth
In Cooke County.

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Last Friday, at noon, The little
town of Newport, in Cooke county,
was the scene of a tragedy in which
one of the participants was a citi-
zen Of this county. The party kill.
ed was
0 DESPERATE CHARACTER
by the name of. Tom Davis, and it
WAS Dick D'Armond at whose
hands he met his death. The. first
information Of the affair was
brought to this city BY Mr.. John
Parrot, of Parrottsville, who was
just entering Newport when the
arrest was being made, and heard
the discharge OF the fatal shot.
The tragedy occurred IN this
way: Davis was a reckless fellow
and on Thursday night had a diff
fculty with a man, who took out a
warrant Tor his apprehension. Capt,
Jarvis, the Sheriff, was too unwelI
to serve the warrant, and deputlsed
a man named Garrison to do So
Garrison and DAVIS, however, were
not on cordial terms, and by the
advice 0 a legal friend, he de-
clined serving it.
Wishing To preserve the majesty
of the law, the Sheriff deputized
Diamond TO make the arrest, he
being there in the capacity of a
United States Deputy Marshall
He agreed to do so, and went to
the saloon where Davis was staying
and told him his business, where
upon Davis angrily told him no
one man, or two men, for that mat
ter, could.
ARREST HIM,
and he refused to 90. His sister,
hearing the alteration, came in
and persuaded him to go, when
he agreed to do so and got as far
as the door, when he sat down and
declined going further until he
heard the warrant read. Diamond
then took out the document and
read it, folded it up and was re
turning it to his pocket when
Davis drew a pistol and snapped
1t in Diamonds face, but it failed
TO explode the charge. Diamond,
realizing the situation at a glance
and that he was in a tight place,
fell back a few steps, followed by
Davis, when he drew his pistol and
fired at the latter, the ball entering
his breast, just below the collar
bone. Davis FIJI and remarked,
|"You have killed me, and you
ought not to have done it," DAT
mond told him he regretted 1t x
c~eediDgly but he Davis should
have come with him quietly.
Davis died in q few minutes.
Mr.. Parrott drove up as the I'M
fortunate man was drawing his
last gasp, and heard the details
Just as they occurred. Diamond
cot into the vehicle with Mr.. P.
and rode to Clifton. On the way
he narrated his connection with
the homicide, and stated that he
acted entirely in selfdetense and
nothing but the fact that it was his
life or Davis induced him to com
init the deed.
HIS ANTECEDENTs,
Davis was raised on Little
Chuckey, in Greene county, and
his family are highly respectable,
though he is known as a rough
character. He resided some time
in North Carolina, and it is
rumored that he killed a man in
that State.
His brother was the proprietor of.
a whisky shop at Newport, and had
To absent himself for a while on acc
count of a shocking scrape on New
Years night, during which time he
had charge of the doggery at which
he was killed.
Mr.. Diamond, Immediately after
the shooting reported the occur
renee to Sthe Sheriff, stating the
facts in the case, who exonerated
him from all blame and told him
that he had
DONE HIS DUTY.
as an officer and to go about his
business as If nothing had oc-
cur ed. Witnesses of the tragic
occurrence state that Diamond
was perfectly justifable.
An inquest Was held last night,
but the result has not yet trans
n~ired.-KaopUiGIe Press and Her
aid. @I
--snpo -
To an amnesty bill offered in