The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1877-06-06
Murder Trial-Horse Thief, Etc.


to that august body, which duty hi
Honor performed in his usual clear
headed, impressive. manner. Judg
Mckinney is an excellent officer, pre-
siding with dignity, dispatching tn
public business with promptness, ant
making all his decisions with impartial
ity and an eye single to justice ant
truth
On Monday afternoon the misde
meanor docket was taken up and pretty
well disposed of by the next day a
twelve O'Clock. Many of those present
ed for carrying arms, selling whisky
gambling, etc, etc, were foremost
submitted their cases and begged fol
mercy. Fines and costs were secured
or paid, and some thirty-five or forty
cases of this class up to the present
writing, Friday, have been disposed o.
and the docket cleared for the term.
Tuesday afternoon the case of the
State as. John Branson for stealing Jo
T. Gill's fine clay-bank mare was taken
up. Branson was defended by Sam l..
Chestnut and Col. James White. These
two gentlemen made powerful speeches,
and succeeded in convincing one lone
juror that the grand rascal did not steal
the mare, and so on Wednesday evening
the jury was discharged and the prisoner
sent back to jail to remain there four
months longer before he goes to work
on q ten years contract breaking rocks
for the State.
Wednesday morning, the case of the
State IS. John Woodward, for the murder
OF Robert Brooks, on the night of the
18th of December last, was taken up,
and the jury came in on Friday morning
with a verdict of not guilty. The pri-
soner was discharged and sent home.
John Woodward is a boy, IA years of
age. His mother is widow, living four
miles north of Mooresburg, in Hawkins
county. Two young men, Robert Webb
and Robert Brooks, it seems, had been
in the habit of visiting this woman's
house for several years. Webb staid
there most of his time The woman has
bad name and is not respected in the
neighbOrhood. On Christmas night
Bob Webb was at the Woodward house.
OOulE TIME dlLGE udIk DOD DIOOkS CdIQ6
to the same house from Mooresburg.
He threw some fire-crackers on Webb,
who told him not to do so any more, but
he disregarded the warning and threw
some more on him. Mrs. Woodward
attempted to put him out of the house,
when, as she swears, he presented
pistol at her, and declared with an oath
that he would not go out of the house
until he got ready. Bob Webb and Bob
Brooks then got into a scuffie, when
John Woodward, the little boy on trial,
who had gone to bed, sprang up, seized
his gun, which was in a rack over the
door, placed the muzzle close to Brooks
side and fired. The entire charge was
driven into his vitals and he died in q
few days. The jury went upon the idea
that the boy had right to protect his
mothers house even 10 the extent of
taking the life of an unweIcome intruder,
which was certainly good sense and
justice, too, if all other circumstances
were favorable to the boy; but in the
particular case under consideration we
have serious doubts about those other
circumstances.
Robert Brooks, the poor fellow whose
life was taken, was one Of the finest
looking young men in Hawkins county. |
As straight as an Indian, with perfect !
ly developed and manly form. He stood !
at 21 years of age, over six feet tall, !
weighing 1876 pounds, as active as a deer
and strong as young lion. He was re-
garded by his parents, relatives and
friends as a young man of much pro-
mise. His terrible fate is sad blow to
them all, and should stand as solemn
warning to other youths to beware of
bad company. Let liquor alone-touch
not, taste not, handle not-and fly from
a harlOt as you would fee from the
leprosy or from yawning he'll
Attorney General Hacker was assisted
in the prosecution of young Woodward
by Capt. McOernott and Hugh G. XVI,
ESD; the latter gentleman speakiu, 1uJ
making an able argument in favor Of
the States side of the question. John
Woodward was defended by Judge
James T. Shields, of Granger county,
assisted by his son, John K Shields,
VIII s. Dickson, Esq, of Morristown,
and Major Clarkson. Dickson and Judge
Shields did the speaking. Mr. ID. is one
of our most promising young lawyers,
and made fine argument and a stirring
appeal to the jury in behalf of his
client. Judge Shields speech was, we
think, taken all in all, the finest, most
powerful and effective effort of his life.
II was indeed mastery effort, and one
which we have never heard surpassed by
any advocate any where. Judge Shields
is deservedly eminent as Chancery law
yer. His great speech here on Thurs
day last shows eonclusively that had lie
turned his commanding talents and
splendid eloquence into the criminal
practice he would have achieved equal,
If not greater eminence in that field.
1t was intended to take up the case of
Dick Hord for the murder of Martha
West on Friday morning, and Capt.
Johnson had been taken out of the Peni-
tentiary and brought here to give testi.
moDy against him, but to the surprise
Of everybody, Dick came forward with
an affidavit swearing that there were
two men In Virginia by whom he could
prove that be had nothing to do with
the murder Of the unfortunate girl, and