Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1879-10-25
SAVED FROM THE GALLOws.

Nashville American


Ina conversation which an Amer
lean reporter had with Judge 10. C.
Guild, the latter related a strange
incident that occurred in White
county in 1922. He said that a man
had come out there from Virginia,
with the intention of settling in that
county. Fond of hunting, he one
day went out with gun and dog. He
was accompanied by one of the best
citizens of the settlement. During
the afternoon they became separa-
ted, and, a storm coming up, the
| Virginian retraced his steps home
after having in vain attempted to
attract the Tennesseean'S attention
by hallOoing and shooting off his
gun. The dog had gone with the
Tennessean, and he listened for
long time that he might hear the
bark of the dog, if within hearing
distance, but all to no purpose.
When he returned to the settlement
without the TennesSean he was sus-
peeted of having murdered him,
and was committed to Jail.
The country was secured far and
wide in the hope OF finding the Ten
nessean's body. The ground upon
which he was wont to hunt was
carefully inspected. The Virginian |
over and over again protested his |
innocence, but every circumstance |
seemed to be against him, notwith- |
standing the fact that he described |
minutely the route they had taken |
and the point where they got sepa-
ted in their eagerneSS to bring down /
a deer which had suddenly appeared
before them, and then as quickly |
vanished. He also described the
storm, which, in its fury, had driv-
en- him to shelter. 1t was rarely
that such a storm had been wit
messed. The clouds were so black
as to put the sun into eclipse. The
pail that hovered over the face of
the earth was only relieved by the
zigZag streaks of lightning that
played athwart it. Women and
and even old men, gath
cred in their houses in awe OF the
elemental uproar.
In accounting for the fate of the
Tennessean it appears this
storm was never taken into cOnsid-
The storm was bright the
following day, the sun never shin |
ing with greater brilliancy, and ev- /
cry thing looked cheerful except to i
the man who stood behind the bars !
accused of a crime he had not COM
He was finally convicted i
)f murder in the first degree, but OBJ ,
aimed new trial and a change of +
venue.
When the second trial came up, I
he evidence for the State and pOr- \
ion in defense of the prisoner had .
)een heard. The Virginian's case
eemed hopeless. Circumstances
pointed so strongly to him as the
murderer of the Tennessean that all
we're of the opinion that he would
AVE to hang. AT this juncture, v
loWever, some hunters came in and O
eported that they had found the re- O
mains Of man, besides which were v
ying the skeleton OF a dog and a t
battered gun. All lay underneath il
giant oak which had been split by Il
stroke OF lightning. This bolt t;
rom the clouds had melted the Il
nuzzle of the gun and killed the h
nan and dog. The remains of the "
nan were identified as those of the n
nissing Tennessean. The stock of e
he gun, which had fallen to pieces,
ore the initials of his name. The ii
tory of the hunters so strongly CO. fl
neided with the repeated state il
lents of the prisoner that all be- "
anne satisfied that the Tennessean t.
ad been killed by lightning and n
ot murdered. The Virginian was o
therefore, discharged, amidst the APP o
lause of the spectators, who had h
altered around witnesses, jury and 81
Idge to hear the marvellous story
7hich saved an innocent man from 6
he gallows. d