Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-11-26

ney, which he was to make in
wagon. He went near window of
the room and called to Brown; receiving
no reply, he became alarmed and ran into
the room supposing rightly that tb. sneu
of burning cloth cams therefrom. To his
horror he discovered that the room was full
of smoke. He called to his son, supposin g
that he had remained ell night and was
then In the room suffocating. Receiving no
reply, he rushed into the room and dragged
the bed, on which lay two bodies,
to the hall of the building. On dis
covering that the bodies were dead
he became more alarmed, ran to another
room IN the same building, where some Ia
dies were sleeping, and told them of the
horrible scene, and then gave the alarm to
the community. On examination the dead
bodies were found to be those of Charles
Brown and Andrew Heck.
THE ooRoNER's INQUEST.
A coroner's jury was summoned next
morning, and all the evidence which was
available was taken. The case seemed at
first to be enveloped in mystery, but be-
fore the jury had concluded their inves;iga-
ton facts were developed which pointed to
Joe Harris as the murderer.
HARRIS ARREST.
A warrant was accordingly issued for the
arrest of Harris, and Sheriff Blevins started
with Isaac Price, deputy sheriff, in pursuit
of him. Late the same night he was found
in the house of Amis Burton, some sixteen
miles away from where the horrible crime
was cemnltted, IN state Of intoxication.
An amount of money was found on his par
son corresponding in amalnt and character
to that which it was known Charles Brown
had. He was carried back to Marble Hall
and taken to the room where Brown was ly-
ing (for he had not yet been removed from
the house, and he looked with apparent
Indifference on the body he had slain. The
next morning about day break, which was
the 25th day of November, 1886, and ex-
actly one year ago, he was brought to Rog-
ersville and and placed in Jail for his terri
bic crime
He was brought before the court on
Thursday the 21th day of January of the
present year Counsel was appointed for
defense, to-wit: Col James White, IL.
G.. Kyle and Capt. Thomas
McDermott. A jury was then
impannelled and sworn and tho trial
commenced It lasted seven days, includ
ing Sunday. On the third day of February
the jury returned their verdict of guilty,
and the court pronounced sentence of death
upon him. During the trial. which was
marked by vigorous and able prosecution
and like defense, he maintained stoid
Indifference, not showing the least sign of
emotion save once, and that was very faint
and poorly defined. A motion for new
trial was entered, which, being refused the
case was appealed to the Supreme Court,
vnef5 the verdict of the lower court was
affirmed about the last Of September, 1881
He was then placed in the Knoxville Jail
and there kept until the 18th inst, when he
was brought to Rogersville and placed IN
Jail where he was kept until taken to the
gallows.
During his confinement in prison, and in
the progress of his trials, he kept q still
tongue concerning his crime, not even
DTSdtulllg tilt cilElltSoL COIltShlOh u puiiL
to his counsel. But on Thursday. the 22d,
it to Jailer Cook:
THE Confession.
His own language is followed as
closely as possible, and the confession az
here published, conveys the same ideas as
the original writing which he did him.
self.
Il shall tell you the facts about this trou-
bic. The first start of it was, Charles
Brown and his father wanted me to go to
Bristol with them and work IN blacksmith
shop for ten dollars month. l told them
that would not work for that III the shop.
I told them | would work with them if they
would give me twelve dollars a month.
They said they would not givs it, and then
got at me to help them drive
their hogs to Bristol. l told them 1 would
but they changed their minds and said they
would drive them to Whitesburg and ship
them to Bristol | went with them t(
Whitesburg and when we got there, we put
the hogs in lot and the old man Brown
gave me twenty five cents and told me to &C
back and stay at Buck Prices till one o.
them came back, and they would pay me
When Charlie got back, asked him for ny
pay and he said if [ would help him kill hi.
hogs, he would let me have his pistol TO set
tie the debt 1 agreed to that and helped
him kill his hogs and got the pistol ant
sold it, and then I left. Before | wen
away he told me to come back before h.
left, that he would stady about giving m,
twelve dollars month. / did not thinl
that I would go back any more, but OF
Monday | went to the quarry in order to ge
work to do for few days till my brother
time was out. They had hands enough
When brothers time was out we WAS goins
home. Not getting work, [ started hom.
before his (my brothers time) was ou
and went to Riley Shank's store. 4 mar
came there and asked me to 90 te
Rogersville with him to take some horses
back to Clinch, and L did So and when go
to Rogersyiile he got another man to helI
him, and it knocked me out, and thought
| would go home any how, and it was sc
late that gave out going that night and
went to MIR. Gambers barn and intended tc
stay there till morning. I got to studying
about going over to see if Charley would
give me the price l asked. 1 then got out
of the barn and went over there, and
he had gone TO bed | knocked a.,
the door and he came and sopened
it. He was in his slips. He had
some liquor there. They had their bed
made down before the fire. He bantered me
to play cards for the drinks, and we sat
down on the side of the bed and played fo1
a drink game. had some money and put
it up against the drinks. When l would
beat him he would get mad. We played on
till we got very tight, and the young man
(Heck) would look in my haDd and tel
Charlie what had At last Charlie got SC
mad because was beating him that he
struck at me, but l did not care for it, and /
played on with him. There was on the fire
board a butcher-knife, and he got ii
and ran at me with it. 1 tried to get out Of
the house but he was on me SO close with
the knife that I grabbed piece of split
ash wood with sharp edge and big end
which was in the corner and struck him
with the big end of it on the head and
knocked him in the fire. The other one
was coming on me- SO fast that I turned
around and struck him and knocked him
back On the bed. Then 1 pulled Charlie
out of the fire and threw him on the he'd