The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1881-02-09
Verdict Murder in First Degrees.
He Appeals to Supreme Court.
RoGERsvILLE, Feb. 2, 1881

hOGERSVILLE, i eD. I, 1901.
In my letter last week 1 left OF
in the Harris trial on Friday after
noon with ten jurors in the box
On Saturday morning the remain
ing two were chosen and seated
The defendant put in a plea of no
guilty. The jury was sworn K
"well and truly" try the cause anC
a true verdict render according t.
the law and the testimony. The
witnesses for the State were called
and sworn to tell the truth, the
whole truth and nothing but the
truth
After dinner the witnesses com.
menced deposing. John Brown
the father of the murdered man
was first called, and told about hav-
ing left his son Charley in Hawkins
county to wind up some unfinished
business and to sell a number OF
fat hogs He also described Char
ley's Overcoat and pocket book, and
identified an overcoat and pocket
book, which were shown to him as
having been the property of his
dead son.
VIM. Price told about the scene
at Marble Hall when the murder
was first discovered. Charley
Browns wagon was loaded, stand
ing ready for an early start to Bris-
tol next morning. Charley was oc-
cupying the Southeast front room
in that house. Mr. Prices resi-
dence was Just across the street or
road, about 75 yards from Marble
Hall Price and his son had been
in the room with Charley and Andy
Heck until late bedtime, when they
went across to their own home and
to bed. Mr. Price had promised to
give Charley Brown an early break
fast on Tuesday morning SO that he
could get a good start Andrew J.
Heck was to go along with Charley.
j feather bed had been laid down
upon the floor upon which they
were to sleep that night and it was
to be rolled up and put in the wag-
on next morning. Mr.. Price awOke |
in the night between one and two .
0 clock and went over to Marble |
Hall to waken his wife who was
that night with Mrs. Black
ley in the Hall lie called her, and
at the same time opened the back
door She answered him and arose
from her bed. He stepped into the
hall and told her he smelt some
thing burning been smelling
it for an hour-and thought the
smell came from Charley Browns
room. Mrs Buckley heard this
and told him to 90 into Charley's
room and see what was burning.
lie went to the door and opened it,
found the room full of smoke-the
smoke was so dense he could see
the door was open
ed the smoke rushed out into the
hall, he then saw that the bed upon
which the bodies Of the young men
were lying was burning all over.
lie rushed into the room, seized
young Heck in his arms and started
out The body was so hot that he
let it fall on the f0Or-he then seiz-
ed him by the hair and dragged
him out into the hall He then re-
turned and brought out the body of
Charley Brown. Mrs. Blackley in
he meantime had brought a lamp
from her room, and he saw that the
5wO men were not suffOcated by the
smoke but had been murdered by
having their skulls crushed with
some heavy instrument-perhaps a
stone hammer or the poll Of an axe.
The bed upon which they were ly-
ne wac burned into cinders and fell
10 pieces when touched. The body
IF Heck was lying straight up and :
Down in bed with his head on the
pillow. Charley Brown was lying
across the foot of the bed with his
read toward the door. Heck had
1een struck in the forehead just
.boye the left eye. The wound on II
Brown was on the side Of the head
ust above the left ear. Both men
lad their skulls broken and mashed
n to the brain. Mr.. Price identi- ,
led the overcoat as being the prop I
rty of Charley Brown. He also /
old that Joe Harris had been en- j
,loyed by Brown-had lived in the
ouse with them; had gone with ]
harley Brown to help drive hogs {
D market a few days before the {
}urder; had returned with him and t
ad been Iounging about the neigh {
orhood several days before the Y
murder On Sunday afternoon, be
Jre the murder was committed on
Ionday night, Joe Harris had tried
D borrow Il rile-gun from him. c
Mr. Henderson Fudge testified, I
harley Brown was his son-in-iaw; ]
ad been To his house on Friday be- L
IRE he was killed; had showed him
Fudge the hog money There a
-cre two silver certificates in the |
Oh. Mr.. Fudge remembered this h
because they were the 0
rst silver certificates he had ever d
cen. He had also paid Charley
.rown some money that evening. c
lie had paid Charley a $500 green c
ack bill with a yellow spot or stain c
pom it, near the center or a little s
it to one end Of the bill. The roll a
money found in Joe Harris pock- t
/ when he was arrested was here q
anded to Mr. Fudge He looked Z
over and selected the identical 2 i
olIar bill which he had described, ]
nd said it was the same dollar 0
reenback he had paid to Charley t
n the Friday before he was killed.
The Sheriff, r. /. Blevins, testi- a
ed as to the persuit and capture Of
ne prisoner. lie took officer Isaac
rice with him on Tuesday, the Odd J
az of November, 1880, and started
search of Joseph Harris Gross G
10 Clinch mountain he called first
the house Of John Lawson, where J