The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1881-12-22
10 BE HANGED.
W. W. Rea, the Diana Assassin, to
Hang February 3rd.

cudTSeQ Will aSSdSSludGlip James
T. Goodrum at Diana, in this coun.
ty, last summer. Our readers are
familiar with the details of this dia-
bolical crime, fully reported at the
time and frequently referred to
since in these columns. The trial
began Tuesday, Dec. 9th, and a YER
dict was rendered last Thursday,
18th. Rea was prosecuted by At
torney General Russell, N. l. f.
Smithson and Taliaferroa & Allen,
and was defended by Jones, Son &
Ewing and Rose & Tinnon. Nearly
an hundred witnesses we're exam
ined and every point of attack and
defense was watched and guarded
with utmost skill and care. No one
saw the assassin and when the
neighbors assembled that fatal
night around the dead body of Jas.
T. Goodrum. the deed seemed
shrQuded in impenetrahle mystery,
First the position of the assassin
was ascertained by the direction
from which the shot came through
the window, then his tracks were
discovered and traced circuitously
through the adjacent lots and fields
and directly from and then back
into Rea's yard. Then the paper
wadding that fell from the muzzle
Of the gun at the spot where the
murderer stood were gathered up.
Rea's luminosity towards the de-
ceased was remembered and then
several threats made on previous
occasions, to which at the time lit
tie attention was given, were called
to mind, and then his arrest fol-
lowed. He had borrowed shot
gun from Mr.. Wood. and when
arrested this was examined and one
barrel found loaded The pouch
was found TO contain old news paper
for wadding, and other scraps from
the same paper were found in the
yard where he had been shooting at
a tree. The paper found at the
point where the assassin stood,
that found In the gnp, that III the
pouch and the scraps picked up at
the place in the yard where he had
shot at the tree, were all found to
correspond and all came from an old
CITIZEN of June 5, 1879, and a
Nashville Banner of previous date.
These facts all came out III tedious
but certain detail on trial, and as the
circumstantial web wound itself in
unerring coil about the restless de
fendant at the bar, curiosity grad
uated into intensest interest, and as
the end approached, grew into ex
citement, and On Thursday at 2
o'clock when the jury retired few
doubted the result that followed.
The jury was out only about two
hours and returned a verdict of
guilty of murder in the first degree.
w. w. hea is about SO or Sc
years Of age, tall and slender, dark
completed and of good appearance.
He bore an air Of Indifference at
times, but beneath the assumed eX-
terror could be seen the workings of
nerves strung to utmost tension and
at times breaking out in his counte
nance into expressions Of widest
alarm. He is very respectfully con-
nected and has the sympathy Of
many people who are averss tC
hanging a man on circumstantial
evidence alone. His relatives stand
squarely by him, as they ought,
and many expressions Of sympathy
are heard in their behalf. We did
not hear any Of the evidence or ar
guments and the above statement of
the facts connected with the wad-
ding and tracks are given from
.hearsay and may lot be strictly
correct. We wish to be thus pre-
else because a mans life is at
stake and hangs by the slenderest
thread, and it may be necessary to
try him again here, if the supreme
court should find error in the re
cord. On Friday afternoon it be
came known that Rea was to be
brought out and Judge McLemOre
was to pronounce upon him.
THE SENTENCE OF DEATH.
The court room was Immediately
crowded and Rea brought in, dejee-
ted and crying. Col. Rose arose
and entered a motion in arrest of
judgment and for new trial. He
argued one phase of it ably and
pointedly, and Judge Jones pre-
sented another line of argument,
based upon other alleged errors,
with more than usual force. The
court ran over the points made by
the attorneys and overruled the mo-
ton and ordered the prisoner for
ward to receive his sentence. Rea
stood about six feet in front of the
bar, his glittering eyes fastened
firmly and unhinchingly upon the
face of the judge, without tremor
and with no visible expression of
the STERN of despair that must have
been raging in his bosom, save an
occasional spasmodic swallowing.
He was asked if he had anything to
say why the sentence of the law
should not be passed upon him, and
replied in about the following Ian
guage:
Judge, if there is a man under the
sound of my voice that is innocpnt
of the murder OF Jas. T. Goodrum,
1 am the man. My tongue has been
tied and l have not been allowed
the privilege OF speaking. know
that circumstances are pretty
strong against me, but l was en-
gagged at the time as all men Of
family ought to bel was waiting
at the bedside of my sick wife and
was under my own roof when the
gun was fired that killed Goodrum.
l have nothing else to say"
Judge McLemore then proceeded
to pronounce the sentence Of death
upon him, telling him that he had
only few more days to live and ad
Vising him to go upon his Bonded
knees and ask forgiveness of that
God whose laws he had so outrage
ously violated, when Rea responded.
Judge, see my way clear"
He then ordered that the sheriff
Of Giles county should take him to
a scafold to be erected within one
mile of the courthouse, between the
n