The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1881-10-27
RRAINEp IN JAIL.
VIM. G. Coats Kills John Carmen In
Jail With Bar Of Iron.

1t is our painful duty to record
this week another horrible murder
in Giles county--this time within
the very prison walls of the county
Jail. On Sunday morning last about
o'clock VIM. c. Coats, a prisoner,
struck John Carmen, another pris-
oner, over the head with section of
iron pipe, from the effects of which
he died Sunday night at 10 o'clock.
It is the custom of Tailor Arrow
smith to let the prisoners all out of
their cells into the hall way every
morning to wash themselves and
prepare for breakfast. At the time
mentioned above Coats and Carmen
began quarreling, which led to
oaths, and then they fell to blows.
Cannon first struck Coats with a
small piece Of sheet iron which
covers the due or register running
up into the hal, but the lick was only
CHANGING one and did no damage.
Coats then ran into his cell and got
a piece of iron pipe, about three and
half feet long, with which he gave
his antagonist blow upon the side,
followed with another upon the
head. This felled Carmen to the
floor, but before he was down Coats
struck him two others upon the
body in quick succession. DIR. c.
A. Alternately, the Jail physician,
was sent for and did what he could
for the wounded man, but after the
arrival of the doctor Carmen never
spoke. We could not ascertain
positively what was the cause of the
fight. One witness said that Car
mon told him Friday and also Satur
day that he was going to kill Coats,
while others state that the feud grew
out of dispute about some women
inmates of the Jail. The section of
pipe is used as a conduit for water,
and Jailor Arrowsmith says as Coats
has always been the most quiet,
peaceable prisoner he ever had he
allowed him to keep the pipe in his
cell. 1t is the same piece with
which Eddins struck Coats a few
months ago. The fatal blow upon
the Uranium was little to the right
of the median line. The autopsy
Monday morning by DIR. c. A.
Alternately, assisted by DR.. S. S.
Sumpter, showed a fracture of the
skull extending from the upper and
central margin of right parietal
'obliquely across the left parietal
bone through its entire length to
near base of skull. The blow also
ruptured the middle miningeal
artery which emptied out about four
ounces of blood-clot upon the left
hemisphere of the cerebrum, and the
compression from this clot caused
his death.
Coats, it will be remembered, has
been in jail two or three years under
the charge of poisoning the Counce
family. He was sentenced to the
penitentiary for ten years at the last
term of the circuit court, but took
an appeal. Carmen was also
sentenced at the same court to the
penitentiary for six years, for shoot
ing Mont Reeves near Elkton last
April. He likewise took an appeal,
He has gone now to the bar whence
there is no appeal, and whatever be
the sentence in his case this time he
must abide by it forever. Cannon
was man about 80 years Of age,
sparely built, weighing about 125
pounds, and vas very good looking.
His remains were buried in the pot
ter's field at the expense of the
county. He leaves a wife and four
children who are in almost destitute
circumstances. In fact, his wife
had no conveyance, or money to
procure any, to come to her hus-
bands burial.
An inquest was, held over the
body of the deceased Monday morn
ing by w. II. Alternately, j. P. acting
coroner, with the following jurors:
W. H. Anderson, Pleasant Smith,
Jno. w. Dyer, Geo. w. McLaurine,
Wyatt T. Alternately, Geo. T, Culley
and W. S. HargrOve. The verdict
rendered was that John Cannon
came to his death at the hands of
VIM. C. Coats, and that the provo
cation was not sufficient to warrant
the deed.