The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1882-05-04
THE GILES COUNTY MURDER.
The Circumstantial Evidence Upon
Which W. W. Rsa was Sen
fenced to Death.
An Elaborate Review of the Case
by the Prosecutor.
To the American.

, 70 the American.
The case of w. w. Rea is creating
so much interest, especially il
: Nashville, and it is at the same
time so simple and extraordinary
in it's nature, and one in which
am Immediately and directly con
cerned, that L feel it my duty tC
give brief and pointed history OF
+ the case, with any remarks thereon
that may naturally and necessarily
grow out of it. l will confine my
self strictly to the record. l do
this to vindicate myself and the
witnesses of the prosecution in the
light of recent and utterly false as
sertions made by Rea, and published
in the Nashville World of the 2Ist
inst: that he is the victim of a
successful plot and to enlighten
those who have been, or may be,
honestly or ignorantly deceived and
duped by these continual and persis-
tent declarations of innocence, and
willful perversion of truth. l am
prosecutor of the case, and l will
state here that have been a mem
Der of the NJ. Z. church, south, for
30 years, and a minister of the Cos
pei for more than % years, and that
every minister of the Tennessee an
nual conference that knows me, my
own people here where l live, and
every person in Giles that knows
me, and there are many, will en-
dOrse my character for honesty and
veracity, and would certify that l
would not be party to or a prin-
cipal in any plot to wrong any man.
[ will say in behalf of the witnesses
fthe prosecution, about forty men
and women in number, and some of
them, closely related to Rea by mar
riage-who gave their testimony
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS almost all of them
his neighbors, that they are incapa-
BILE of being parties to any plot to
deprive a man of his life or liberty.
Such would be the unanimous de-
cision of all who know them. Still
more, the nature Of the evidence
makes fraud impossible. The tes-
timony of no one witness would con-
vict Rea, whereas the testimony of
all forms a chain, which brings
quick, sure and overwhelming con-
viction to the heart. The most i'm
portant witness for the state was
Rea himself; he is the link that
joins the chain, the stone that keyed
the arch-the victim of his own
folly. He betrayed himself by
words unfttingly spoken. The de
ceased, j. A. L. GoOdrum, was my
brother-in-law. He was assassina-
ted about 8 o'clock on the night of
the 23d of July, 1881, at Diana,
Giles county, Tenn, in the back
room of j. X. Trigg's store, while
returning from the door to which
he had been called by Mr.. Trigg to
answer a question. He was shot
through the window of his room
while returning to his seat from
whence he had arisen. He was in
range Of the gun while seated at
the window going to the door, ut
the door and returning to his seat.
Five large buckshot entered his
body; three into his right side be
low the ribs, one through the mus
Gle of his right arm, entering the
arm-pit, and the other through
be left breast, penetrating the
heart. He had been in the act of
reciting n Latin lesson to Prof. NJ.
Dwver, who was seated at the win
dow, and the only person present.
From the holes through his cloth
ING some of the balls must have
missed him. The slat holding up
the window was penetrated by Il
bullet and Knocked into the room,
letting the window down. The as
sassin stood twelve yards from
Goodrum in the rear of the window.
There was Il table at the window on
which 4 lamp was burning brightly,
which enabled the assassin to see
Goodrum very plainly. The alarm
was Immediately given, and with
the assistance of Dwyer and Trigg,
who had come from his house
about thirty yards distant, he was
laid upon the bed, where he died
within two minutes from the time
of being shot. He said, "Oh, God,
I'm shot" and fell to the floor new
er to speak again. Three of the
large buckshOt were taken from the
body of the murdered man, marked
and saved. Many of the neighbOrs
came that night, but Rea, one of
the nearest, never came at any time.
That night guards were ordered to
prevent any one from entering the
place where the assassin stood and
shot. Next morning early the
place was inspected and tracks dis
covered and traced to within
short distance of Rea's house, GO
ing and coming. Rea was asked if
he had heard any one pass his
house about o'clock tn e previous
night, and said he had not; but be
ing then told of the murder, and
that the tracks had been traced to
within a short distance of his house,
he said: Il believe did hear my
wife say she heard two or three per
sons pass, and the dogs ran out and
barked." Rea induced those who
were tracing the tracks to 90 in
other places and directions to
search for tracks, but none could be
found. While they were searching
for tracks, Rea being with them,
he was discovered walking on his
toes all the time. He sat down sew
eral times, pulled off his shoe, put
it on again, and then continued
walking on his toes as before. His
excuse was that he had gravel inhis
shoes. None of those present saw
him make a whole track during all
this time. The track of the assas-
sin was that Of No. Z shoe, and
the proof is that Rea wears that
size. On the same morning of the
assassination Rea had borrowed a
double barrelled shotgun from one
of his neighbors, it being then loaded
with squirrel shot; he had also
borrowed t e shot pouch. That
evening, previous to the assassina-
ton. two shots were heard back Of
/ Rea's house. Parties in search of
tracks discovered a tree back of his