Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-05-25

witness to go with him to arrest Arthur
Larkin; declined to go. Knew Arthur Lar
kin, he wasn't small nor
large man, he was rather raw-boned man
of good physical strength, larger than
George. His character was that of plucky
man who wouldn't back out; never saw him
have fights; heard of him having fights.
Cross s-examined-Arthurw wasn't disposed,
as far as witness knows, 10 raise disturb
ance, but would defend himself. Heard it
said they had some family difficulties in the
Larkin family. Don't know whether the
difficulty continued in the family up to the
killing; heard it said his step-father can't
stay at home.
Pleasant Hensley-Live in Hawkins Coun-
ty; knew Art. Larkin about two years.
Art was at witness house talking about
George coming up to arrest him. said he
didn't look for him up, he didn't think he
would come said he wouldn't mind being
arrested by anybody else, but would hate
to be caught going along the road with
George Larkin, he (Art.) was low
down enough himself. Don't recol-
lect having any conversation with
Dave Woods about the matter.
Cross-examined- Counsel for the State
asked question looking to the point that
Art. Larkin had license and was not VIC
lating the law. Ruled incompetent.) Art.
was peaceable man as far as witness knows,
but sold liquor.
Re-examined-Arthur had two or three
fights, and it was the general talk that he
would fight.
VIM. G. Larkin-Iive in Virginia, was
living with Mrs. Fletcher in Hawkins Coun-
ty when Art Larkin was killed. Saw George
the morning of the killing; he
stayed at his mothers the night before
Martha Larkin, Lizzie Davis, MIS-.
there that night. A conversation occurred
on the porch that night. Martha Larkin
was telling of threats Art should have
made against George, and that John Hall
had heard it from Art. Witness heard the
same threat. Art. said to Hall and witness
that he understood George was coming up
to see how he was selling whisky, and told
them to tell him when he came that he
(George) would never jump on another boy;
that he Cart. was selling whisky by the
half pint, pint, quart, on Sunday, Monday
and every other day. Thiswas communicated
to George on porch. These threats, witness
heard from Art, near his own house, in the
fall before. Witness slept in the kitchen
that night, and his best recollection is, Mrs.
Fletcher and Lizzie Davis (now Larkin,
DOl0 slept IN the same room. "1Eu6SS went
to bed first. Next morning started to work
| and freed a squirrel in the cedars; went
back and got a gun. George went with
witness; killed the squirrel; George took it
| back to the house. Two or three weeks
after this, Lizzie Davis left Mrs Fletcher.
Saw her after she left few days; Mandy
Clemens was with her; Lizzie told witness,
in presence of John Hall and Mandy,
was going to whip Mrs. Fletcher. When
witness told George what Art. said, George
| said that's all stuff, Art wouldn't resist the
law, that he (George) would go and would
treat him right Mrs Fletcher turned Lizzie
off because she would run around after
| night
Cross examined-Am 16 years old; as near
as can get at it. Went to bed in the kitchen
and was asleep before others went to bed
at least didn't remember any one going to
before went to sleep. Got up next morn
ing and made fires. Think Mrs. Fletcher
| and Lizzie slept in other bed in kitchen but
didn't notice them go to bed or get up.
Can't fix the date in the fall exact that Art.
! commenced the threats Don't know where
John Hall or Martin Larkin are. Don't
recoi1ect of hearing anything said about any
law suit or costs that night. George
was up there something about three
| they were wanting her for witness, and
she didn't know anything and would go
| over the mountain first
! Mrs. Maria Fletcher-George Larkin is
witness son; lived at home in Hawkins
County, at the time of killing. George
was at home about thrse weeks before the
killing and came back the day before the
killing. When George first came, he told
witness he had warrant for Art. Larkin
| and witness told him she had heard often
| that Art. had said he wouldn't be arrested,
and she would rather he would get some-
body to go with him, being afraid of
trouble, if he went alone to arrest Art
Witness said to Lizzie on the porch that if
she knew Art. could hide and get away she
would send him word. Lizzie told witness
that Art. had said if George ever came to
arrest him one of them would have to die.
| Martha spoke up and told, in substance,
what was sworn to by Billy Larkin, as to
the communicated threat of Art. against
George. George replied that was all stuff
Art. knew the law; would go with
him, and that he would treat Art. right
George went to bed first, then witness went
to bed before Lizzie Davis, who slept with
witness George had no talk with witness
on the porch about killing Art. like SNAKE
or anything of the kind. George went to
bed and lett witness and Lizzie Davis to-
| gether. Never had any conversation with
George about making costs out of Art or
anything of the kind. Witness drove Liz
zie off because she would go out after night,
leaving her baby in bed, and witness
| didn't know where she was. While in a
good humor Lizzie told witness they
wanted her for witness,
and she didn't know anything, and
wouldn't swear lie for nobody. After
Lizzie had left she came back to the house
and called witness liar, and witness Or
dered her ou5. Witness knows Lucinda
Hall; saw her the same evening after the
killing. Lucinda said she couldn't tell
much about it, had her back to them, and
she heard the pistol fire, and turning around
saw Art. falling, when she ran to him. She
said also that little old Barlow knife, with
one blaze broken off at the jaws and the
other broken half way, was found in Arts
pocket with some strings wrapped around
| it Witness had tried to get to see VIM. II.
Larkin and talk with him about it, but
couldn't get him to come to see her.
Cross-examined-Wa called away to see
a sick woman, may be about daylight, be-
| fore or after, was in the kitchen getting
breakfast. (She was asked about the law
suit between her and Art. Lar
| kin at some length and
counsel for the State attempted to prove by
her that the lawsuit had just been decided
in favor of Art, in the Chancery Court, a
short time before the killing She couldn't
remember the date of the decision Wit
ness was positive nothing was said between
her and George about the decision of the
lawsuit. She is positive George went to
bed before she and Lizzie; don't know when
Billy went to bed. Witness drove Lizzie
off because she would run about at nights
and not do right, and also because she
would tell lies when she got mad at any one
Didn't drive Lizzie off because she told
something about the killing of Art. Witness
is at the first of it, didn't know anything
about that.
VIM. Ell. Larkin was called by the defense
in rebuttal He was, it will be remembered,
plowing at the time of the killing. He was
| shown q diagram of the field and location