The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1882-05-25

pei for more than 25 years, and ths
every minister of the Tennessee al
nual conference that knows me, IN
own people here where l live, an
every person in Giles that know
me, and there are many, will Ell
dOrse my character for honesty an
veracity, and would certify that
would not be a party to or a prin
cipal in any plot to wrong any man
l will say in behalf Of the witnesse
Of the prosecution, about forty me-
and women in number, and some O
them, CLOSELY Y related to Rea by mar
rlage-whO gave their testimon,
reluctantly-and almost all of then
his neighbors, that they are incapa
bic of being parties to any plot t,
deprive man of his life or liberty
| Such would be the unanimous de
cision ofall who know them. Still
more, the nature Of the evidence
makes fraud impossible. The ties
timOny Of no one witness would con
vict Rea, whereas the testimony O
all 1orms a chain, which brings
quick, sure and overwhelming con
yiction to the heart. The most i'm
portant witness for the state was
Rea himself; he is the link thai
joins the chain, the stone that keyed
the arch-the victim Of his OWL
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. K. 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, at
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
the left breast, penetrating the
heart. He had been in the act of
Il Latin lesson to Prof NJ.
Dwyer, 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 a
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 a table at the window on
which 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
aid upon the bed, where he died
within two minutes from the time
IF being shot. He said, "Oh, God,
I'm shot" and fell to the floor new
sr to speak again. Three of the
arge buckshot were taken from the
Dody of the murdered man, marked
md saved. Many of the neighbo
came that night, but Rea, one of
he nearest, never came at any time.
That night guards were ordered to
prevent any one from entering the
place where the assassin stood and
ihOt. Next morning early the
place was inspected and tracks dis
covered and traced to within a
ihort distance of Rea's house, go
NO and coming. Rea was asked if
le had heard any one pass his
louse about 9 o'clock the previous
light, and said he had not; but be
NC then told of the murder, and !
hat the tracks had been traced to
within a short distance of his house, |
lie said: Il believe l did hear my
wife say she heard two or three per
ons pass, and the dogs ran out and |
parked" Rea induced those who |
we're tracing the tracks to 90 in |
,ther places and directions to |
earch for tracks, but none could be |
ound. While they were searching
or tracks, Rea being with them,
le was discovered walking on his |
oes all the time. He sat down sew
raj times, pulled off his shoe, put |
t on again, and then continued |
on his toes as before. His |
excuse was that he had gravel inhis |
hoes. None of those present saw
lim make whole track during all |
his time. The track of the assas-
in was that of a No. Z shoe, and
he proof is that Rea wears that |
ize. On the same morning of the |
assassination Rea had borrowed a |
louble- -barrelled shotgun from one |
,fhis neighbors, it being then loaded |
With squirrel shot; he had also |
borrowed the shot pouch. That |
.vening, previous to the assassina-
ion, two shots were heard back of |
2ea's house. Parties in search of |
racks discovered a tree back of his
louse freshly shot with squirrel |
hot, and there picked up a piece
# newspaper that had dropped in
oading, and large buckshot, cor
in size to those taken
rom the body of the murdered man,
nd those subsequently taken from
lis gun at the preliminary trial.
This suggested to me that possibly
,aper wadding might be at the
sindow where the killing was done.
requested some men to examine
he place; they did so and found
number of pieces of paper wad
ing, powder burned and scorched,
" which Goodrum was killed.
these were picked up and carefully
The tracks, the paper
7adding and buckshot led to his
rrest. He was arrested about
'clock the day after the killing,
nd the officer was ordered to take
,ossession of his gun, if it could be
Dund. 1t was found in Reas
ouse, up stairs. Rea told the ofli-
er that he loaded it and how it was
and the officer guarded Rea
nth it until the preliminary trial
n the next day. Soon after Rea's
rrest, his wife stated to the officer