Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1884-11-29


what he had said to him he would kill
him; on several occasions William
made the same statement to witness,
each time telling him his life would |
be taken should he ever mention what |
he knew; William told witness that |
he received a spring wagon and set |
OF harness as compensation for killing
Jina Brown; / knew spring wagon
BeiLimy had at the time; afterwards l
saw William with ii, and he said it was |
his; he kept it and used 1t as his own;
neither Bellamy or Ransom Morrow
ever said anything to witness about
the killing.
GEORGE VIM
testified that he knew Bellamys spring
wagon; Bellamy owned it in the year
1878, and year afterwards VIM. Nor
row then became owner of it; the
wagon has been at witnesses house Tor
two years.
s.-.. SAMUEL JONES
testified that, VIM. Morrow was at work
for him.. and several times. told him
that he had killed Jim Brown; that
DIR, Bellamy. told him that Jim had
insulted his wife and wanted him to
kill jim; he killed Jim because OF this
insult; William told witness if he ever
said anything about what he had said
to him he would kill him.
DAVE HORN
testified that DIR. Bellamy came to him
about six or eight days before jim
was killed and wanted him to go with
crowd to kill Jim for an insult to
his wife; that night with some others
we went down to the place where Jim
lived, but there was crowd of negroes
there and we did not go to jim; we
left there and went up to DIR. Bellamy's
house, when / thought there was not
enough proof to kill Jim; told DIR.
Bethany that we had better drop the
thing; he said he did not want to shed
innocent blood; Mrs. Bethany was IN
the house while we were talking; she
was crying when we got there and
when we left; l do not know what she
was crying for; 1 went with the crowd
to Jim's to investigate the matter and
see if he had done the act charged to
him; / did not go there to kill him
unless he did the act and was salts
fed of the fact.
FAINT HORN,
colored, testified that before shutdown
the day of the killing he went to where
the body of Jim was; there was blood
and ashes on the body and face of the
corpse; before night he went up to
DIR. Bellamy's house and told him Jim
Brown was dead; he said what a pity,
Jim WAS up at his house that morning
to bring some meal, and appeared as
lively as a cricket; he asked was he shot
or burned to death; | said he looked
more like his throat had been cut;
went back to the body; it rained hard
that hight and washed the clotted blood
and ashes from Jim; then / saw he was
both burned and shot; the next day l
told those around the body with me
what DIR. Bellamy had said to me the
evening before, and 1 did not want
them to say anything about what had
told them; | was satisfied when | saw
that Jim was both shot and burned
that DIR. Bellamy knew something
about it; did not know till the rain
had washed the ashes off that Jim had
been either shot or burned.
JAMES DYER
testified that he was janitor at the
church where the protracted meeting
was being held by Preacher Hysmith
and others; that on the day before the
killing Ransom Morrow was not at
church; 1t was an unusual thing for
him to be absent from any service any
time; the preacher became uneasy
about him and feared he was sick; l
offered to go and see him if had any
thing to ride; / rode the preachers
horse to his house; when | got there
told him about what the preacher
had said; he then said he was attend
ing to other business that day; / told
him | had heard of the alleged crime
of Jim Brown, and heard they had
been after him; he suddenly spoke as
if he were mad and said had better
keep my mouth shut, that il / ever
told what l knew about the matter nv
life would be the price of it; l heard
something more about the matter at
church that night; the next day all
throo we-o at church, NNiHia.,1 coming
during service or just about the time
it closed; as DIR. Bethany and he were
stepping out of the church door heard
DR.. Bellamy ask him how was the
wind blowing to-day; he said pretty
fair, six times through the head;
afterwards heard Ransom Morrow say
in speaking of Jim'S death, that Bill |
was the best boy in the world, and |
whenever he wanted anything done of |
the kind Billy was the man to do it;
Ransom told me that he had put Will
liam up to killing Jim Brown, and |
that William had done it; DR.. Bellamy |
also told me that William was one of |
the best men in the world, and that |
whenever he wanted anything of the |
kind done he knew he could rely on
Billy to do it; he said he had procured |
Billy to kill Jim, and he had done it;
they both told me that If | ever said |
about what they had told me
they would kill me; | never told any
one what knew till had been sum-
moned before the Grand Jury; l do |
not know how anyone found out / |
knew anything so as to have me sum-
mOned; | have kept it a secret because
l feared losing my life if should tell
it to anyone.
LAURA WELKER
the daughter of VIM. Welker testified
that, on the morning of the killing |
of Jim Brown she went to church and
met DIR. Bellamy, not very far from
the point where the road leading from
her home intersected the public road
leading to the church; this point was
about one and half miles from where
DIR. Btllamy lived. DIR. Bellamy one
day while on trial the first time, asked
her where she met him that morning,
she was trying to tell him but could
not make him understand. He asked
her if it was not in the Blooming
Grove coalings and something about
The York road; witness did not know
about the coalings she spoke
about.
WIN. WELKER, recalled
'aid the coaling was about one half a
mile from the road where his daugh-