Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1897-11-17

shot from the bushes and no one wit
messed the deed, The killing was not
denied by Bell, and his learned counsel,
the late Judge II. A. II. Nelson, put in a
plea of insanity, which was established
to the satisfaction of the jury and he
was allowed to depart the court "with-
ont prejudice" and free man. Bell exc
cuted his note to Judge Nelson before
the trial for $1,000. When the attorney,
who had saved his neck, tried to collect
his money, Bell replied that il he could
not be held for killing Clark on account
of unsound mind, he was not competent
to make contract, and thus the attor-
ney was defrauded out of his fee, and he
let the matter go as he was outwitted by
an ignorant and INSCRIPTIONS mountain
sharper.
Possibly about this time man named
Higgins was killed by
William Greer, the Hermit of the Bald
Mountain.
Greer was an eccentric, dangerous
character who loved solitude and evaded
companionship, and lived under high
beetling cliff of rock near the top of the
mountain. He said he killed Higgins
for telling him a falsehood, thing that
no man could do and live. 1t was proved
that he was insane and was acquitted,
but afterwards was killed himself.
And so it seems that the "insanity plea"
where an alibi is impossible, is no recent
innovation in the criminal practice,
Filial Love Stronger Than Fear of Death
or Love of Life.
Several years ago man was missing
| from his accustomed haunts in the neigh
borhood. The family could give no ac-
counts of his whereabouts. The aroused
neighbors, suspecting foul play, began a
diligent and thorough search, which
ended in finding his dead body concealed
under his house. 1t was plain that he
was murdered and that the older ones Of
the family knew the guilty secret. Sus-
picion rested on one of the sons. He was
arrested, tried and sent to the peniten-
tiary on circumstantial evidence which
was just as convincing to the court and
jury as the most positive proof could
have been. But he was not the guilty
one. For the love he had for his mother
he had kept silent and borne thepunish-
ment, for she was the slayer. On her
deathbed she declared her guilt and the
innocence of her devoted son, and the
pardon of the Governor opened the door
of the State prison and the innocent
walked forth into the free air and sun.
shine. He died few years since, hav
ing lived to good old age an honest, in
dustrious and respected citizen.
Judge Lynch Has no Court in Washing
ton County.
AS a whole, the people of this county
are quiet, orderly and refined They
have profound reverence fol. the insti
tutions under which they live,s SHd tn,
sanctity of the law. They receive with
out question the decision of the courts
whilst they are iiot SLOW Il Sexpi ess theii
! |
and crime in a proper way If bad
citizen escapes deserved punishment
they punish him in the pillory Of theil
contempt, satisfied with the penalty o.
, social ostracism they are sure to mett
, out to him. Newspapers and schoo
houses and churches in every neighbor
; hood have lifted up the masses to tina
high plane of morality and education
; which would quell the mob spirit at thu
? first sign of its presence. Our popula
ton is all native and to the manor borl
and is wholly exempt from the lawless
} ness and phrenzy common to mixeC
| communities. Were this not so it i
} probable that Simms' trial would hav
} been held in some nook of the wood
and the fatal loop passed over his hea
= 10y some misguided aud infurated frien
}, to humanity and not by the Sheriff O
Washington County. When the new
of the dreadful tragedy spread over tn
country-over sections where neithe
the slain nor slayer was PERSONAL
known or had ever been heard of befor
there was high pitch of eXcitemen
a frantic eagerness to learn all the dc
tails, but when the full particulars q
the revolving crime had come to the pull
lie knowledge, the people, in their Low
of decency, law and order said that tn
murderer must have a fair trial and b
: punished according to the forms of Law
: Even the relatives of the murdere
- young man plead for this, be it to the
great credit said. Judge Lynch ca
never hold court among people VIII
have such a sublime faith in the adj
quacy Of their laws and the cOurageoU
= faithfulness of their judiciary. All tn
= reports that there was large mob {
infuriated men i'll hot pursuit of IL
v black fugitive, just after he had commi
ted the deed, prepared to hang him
captured, turned out to be fakes OF II
worst variety.
g The Crime.
l. At late hour in the afternoon Of ii
II 9th Of last July Walter Galloway can
o to the residence of William Boring c
N the Watauga River, near Flourville, il
e tending to stay all night. He was fr
q quent guest and was always accorded
" joyous welcome to the generous hosI
:, talities of this delightful country hon
D. His affianced lived there and his visi
$ were rife with cheer and hopefulne'
II suffused with the exquisite ecstasy
q that divine passion which the presen
and smiles of loving and charmil
70 woman ever inspires in her adore
With Galloway, who was in the thirti'
l. the flush of life's spring tide had pass
Is into the pride and glory of manhood
m natural powers, and in view of his m;
aS riage that was soon to take place t
8 future was all aglow with the most e