The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1903-08-07
| BODY EXHUMED.
hs of r. e. Walker Disinterred
YieCororer Polk Holds a Three
snDays Session of Court.
about two o'clock last Frida


isinterment and examination o1
4 the body by Drs. Leroy of Nash.
< vile, and Marvin A. Blanton, Of
this city.
10 begin at the beginning. II
k will be remembered that about four
weeks ago, on July 9, at 11:3C
y o'clock, Mr.. r. e. Walker arrived
ait the home OF Col. and Mrs. ]. M.
Coulter, where his (Walkers) wife
was making her home, she being
Mrs Coulter's niece and was named
Y by her. Mr.. and Mrs. Walker were
married in June, 1899, and had re.
Gently been working in -auderdale
county. He had arrived at Padu-
cab Jnnction at a late hour and
walked from there to Col. Coulter s
home, a distance of about four
niles, and was very tired and ex-
Mausted from the hot weather
<peen he reached home, He retired
and nothing more was heard from
him until about o'clock the next
Morning, when Mrs. Walker, his
wife, who was sleeping in the same
room, was annoyed by her hus-
bands hard breathing. Physicians
\ were Immediately called and when
Dr. Rippy, who was the second
physician called for, arrived the
man had been dead about fifteen or
twenty minutes.
An inquest was suggested and
the members of the family very
readily agreed and sanctioned the
suggestion, but when Judge John
Walker, of Trenton, brother of r.
ID. Walker, arrived and made per-
sonal investigation of the case, and
stated shat an inquest was not
needed. He said that the family
was awake and three members OF
same-Col. Coulter, Mrs. Coulter
and Mrs. Walker had witnessed the
death of his brother and that he
saw nothing that could be accom-
plished by such proceedings.
YNothing more was thought of the
matter at the time.
Later it developed that Walker
had Insurance on his lite to the ex-
tent Of about $4,000, and in a few
days the insurance men from the
East began to arrive in Union City
Yand started on search to show
that the policies were fraudulently
obtained.
IT was at this instance that the
remains were taken up, the vital
organs removed and carried to
Nashville tor examination. They
were also the cause of the inquest
being held at the court house Sat
urday and Monday by Coroner
Polk.
Nearly all the neig ghbors, doctors,
and almost everyone else, who ever
knew Walker, or had had busi-
ness transaction with Walker or
any member of the family were very
carefully examined. The jury was
composed of the following we'll
known citizens: S. L. Caruthers,
IL. w. Crawley, A. H., Briggs, D.
Sawman, w. w. Mayes, w. D.
Williams and Marsh Glenn.
Swiggart & Spraddlln and A. ].
Horpole, are representing the in
surance people, and the lawyers
fol. the defense are: Moore &
Wells, Lannom & Stanfeld, of this
city, and w. S. Coulter, of Dyer.
Judge John R. Walker, of Tren-
ION, was placed on the stand Satur-
day and said:
The deceased was thirty-four
years of age. His youngest brother
had been in Texas with his sister
for some time up to last January.
when he came to Halls, Tenn.
Witness said his brother was what
was called a wild boy. He had
never seen him under the influence
of liquor, but had learned he was
addicted to the habit. He was also
addicted to cigarettes and cocaine.
Witness had offered him consider
able inducement to go to Texas
and refrain from his bad habits for
twelve months. Deceased did not
deny the use of cigarettes and CO.
came, but became offended at wit
ness for getting after him about it
and never spoke to him again. He