The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1904-10-21
JOHN REAVES
Found Dead With His Throat
Cut Near Wright's Mines.
Believed to Have Been Murdered and
BloOdhounds Were Sent For
Details Of the Crime.

A horrible tragedy occurred Tuesday
night near NTIght's mibes In this
county. not far from Jan oson's
store, in which John Reaves, q pros
porous and influential farmer Of that
vicinity wss the victim. He was
found desdaWednesaay morning In his
barn lot with his throat cut from ear to
ear.
How He Was Found.
Mr.. Reaves went to Spring Hill Tues
day mig hit to attend lodge meeting, and
did not return. II Is wife was uneasy dur
ing the night over his prolonged alb.
sence, but tried to persuade nerself TO
believe that he was unavoidab oily de
tanned and would return all right later
on. But he was never known to remain
away all night, without letting her
know it, aGd a. the entire night passed
and he did not return she felt conVin-
ced that something untOward had hap
pened, and at the first peep Of dawn she
went out to look over the premises 10
see If any trace of him could be found
and was horritied when she came upon
mis- dead body IN the barn lot.
Thought To Be Murder.
The neigh bors were Immediately ne
titled and gathered IN and the body was
removed to the house and an invest,ga-
tion began. Mr.. Reaves' throat lad
been cut from ear to ear and his knife
with blood marks on it was found lying
by his side. The situation suggested
suicide, land though no one knew OF any
reason Tor the man taking his life,
still the appearance Of things seemed to
warrant the belief that he had died by
his own hand and this theory was at
first accepted and sent out. After the
investigation was prosecuted further
however, the suicide theory was aoan-
doned and it is now believed that Mr..
keaves was foully murdered.
When Last Seen
Mr.. Reaves was last seen about IL
O'Clock Tuesday night at the hi me OF
his neig b Dor, Lee Rountree. Early in
the night he went to Spring Hill to
attend lodge meeting and returned in
company with Mr.. Rountree, who lives
only abouta hundred yards from the
Reaves home. Mr. Reaves rode home
in Rountree's buggy, leading his horse
behind, and when they reached hDun-
trees house about IL O'Clock Reaves got
ut and walked OH toward b me lead
ing his horse, and this was the last Mr..
ROuntree or any une else so TAR as IS
known, saw OF him until his dead pody
was found by his wife.
Evidences of Murder.
While the finding of the body with
the throat cut and the victims own
bioouy knife by his side indicated sui
eide. there are other circumstances
which point very clearly to foul play
and probable murder. In the hrst
place it Ia said that Mr.. Reaves' skull
Ia crushed and In such manner that
makes 1t impossible for him to nave IN
fi;cted the wound himself. In the front
of the house, between the front gate
which shows in all disability that it
was at this point where the trouble be-
gan, The body was found some dis
lance from this place in the barn lot.
His horse was found in the barn lot
with the bride off, and the bride found
living on wag tongue around De-
hind the house. There was not par
ticle of blood to be found on the pri-
die. and it is argued that 1t was not
placed on the wagon tongue by Mr..
Reayes. because when he was found his
hands were covered with b God and II
| he had hapdled the bride there would
uuouestionably have been blood stain
on It, Before he left home he turned
some of his horses out Of the stable into
the lot and left the others fastened up;
This morning the horses he had turned
out we're IOuuu ias'ohou ."P -
the stable, and those left out
were in the stable. II is not known
whether he was robbed or not
Only sixty five cents was found In his
| pockets These facts taken in connec
ton with the further fast that there
seems to have been no reason whatever
for suicide, leaves no doubt in the
minds Of his family and friends that
he was bruLslly murdered.
Bloodhounds Secured.
The family are 80 sure that the MUIR
der theory is the correct one that they
sent to Eawrenceburg for the blood
| h ounds and every effort will be made to
trace down the perpetrator OF the
crime.