The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1905-12-08
HISTORY OF THE REAvES KILLING
Continued From First Page.

witness and Rountree went In from
door OF house: were close together
Did not notice Rountvee stop to exam
iue body of Reaves, which was In tn
hall. Passed through hall, out on bacl
| gallery and then into the family room
/ Found Mrs. Rsaves, her children anC
Miss Maggie Lou Ragsdale in thu
] room. When Rountree entered room
little RNaves' boy ran to him and sale
oh Mr.. Lee, my poor papa is dead. :
RountIee said ''oh mercy oh mercy -
and caught hold of child. Mrs Reayes
was in the room. Had ON ld-tashloned
SUE bonnet. RountTee walked over to
her, touched the bonnet, or raised il
and looked INTO her face for several
seconds. Neither spoke that witness
heard OF noticed. Witness did not
notice what became of Elmer Reaves
Witness and Rountree then went out
on gallery and into back yard; met
Boyd Mcknight and went on to barn
gate. RountTee said to Mcknight,
What does this mean?' Mcknight
said Lee, / don't know. 1t beats
me. At point near barn gate, found
some change, few pieces of pencil,
II
leather punch.
file over two years, Deceased was
small man, weighed probably 1l5 or
100 pounds. Witness testified that on
the fret Sunday night after the killing
he had conversation at Rountree s barn
with Rountree Saw Rounrree, who
said Come up TO the barn or Are
you coming up to the barn - Witness
went to the barn and saw Rountree.
In the course of tho conversation,
Rountree asked witness if he had heard
Witness said mo; have
your" Rountree said yes. Witness
asked What is it?' Rountree said
they are tying to saddle this murder
of on me. " Witness said Surely not
you; you must be mistaken : Witness
looked RountTee in .vLime: look
seemed to DISTURB .uuntree, who said
You needn't look at me that way,
you don't believe | did it do your
said, I don't know whether
7ou did 1t or not, but you know |
you committed the crime or
1ot. =" Witness did not remember that |
( .untIee denied the killing in the |
Witness testified that he renamed
IN the Rouutree place until the middle
It last January, and Is now running
! hack to the Carter's Creek mines
Witness does not pass the Rountree
ZONE now. Witness did live up be-
ond the Rsaves and Rountree hume
Until about three months ago, and
assed there several times Saw ROM
rec on nearly every trip, either in
1OrnIng or afternoon. Sometimes
Oticed the kind of work Rountree was
olng, or Rountree had witness carry
undles for him, Witness had noticed
efendant on several occasions since
ne last trial making certain motions
Thich witness thought were signals.
fitness desert bed the motions ma lie
y Rount1ee as raising his hands TO-
ether over his head several times
lin ss mad also seen Mrs. Reaves in
gnl of RountIee when taese motions ,
+ signals were being made. Witness
Id not remember number of times he i,
ad seen h0untree make motions. but ,
,ecified several times in particular. !
Witness had noticed no other move .
ent or signal, but previous to last {
lll and after the killing Of Reaves, :
illness saw RountIee iope by the ;
caves home ami take off his cap and :
ave it near the front OF gate. /
ROSS EXAMINED. .
Mr.. G.. Hughes-DId you see ROM. :
e9 on the day before the killing? :
A.-Yes. | worked with him. !;
q. Did he not attend a funeral in :,
10 morning of the day before the kill. !
g?
A. Yes, sir; l think he did.
Witness SAID Rountree worked with
m in the morning before going to 9
trial, and also after dinner in the field
front of the Reav es home. In the =
t rnoon Reaves was working in cot. -
u patch, between the place where wit
-ss was working and the Reaves home.
Itness had an unobstructed view of the |;
ayes home. Did not miss Rountree =
ON the field any time during the even :,
&. u
Witness did not see Reaves and Roun- 9
90 when they left for Spring Hill that :,
ght. Witness stopped work early 10 y
ening, es he understood they were to :,
i've the horse he was working Cross r
,stioned in regard to the occurrence =
the Rounsree barn and we'll and the 3
caves home the morning after the kill =
x, witness testimony was in accord :,
ice with the main examination =
q. Was the mare Ghas Blair was :,
MT to look for the one that the Roun- T
ee children drove to school? :
Ayes. sir. The children went to e
hool at Theta in buggy. q
Q DID not the Reaves children also =
TO school in the vehicle with the :
oun rec children? =,
A Il believe the little Resves boy y
owe the buggy for the little Rountree :,
rls. Don't know that the other Reaves Il
lildren also went in the buggy y
Q-Nnen you heard the bell ringing =
I'd suggested that perhaps Mrs. Roun- =
ee was sick, why did you do SO? y
Al knew Mrs. Rouhtree was in bad :,
satth.
Odd you know she was subject to
su spells?
A Have heard 1t since then, but did C