The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1905-09-08
COURT AT UNION CITY.
Will Burley to Be Tried for Murder
ing B. Flatt in Dyer County.

ing B. Flatt in Dyer County.
Circuit Court met in session here
this week with Judge Il. E. Maiden
on the bench and Attorney General
Caldwell to prosecute the offenders
of the law.
The Grand Jury is composed of
w. w. Casey, foreman, J. w. Keith,
w. D. Garrison, w. w. Nipp, ]. F.
Mcfarland, ]. H. Olive, ]. E. Mar
shall. N. W. Whipple, q. T. War
rem, ]. S. Alexander, L. S. Snow,
w. B. Lyon and II. c. Ward.
A murder case from Dyer County
will be tried here at this term on
change of venue 1t is that of the
negro Burley, who assassinated B.
Flat.
1t will be remembered that sever
al years ago two negroes were
taken from the officers at Newborn,
Dyer County, and hanged to tele-
phone pole. Judge Maiden was
holding court at Dyersburg at the
time, and he and Attorney-General
D. J. Caldwell hurried to Newbern
and pleaded in vain with the mob
to allow the law to take it's course.
In full view of the passing trains
on the Illinois Central Railroad the
bodies swung for some hours. The
hanged men were two negroes, one
of whom was named Burley.
That evening another Burley had
traded mules with highly respect
ed citizen of Dyer County named
and not liking the trade he
had made, tried to get Flat to trade
back. Failing to do so, the negro
and companion got into a buggy
and drove out of town, and when
Flat and gentleman named Ship
came driving by in buggy Will
Burley threw up doub1e-barreled
gun and shot Flat dead. Ship
hurried to town and related the ter
rible news, and officers and others
were soon after the murderer.
They did not capture him, but they
caught the negro who was with
him and the brother of the murder
err and hanged them to telegraph
or telephone pole. Will Burley, the
one who did the shooting, made his
escape, and the Governor offered
a reward of $500 for his capture,
which was accomplished by Sheriff
A. G. Dunlap of Dyer County after
considerable shrewd detective work.
The arrest was made at Mariana,
Ark, where Burley had married a
wealthy negro woman. but whether
she will spend any of her wealth in
the defense of her husband remains
to be seen. Knowing that it would
not be safe for Burley to carry him
to Dyer County, he was placed in
the Memphis jail, where it is be-
ieved a verdict of murder in the
first degree, with hanging as the
penalty, will be fastened upon him.
B. F. Chambers VS.. c. G. Thomas,
appeal, dismissed.
Day Bailey Grocery Co. VS.. w.
W. Morris, debt, continued on APP
olication of defendant.
H, c. Alexander, trustee, VS.. c.
}. Thomas, appeal, dismissed.
S. Y. Orr VS.. G. w. Reed, trustee,
% Ella Garrison, appeal, plaintiff
lismisses suit and taxed with
,osts.
J. A. Morgan VS.. M. g. O. r. r.
Co, appeal, continued by consent.
H. H. Pritchard VS.. A. Semones,
damages, continued by consent.
Thedosia Exum by J. S. Exum
IS. l. c. r. r. Co., appeal, contin-
led on affidavit OF defendant and
defendant taxed with costs.
Gid Blanchard VS.. Thos. Branam,
appeal, continued by consent.
Jas. McNeely by J. w. Williams
IS. Lutte Thomas ct al, dismissed.
The Ohio Valley Shoe Co. VS..
Shatz & Co., appeal, continued by
Charley J. Black VS., Sam J. Hey
nan, case continued of affidavit OF
D. H. Looney VS.. S. S. Wiley, D.
), appeal, dismissed at plaintiffs
ost.
]. NJ Darnell VS.. d. B. Barnett
t al, appeal, settled out of court.
J. B. r. Newton VS.. Amandy e.
Slaydon ct al, appeal, settled out
# court.
j. A. Hefley ct al. VS.. W. L. Phe-
Jus, pending.