The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1905-12-08
HISTORY OF The
REAVES KILLING


night before the killing himself. Wit
ness did not know where the horse
ReaVes and RountIee drove that night
was lOnnd the next morning Witness
SAID ne did not know where Reave:
ssually left his horse after going away
At night: tnat II was tine first time
ResYes had been away frobl home al
night since witness moved there, about
four months before the killing. Wit
ness state that there were about J
young mules and some hogs thai
STAYED loose in the siGe lot.
CROSS EXAMINED
bv MI. Hughes, witness said thai
there were three mules and two horse,
fast eue1 In the barn that night. Thai
he got there very early next morning
aud the mules which he put in tbs
front stall were out, but the horses
which had been put behind the mules
we're still in the barn
E E. TUCKER.
Witness was summoned by both the
State and ne uetense. Questioned by
Mr.. VOOl HES, witness stated that his
home was quarter of a mile from the
Reaves home where John Reaves was
KILLED. Witness home was southwest
and in sight of the Reaves place was
inst sitting down to breakfast at his
home, between day light and sun up,
when Lee ROuntIe calle1 him Wit.
ness first saw ROuntree standing at the
edge of the front porch and when wit
ness went out on the porch, they then
went to the yard gate, about 10 yaIus
from the house, before Rountree told
bin Uf the killing. Rountree was
alone, and spoke in an ordinary voice.
He said Tucker, Reaves is dead "
Witness replied you don t tell me soG'
CROSS EXAMINED.
In the cIoss-examinatIon of this wit
ness who is also a witness for the
defense, considerable testimony for
she defendant was brought out. He was
examined by Mr.. Hughes Witness
stated that his wife was quite ill at
the time of the killing and was In the
loom nearest where RouptIee was
standing. when he was at the porch I;
that Rountree was aware of the cOnui-
tiOn OF his wife at the time.
After RountTee told him that Reaves
had been found dead, witness went
into the house, told hIS wife of it, got
his hat and he and Rountree started to
the Reaves home; met CaIIIean in the
front lot ana the three went together.
Witness had lived in the house near
keaves for years before the killing, and
lad known John Reaves for three
years and Lee ROuDtree for seven OF
sught years. The RountIee family
were the nearest neighbors to the
ReaVes family and witness family
were the next nearest
Questioned in regard to the business
relations between Rountree and John
Reaves, witness stated that they had
always been of a very agreeable
nature, They had engaged in the
shIesher business the seas IN before, IN
june and John TIimble was also
associated with them. The three men
were partners in the business and
each had his part OF the business 20
look after. Reaves and Rountree had
also cen In the log business together
two years befoTein Alabama They had
also cut and hauled logs together on
anu off Rountree land, in the hills near
Theta in the spring or latter part OF
the winter of 1904. They got logs
from ROuntree land and also bought
gsther getting the logs out. Witness
stated that there were no houses near
the lands from which they secured
tine logs.
At the tune of Reaves death, wit
ness stated. Rountree and Reaves were
preparing to cut logs together from
Resves' land in the hills. Witness
stated that the three Reaves, RountIee
and himself had always exchanged
sasm work and were neighbcrly about
the use OF each other farming imple-
ments; that when one wanted to boz
row anything another of them had, ne
went and got it without asking,
Questioned in regard to the relation
between the the ROuntree and Rsaves
families witness stated that there was
considerable visiting between them
That JOon Reaves went to the Roun-
fSee home very often and the children
vt the two families and of his own
family were very intimate ana visited
zach other freqently and often spent
the night with each other.
Witness said Mrs ROuntIee, wife of
the defendant Lee Rountree, was In an
asylum; that her mind is unbalanced
RaG she mas been In the asylum three
or tour years. Mis- j ohm Reaves was
with MIS- Rountree quite good deal
before she WAS sent to the asylum.
ROuntIee 5 immediate family consists
Of three small girls aged about five,
ss1eE and nine years. Before Mrs.
KOuntlee went to the asylum, the
family had lived on the Rountree
place about fourth of mile from the
nome of the defendants father. Since
that time defendant and his children
haze lived with his father, Mi. Chas.
ROuntree, ami mother, Mrs. RountIee
His cousin. Miss Maggie Lou Ragsdale,
also live, at his fathers home, and
y illness had understood that she had
neeD raised by Mr.. and Mrs. Chas.
ROantiee. Mrs. ROuntree, mother OF
the oei endant, is 20 years of age and
- IN cry bad health. has been tor a
long time, and is subject to sudden
ssa fainting spells Defendant g
father, Mr.. Chas RountIee, is also
very old and is very deaf. the deafness
being result of cannon firing during
she Civil War.
Questioned regarding the social rela-
ton bet ~ cen the defendant and the
Of al man. witness said they were very
friendly, unusally so, he thought; ana
kAay were tOpatheI asUraat deal Wit