The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1905-12-08
HISTORY OF
REAVES KILLING.
Continued From Page Eighth
Tuesday Morning,
". LEE ROUNTREE ON SIAN

]
room, and the closest attention was palC
by the ruwd to hear every word utteret
| by the defendant in telling his own ste
Try. Mr. q f.. Hug hes examined tn,
witness, and led him on in telling thu
story of what he knew OF the k lli0g
and in refuting the evil charges which
| had been brought against him in thu
/ States evidence. The defendant an
swered the questions prOpoundsd to hin
1 promptly, al d there was no hesitation
with him in denying the charges, or i
| admitting what he had done or said
Defendant tie, titled that his age II
/ thirtys.X married bout 1892 has
three children, aged ten, eight and SIN
year respectively, His wife for abou
three years has been in a hospital FIN
4 the insane. She was in Tuscal oosa fnl
/ about three months of this time Up
until this trouble he said he visited heI
abort once month; that his family Is
| now com posed of his father and mother
i Miss Ragsdale, the children and bim-
self Miss Ragsdale h as been mem bel
of the family since she was four years
of age.
Defendant stated that his mother has
| been in very bad health Ior many years
is very old. and is threatened with par
alYsis; at times her mind is weaS; Miss
Ragsdale attends to the house keeping,
looks after the clothing, repairs, .tor
the family, and also has charge of de.
PENDANTS children. Defendants father
is in fairly good health but is very hard
OF hearing, the deafness being caused by
caunOnading during the Civil War
PENDANT first became acquainted
with John Reaves just before he moved
his family there in 1900 or 1901 Reaves
bought the McConico farm, lying just
across the pike from the Rountree home
from the McConicO heirs. Was first as
ISOLATED with Reaves in business when
the two, together with Joe Trimb e, pur-
chased a threshing machine from the
McConicos, short time before ReaVes
moved his family to the place. The
business continued each summer there
after including the summer before
Reaves was killed. They threshed
wheat in the immediate neighborhood
and stayed at their homes at night.
They had also engaged in the log bust
ness together, and had cut and hauled
logs from ROuntree's land in the hills
near Theta; from negroes land adjoin-
ing, and they had also cut logs in la
bama two months in 1900 together. Wit
ness stated that there were no houses
nearer than one-half mile to the hills at
Theta, where they had worked together
At the time of heaves' death, he aud de-
PENDANT were then engaged in the log
business together, and were cutting logs
from Reaves' land in the Theta hills.
Both had charge of the work, had teams
at work hauling and went together to-
look alter it. The woods were in thin.
ly settled section; no house nearer than
a half mil
Defendant and Reaves and slsu En-
Tucker exchanged farm work,
borrowed from each other without the
asking when they neeued any of each
other farming tools.
John Reaves had five children IN
defendant three, and the Reaves and
RountIee children went to school TO-
getheT at theta, the little Reaves Toys
driving the buggy for the little Roun
tee girls. The children we're near the
same ages. we're very intimate and
were together nearly every day. De.
PENDANTS half sister, Mis-. Lum Mckee,
lives near Spring Hill; his own sister
died In 1902, when rs years of age.
Defendants wife had been afflicted for
about eighteen months before going to
the asylum and was Afflicted when |
Reaves moved to the neighborhOod. |
Mrs. Rountree was at home Sll the
time previous TO going to the asylum.
Mis- Reaves and Mrs. Rountree were
together great DEAL anG at times
when Mrs. RountIee became unruly,
Mrs. Reaves could control her better
nan anyone else. Mrs. Reaves visited
Mrs Rountree very often and would
.ome over and take Mrs. Rountree to
Ter home frequently. She often &C
Mrs, Rountree to Columbia
md to Spring Hill when she was being
Ieated. This close association con-
inued between the two until Mrs.
2ountree went to the asylum.
Defendant testified that John Reaves
vas at his home very often: came and
vent just as member of the family
nj went all over the house at his own
leasure as member of the family
ND made himself perfectly at nome.
Defendant did the same at the Reaves
ome and the two families were just
he same as one. MI. and Mis-. Reaves
tten came together, both night and
ay and defendant went to their house
light and day, but they spent very
ew nights with each otner
q. DID you ever go to the Reav3s
Ouse when John Reaves was not
here?
A.-Yes, SIT; l did.
Defendant and Reaves had gone to
yashville together several times and
al spent the night together at MI.
f. NJ. journeys and at Mr.. Simp
on s, VINO we're friends of the defend
Mt. Reaves had also accompanied de-
endant to the asylum to see his
fhicted wife and other friends and
elgnbors had gone with him to see
DIS ROuntree, Defendant usual
vent up to see his wife about once a
Month, previous to this trouble.
Defendant remembered the incident
t the school entertainment at Theta.
lid accompany Mrs. Reaves to the
and was sitting with
eI near the stand at one time, as
tated byl other witness, but his own
nd Mrs Reaves children accompanied
hem; some were in the buggy with
hem. and some of the children were
n the seat In the school room with
hem. while the older children were 1
aking part IN the exercises, be John
Ieaves) WAS at Brentwood that day.
he school exercises continued two or
hree Gays and defendant and Mrs
leaves were there eacn day. The
hildren of both were in the exercises.
ut defendant could not remember
n what days.
Defendant was at the home of MIS-.
leaves on April /. 1904. when Miss /