The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1909-08-13
CHARGES HEARD
AGAINST NELSON
COUNTY WoRKHoUsE suPERiN-
TENDENT ON TRIAL FOR
MISCONDUCT.

| " clerk ana 4 n. 1dgiOis SuPSAA-
.endent. charges against John L. Nell
son. county work house superinten-
dent. The charges are OF an unusual
nature and are as follows:
TO T. j. English, chairman; J. 1.
Petty. clerk, and T. H. Taylor, super
lintendent; Commissioners or Board oil
Maury County, Tenn.-I file the tol-
lowing charges against John L. Mel
son, superintendent of the Maury
County Work House, and ask you to
suspend him until investigation is had.
Conduct unbecoming the superlnten-
dent of the work house in the carry
ing of the keys. His association with
prisoner, and the escape of prisoners
and the conduct of a female prisoner
in his presence and her treatment Oh
the guards and other prisoners, and
her release from the work house, |
ask for a full investigation, and that
witnesses be brought before you.
R.. (X) PEYT0N.
This July 26th, 1909.
Witness. A. N. AKIN.
When the case was opened Thursday
morning at eleven O'Clock and the wit
lnesses had been sworn, j. c. Voor-
HES. attorney for the defendant rose
and stated in view of the fact that
such charges were permitted to De
brought out in court that he thought
the court should require that the
charges be sworn to. This brought a
protest on the part of George w.
HAYES. attorney for the prosecution,
and after considerable discussion
County Attorney w. c. Whitthorne
was called upon to render a decision
| in the matter and his ruling was to
tbA effect that the charges did not
have to be sworn to if there was
semblance of truth and the commits
sioners thought the charges worth OIL
investigation. Mr. Peyton, the petl-
TONER in the case said that he would
not swear to the mas being true to
his personal knowledge, but that ne
would swear, and did swear TO them
as being true to the best of his knoWl-
edge and the information brought TO
him on authority of reputable wit
nesses.
Dick Campbell, one OF the guards
at the work house, was the star VII
ness for the prosecution and was the
first man put on the stand. Mr. Camp
bell testified to many sensational
charges against Mr. Nelson, but sur
fered considerable at the hands OF MT.
VOORHEES, on cross-eXamination. he
was asked to state the name OF the
female prisoner referred to In the
charges and he stated her name was
Macy Butler, and was now doing the
cooking for the guards and prisoners,
and that she was so bossy that 1t was
matter Of much inconvenience at
times for the guards of prisoners 10
get anything to eat. He stated that
she was a neat looking negro woman
and wore starchy linen, red hosiery
and slippers, and had full sway over
everything, and that at frequent times
she carried the keys TO the provision
supplies.
Many other witnesses were put on
by the prosecution, but little lmpor-
lance was attached to their testimony.
At the time of going to press John
Nellums. another guard at the work
house was on the witness stand for the
defense. Mr.. Nellums uncovered
lot of ill-feeling on the part OF Mr..
Campbell toward Mr.. Nelson, stating
that at one time he had been APP
nroached in a manner by Campbefl
that suggested that if Nelson was hred
off the job that he (Nellums) would
be appointed to the position of SUI
nerintendent. The character of Mr..
Campbell was attacked in most tell
ing way by the attorney for the de-
Tense and the attorney for the prose
cution rose and entered strong pro-
test against such procedure and the
court sustained the protest.
The witness was asked If he had
not been approached by Judge GORDON
on the same proposition, and he stated
that Judge Gordon had intimated such
a thing to him one day while he was
in his (Gordons) office getting Ms
omnthly pay, but that the thing ap'
pealed to him in such a slight way
that he did not give it enough con
] sideration to remember the exact con
yersation or the time it took place
Mr.. Nellums was still on the stand al
the time of going to press and the
prosecution had him.
M Nelson went on the stand in his