The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1911-11-17
TWO NEGROES JAILED
IN CONNECTION WITH
MATTHEWS KILLING
CONFLICTING STORIES TOLD BE-
FORE JURY BY OCCUPANTS
OF THE CABIN.
INQUEST HELD BY 70. HAYES
Two Pistols Found by Officers, One
With TWO Fresh Cartridges and
Also Two Empty Shells in Same
Room-Theory of Public.

| Room-l heory OF PUBIC.
Futher developments in the killing
of Amos Matthews Tuesday night re-
suited in the arrest and Incarceration
in the county jail Of Jess Workman or
Matthews and Cobe Newly or Smith,
! both negrosr, and both of whom lived
in the cabin referred to in the report
Of the tragedy.
Milton Matthews and John Nelson,
father and uncle respectively OF the
dead man, made the necessary atlida-
Wit and an inquest was decided upon,
and the sane was held by Esq. G. w.
Hayes, with G. S. Williamson, Ed
Morrow, Will Digger, Sid Dooley, J.
T. Moore, Harvey Howell, James In
gram as jurors.
An examination of the witnesses,
including the colored parties who liv-
ed in the cabin on the Petty place ana
near Esq. Petty, developed the fact
that three shots were heard at about
10 o'clock, and these were heard by
different parties, some of whom were
already in bed. On an examination
of the four negroes a very material
difference was made in their testimo-
n.y. no two of them telling the same
story. The principal difference was
as to the hour of going to bed. Some
of them said all had been to bed, ana
others said that only certain ones hao
retired when the shooting took place,
but all denied any knowledge or
where the shooting was, but acknowl-
edged to hearing the reports.
After hearing all the evidence the
jury returned verdict in the proper
form as follows:
1--WE find from all the proof and
circumstances from the best of our
knowledge and belief the shots that
were fired and the killing done by
CODE Newly and Jess Matthews, and
that they should be bound over to cir
cult court for full investigation"
This was signed in proper form by
the jurors, and the defendants named
therein were brought to town by the
officers and are now in Jail.
In search Of the negroes premises
they found two pistols, ne q 3s-cali-
bre nickel plated hamerless' LIVER
johnson, and the other blue steel
32-calibre Smith & Wesson. The
first named gun was found in room
where it was customary to keep the
pistols according to the testimony OF
the old negro man and his daughter,
and the other was found under the
pillow Of Cobe Newly after he had
denied having any gun at the place.
In the same room and on small ia
BILE or bureau were found two empty
shells belonging to the 3S-calibre pis
toll, and in this pistol were also three
cartridges that were somewhat cank-
cred and two that were clean and
fresh, and the two empty shells COM
pared very favorably with the cank-
cred cartridges in the SO pistol.
The theory that is being advanced |
is to the effect that there was dis
like to the Newly negro by those Of
his own color, and they had been
threatening to whip him as he passed
from the cabin to the residence Of
Mr.. Petty where he got his meals, and
for whom he was working. 1t is
thought that possibly he took the
whistling of Amos Matthews az the
signal Of some Of his enemies and
that he fired on him under that i'm
preston with the result that Mat
thews was killed.
1t was decided this morning to ex-
hume the body Of young Matthews
and to have the ball removed. DR..
Pillow went out there this forenoon
For that purpose, and it is being done.