The Newport plain talk. (Newport, Tenn.) 1909-1939, 1912-05-30
UNUSUAL CASE
TO UNUSUAL END
Slagle-Spencer Tragedy Was
Gone Over Again During
the Trial.
SOUGHT TO PROVE SUICIDE
Volunteer State Life Insurance
Company Contested Payment
of Insurance on Ground That
Spencer Had Taken Own Life,
and Did Convince the Judge
of This Fact.

The murder of A. q. Slagle above
Bridgeport, and the subsequent find
ing of the body of John Spencer In a
rain barrel at Jonesboro, were recalled
last week in the civil case of Mrs. Hes
ter Spencer VS.. The Volunteer State
Life Insurance Company for the pay
ment of the 81 900 life insurance policy
which the deceased had at the time of
his death. While the tragic deaths of
Slagle and Spencer created dramatic
story seldom equaled, except in fiction,
the trial of this case was just as inter-
esting, and it was closely contested
legal battle. McSween and McSween
and T. l.. Carly represented the plain
tiff while the defense was represented
by General Counsel Smith of the Vol
'unteer State Life Insusance Company
and w. o. Minis, with Samuel Kirk
patrick representing the Slagle family,
in the taking of the testimony. The
case went to trial Thursday at noon
and did not end until Friday at p.
M, when Judge Coleman, following a
motion on the part of counsel for the
defendant, took the case from the jury
and directed that the jury return a
verdict in favor of the insurance COM
pany. The counsel for the plaintiff
apparently was taken by surprise at
the sudden turn of affairs, and made
no especial effort to present it's case to
the Judge in the argument, and imme-
diately after the judges decision gave
notice that it would be carried to the
Supreme Court.
The jury was polled, upon its return
into the court room, by Others than
court officials, and it showed that
without argument on the part of coun-
sci, that five of the men had already
made up their minds to give judgment
for Mrs. Spencer; that five believed it
was case of suicide, and that two
Others had not yet made up their
minds.
The insurance company set up de-
Tense that it was protected from pay
ing the insurance on the life Of Spen-
Ger by clause which stated that no
insurance be paid providing the insured
committed suicide within certain
period.
The incidents of the tragedy were
recalled in the testimony. The facts
in the case showed that on August %
1909, the body of A. g. Slagle was
found in the French Broad River five
miles from Newport, near Bridgeport
and that Slagle was prominent lum-
herman of Jonesboro, Tennessee. The
body was identified by John ii. Spen.
Ger, who posed as friend of Slagle's
and it developed that Slagle had come
over to Bridgeport for the purpose Of
seeing Spencer; that he had an ar
rangement whereby a pot of gold
which Spencer claimed to have found
in Washington county, and which had
been shipped to Newport, was to bt
marketed by Slagle. Spencer imme
diately after the finding of the body
set out for Jopesboro, as friend of the
Slagle family, to notify the Slagles o.
the death. While at the Slagle home
suspicion centered ON Spencer and hi
told them of the pot of gold, and ,
crowd set out to investigate with thu
result that their suspicious were con
tirmed and it was decided to watch
Spencer over night; but he disappeared
and on the following morning his body
was found in a rain barrel at the HON,
of Mr.. Gibson, a short distance from
the Slagle home, where Spencer ha.
spent the night.
Attorney General Vines, Of tn
first Circuit, said that he was
friend of the Slagles and was particu
larly interested in this case. The plain
tiff objected to this manner of testi
mony, but the defense stated that i