The Newport plain talk. (Newport, Tenn.) 1909-1939, 1912-05-30
INSURANCE CASE IS
.". TAKEN FROM JURY

Spencer when he came into the Slagle
home. He said that one OF Slagle's
brothers confronted Spencer and ac-
cused him of the murder, but that
Spencer, while admitting that it looked
damaging against him, stated that he
would prove on the morrow, after the
funeral, that he had not committed
the deed but, on the other hand, he
would lead the two brothers to the pot
of gold and deliver it. to them. Mrs.
Slagle had known OF her husband s
quest for the mysterious gold, and in
this way Spencer was made to go into
the history before General Vines and
others of the finding of this gold. He
claimed that he had found, on farm
of Mr.. Campbell, in deep gulley, a
large pot of gold, and that he secured
wagon and brought this gold to some
spot near Jonesboro, where he divided
ii up into small parts and shipped same
in six or seven different boxes to
Bridgeport, where il was buried in a
cellar under his uncle s home, out that
he had managed to get his uncle out
of the way, and had in turn hid it in
the mountain bluff, overlooking the
French Broad river above Bridgeport.
He claimed that Slagle had been on his
way to see him at Bridgeport at the
time and TO secure the gold. The
brothers of the murdered man were
somewhat skeptical of the story told
by Spencer, but he managed in some
way to keep them from having him
arrested at the time, and while the
body was still lying there Spencer, two
of the Slagles, General Vines, a driver
and a man named Murray drove out
to Campbell's place for evidence of the
place where the gold had been ex-
tracted, and that Spencer failed to find
what he was seeking, and that he was
apparently very much disappointed in
failing to produce the spot, and the
party returned to Jonesboro and while
EN- route Spencer, so Mr.. Vines stated,
turned to Sid Murray who was beside
Jim and asked him directly who he,
Murray, thought had killed Slagle,
and that Murray had replied: 81 think
you are the low down scoundrel who
lured Slagle, your friend, to the moun-
tains and crushed his head in with an
axe" Mr.. Vines stated that the party
had separated, two Slagle boys going
to bed with Spencer at the home of M.
+. Gibson, directly across the street
from the Slagle home, and that he and
Murray went to bed at Murray's house.
He stated that the next he heard was
that Spencer had gotten away, and he
next saw Spencer after the discovery
OF his body in the rain barrel. Col
McSween for the plaintiff objected to
the testimony of General Vines, assert
ing that the General was appearing
more in the role of prosecutor than
witness; he made an effort to show Mr..
Vines interest in the case.
In his cross examination it developed
that the plaintiff was going to make
an effort to show that death was not
due to suicide. Col. McSween had Mr..
Vines admit that Sid Murray had left
his party and had conversation with
some one else at the Campbell farm;
that Murray and two of the Slagle
brothers had conversation just prior
to the breaking up of the party for the
night; that Vines had last seen Spen-
Ger alive accompanied by two of the
Slagles.
Col. McSween introduced photo
graphs of the surroundings at the
Slagle and Gibson homes, and photo
graphs of the rain barrel in which the
deceased was found. The plaintiff also
introduced nail keg which was used
as an illustration, it evidently being
the contention TO show that it was inn
possible for any person to have gotten
Unto the barrel on their own accord and
into the position in which the body
was found.
A deposition of john Cash, who is
serving five years in the penitentiary
as a result of his confession of being an
accessory after the fact in the Slagle
murder, in which Cash admitted his
part, was submitted.
Milton Keene, the undertaken, was
heard and he testified that he could
find no marks of violence, other than
a blue mark on the small of the back
NJ. f. Gibson, at whose home Spencer
had slept and at whose barn he was
found dead, testified that Spencer and
the two Slagle boys came to his place
late, about II o'clock, there being q
large crowd at the Slagle house just
across the road, and that about foul
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