The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1912-05-31
ALEXANDER CASE AFFIRMED
Supreme Court at Jackson Senten-
ces Alaxanders to Hang.

Ger Oi otner crimlaal cases OF lesser q
1 gree in the long list of opinions deli'
cred.
Will Ed Alexander and Emmett Alea
ander, uncle and nephew, who kille
Walter Simmons, at a picnic on Mu
Creek in Obion County on August {
1910, viii die on the gaIlows at th
State penitentiary in Nashville on Jul
is, unless Governor Hooper intervenes
Associate Judge Grafton Green dc
liyered an exhaustive opinion atfirmin
the verdict OF Criminal Court of Ohio
County in this case. Justic Green
opinion sustained the trial Judge in dis
regarding the mitigating circumstance
clause OF the iury's verdict.
The Alexanders were farmers ant
they killed Simmons as the result Of ,
drunken quarrel over crap game a
the picnic on Mud Creek.
Will Ed is some forty-odd years O
age, welI-built man. He is married
Emmett is the older mans nephew,
smaller OF stature and unmarried. The
men received the verdict calmly in the
courtroom, but on the return to jail
Emmett almost suffered collapse.
Both Of the men had good regulations
until the time Of the tragedy, but their
was brutal one. They we're tried
twice together with John R. Alexander,
father Of Emmett, who was convicted
with them, but granted a new trial,
which is now pending The first trial
resulted in hung jury. The second
trial was in May, 1911, and when the
sentence was passed Judge Jones re-
viewed the case in substance as follows:
There was picnic one mile west Of
Limbs on the 9th day Of August, 1910,
and sometime during the day large
crap game was in progress. Engaged
in the game was a young man named
Walter Simmons The Alexanders,
John RI, his son, Emmett, and his
brother, will Ed, we're looking for a.
friend named staley. Staley was found
playing the crap game with Simmons
and Simmons had won 81. so Of Staley'
money. Staley made some remark tol
the effect that he did not want to leave
the money. whereupon Simmons re-
marked to the Alexanders, What have
You big got to do with
itS This led to a cross fire Of words,
something being said between Will Ed
and Emmett about an automatic. Then
Simmons spoke about going after
pistol and left the game. He did not
90 far, but mounted horse and rode
back toward the grounds. The Alex
anders had stopped at a surrey on the
grounds near by and, seeing Simmons
riding up, John r. went up to him and
look hold OF the bride reins. Simmons
wheeled his horse and John r. fell. In
be meantime Emmett approached and
Simmons with knife. Will
Ed was close by and told Emmett TO
tab him hard Emmett stabbed him
gain and Simmons fell to the ground.
after the wounded man had fallen,
viii Ed took hold Of his head and
burned il against the ground, claiming
bat Simmons was sulling. John r.
Eas still close BY, and, whether or not
Ie was guilty oi conspiracy, il was not !
hown, but he took no active part in /
he killing. After Simmons was killed |
e told the crowd to stand back in order /
erhaps to protect his son, Emmett. !
friends Of the wounded man came and :
BOX him to q buggy and started home, !,
nd Simmons expired on the way. 1t
'as shown that witnesses saw no pistol
d the body and none was seen during
ae killing. Witnesses testified that be
ad no pistol when he was killed.
THIRD MAN FOR GALLONS. q
Stanley Means, youth Of 20 years, q
ho killed J. r. Workman ID WeakIey i
ounts last May. was the third man to 9
) sentenced to the gaIiows. By ma
lrity opinion thecourt sentenced Means i
be hanged on July 16.