The Newport plain talk. (Newport, Tenn.) 1909-1939, 1912-10-03
FIRST DEGREE
VERDICT GIVEN
First One For Cooke County
in Over a Quarter of
a Century.
NOTICE OF APPEAL GIVEN
After the Motions for a New
Trial Had Been Overruled,
Counsel for the Convicted Man
Served Notice of an Appeal to
the Supreme Court. But State
Has Little Fear of Outcome.

Andy }. Hixon, the aged slayer of
Jesse B. Huff was sentenced to death
Friday morning following the verdict
of the jury that they had found him
guilty of murder in the first degree.
This is the first death sentence which
has been administered in Cooke coun-
ty in quarter of century and Hixon
will be the first man from this county
who has been taken to Nashville to
hang.
A first degree verdict had been ex-
pected from the first for the circum-
stances were such that had it not been
for the age OF the slayer, there would
never have been any sympathy for
him.
Hixon made very poor witness for
himself, and if the evidence submitted
was the truth the deed was in cold
blood, and Judge Carlock in pronounc-
ing sentence said: This,in my opin-
ion was cold blooded murder with
out any warrent of provocation. This
is the most awful duty the court will
ever perform, and it is the judgement
of this court that the sheriff of Cooke
caunty take you in custody and de-
liver you TO the warden of the State
Penitentiary within reasonable time
prior to the first of November 1912 and
that OH November lst, 1912, that you
be hanged by the neck until you are
dead, dead, dead.
The defenseilnnediately scrvednotice
Of appeal and the ease will be brought
TO the attention of the court during
it's present session, but the prosecution
does mol have any fear of the court in.
tertering in the execution on the day
set forth.
The case went to irisi Tuesday, the
first day, however, being devotedto the
selection OF jury. The prosecution on
the second day introduced as witness
James Norton the man who accom-
panied Hufi at the time Of the killing
snd described the conversation which,
led up to the killing. The conversa.
,iQn merely showing that Huff had
asked Hixon who had been doing the
carpenter work Mt a little cabin which
had been in dispute, and that Hixor
had replied that he had. as he owned
the cabin, and Hixon then shot, bring
ing the revolver from the apron of hi,
overails. Hut threw up his hands
bringing them from his pockets a,
Hixon fired and he fell forward, dead
Other mountain man quickly gather
ed and the body was not molesicd un
Til the gathering OF the cOroner's jury
and then 1t was found that the only
weapon ON the dead man was very
small pen knife.
a Mrs. Law renee testified that sht
had been at the Hixon home wher
Huff and Norton went ul
the path to the little cabin anc
that Andy Hixon was up in the
woods, and that Mrs. HiXon went out
and went to Hixon, 1t was thetheoy
of the prosecution that Mrs. Hixor
had carried the revolver to the hus
band, but they were unable to brins
this out as HiNon denied on the stand
that this had been done, although il
was shown that he had told two per
sons immediativ after his trial that ht
had received The weapon from the
hands OF tie wife.
Joe Eilason, an emp!oye ofthe lat,
David Allen, who committed suicide
shortly after the arrest of Hixon
stated that hessw Hixon come to tht
Allen home immediately after The kill
ing aaa that Hixon brought the gun