The Newport plain talk. (Newport, Tenn.) 1909-1939, 1913-06-19
Case Involving the Murder
Story of A. J. Slagle
Heard.
THE DECISION SATURDAY
Judge Fl. N. Cate and w. D. Nc
Sween Argue Celebrated Case
Before Court Of Civil Appeals
History of a Tragedy Of More
Than Ordinary Note is Retold
in Effort to Recover Life
Insurance.


The court of civil appeals IN session
at Knoxville has before it the Spencer
Volunteer Life Insurance case which
was tried before Judge Coleman here
some months ago. The suit is an in
teresting one, made so because of the
underlying facts and suspicians in con-
nection with it, and it involves the
murder OF A. G. Slagle, who was
found in the river about Bridgeport,
and the subsec gest death Of John H..
Spencer, who was found headforemost
In rain Darrell at Jonesboro near the
home or the Sla giles, the morning. OF
the Siagle funeral.
The Insurance company contends
that Spencer committed suicide while
his widow and her attorneys claim
that HIS body was placed In the rain
barrel by some person other than the
deceased. The case was tried before
Judge Coleman who was sitting on
the bench instead of Judge McHcnder-
sen, and after an all day trial, 1.-THE
Judge very suddenly took the case
from the jury. and directed verdict
against the plaintiff and in favor OF
the insurance company. The jury was
polled Immediately after and it was
found that IL was overwhelmingly in
favor of verdict againstt the insurance
company.
The facts as set forth in the brief ii ~
ed before the. Court OF Appeals is as
follows:
During the week in August, 1909,
John III. Spencer asked one Andy
Slagle to go with him to secluded
spot not far from Bridgeport, where he
said he had found pot of gold. SIa.
gle was found killed, and the evil
dence, which was circumstancial, seems
to point toward the guilt of Spencer,
although he denied it. The brothers
Of the murdered man took charge Of
Spencer, for the alleged purpose of
protecting him. 1t was alleged they
had threatened Spencer.
Spencer said that he could prove he
was innocent and was placed in the
home of one n. f.. Gibson to sleep, be-
cause of the crowded condition at the
Slagle home. Two nephews of the
murdered man were assigned to sleep
with Spencer. Early in the, morning
Mr., Gibson was awakened by one OF
/, the Slagles, who said that the doors
were open and that he twas scared. y
A search revealed the body 6f Spencer
head first in an ordinary oil-barrel,
which was sitting against a post, tilled
with water. Over the top OF the bar
rel were two cleats nailed to the post
and extending about half way across
the top. The only unobstructed &C.
cess to the barrel was from the from,
side, opposite the post, that is toward
the back of of the barrel, with one leg
between the cleais, and the feet hang
ing in the direction OF the front side
of the barrel. Marks like those tina,
would be made by a rope were said tc
have been found on the side of The
neck.
The contention of the plaintiff in err
ror is that the presumption of both thu
law and the fact is against the theory
of suicide. She contends that the jury
was authorized to apply to the facts
detailed their knowledge of human
nature and bring in a verdict in In,
light of heir deductions. she contend.
that no jury would return verdicG o
suicide in view of the upusual position
i'm which the body OF heir husband wa,
found.
If the assignments of error are al
firmed and the decision of the lowe
court is reversed, Mrs. Spencer vii
proceed to prosecute her claim agains
the life Insurance company for the iul
amount OF the policy held by her de
ceased husband.