Dresden enterprise and Sharon tribune. (Dresden, Tenn.) 1907-1997, 1916-04-28
ALTERNATELY GUILTY
Of MANSLAUGHTER
Slayer Of Joe Ward Given Sentence Of Eight
Years in PeniteRday. Evidence in
The Case.

~
The case of the state of Ten,
nessee against BIS. Alternately,
charged with killing Joe Ward,
was taken up Thursday of last
week and concluded Saturday,
when the Jury returned a verdict
Of guilty of voluntary man
slaughter and recommended that
the defendant be confined in the
penitentiary for eight years.
The following gentlemen were
accepted as jurors to try the case;
S. s. Crittenden, B. B. Critten-
den, Sam Dudley, ]. G. Smith,
D. Winstead, A. M. Parham,
Horace Brummitt, W. ]. Weldon,
T. F. Wingo, ]. R. Johnson and
R. L. Head.
The state was represented by
Attorney General Morris and L.
E. Holiday, while the defendant
was represented by R. E. and
Seldom Maiden.
The undisputed facts of the case
appear to be: That, on October
18, 1915, Alternately went to the
residence of Joe Ward, who was
a tenant and living on Aber-
nathy's farm in the Twenty-sec-
ond district; that a difficulty en-
sued between them relative to the
stripping of a tobacco crop; that
Alternately stabbed Ward with a
pocket knife, as a result of which
Ward died in about thirty min
utes after the blow was given;
that the killing occurred at Wards
efome in the presence of his sons,
Monroe and Dewey, aged thirteen
and seventeen, respectively; and
that Alternately is a man sixty
eight years of age and Ward
about fftY-fve years Of age, and
the more muscular and power
full man physically.
The theory of the prosecution
was that Alternately was the
aggressor and killed Ward un-
lawfully, while the defendant en-
tered plea of not guilty, based
upon the theory Of self defense.
Monroe Ward and Dewry Ward
testified that some words passed
between Alternately and their
father, in which their father had
called Alternately a liar, and that
Alternately had struck their father
in the stomach, with his fist, and
that then their father took hold OF
a chair and that then Alternately
advanced and stabbed their father.
But the stenographer's report OF
the committing or preliminary
trial before the justice of the peace,
on Oct. 81, 1915, was introduced
to show that these boys testified
differently at that time, and that
they admitted after their fathers
death that Mr.. Ward was wrong
about the matter.
AberDathy's testimony was to
effect that Ward began the trouble,
called him a liar, struck first blows
by striking Alternately in the face
with fist, then reached for a chair,
and that as Ward was raising it to
strike, then he (Abernathy) stab
bed him in order to save himself.
Alternately commended that be went
to Wards residence upon a peace
full mission about a matter of bust
ness and that he was not expect
ing any trouble, and that he was
insulted by Ward, and then at
tackled and put in danger and fear
Of great bodily harm and even in
fear Of death at the hands Of Ward |
The proof showed that no trouble
of any kind had ever existed be-
tween the two men prior to the
tine of the killing except a few
,mSds of no consequence, and that
naty had been assisting Ward
Y III his work and furnishing him
provisions for his living. And the
proof showed that A bernathy help
ed to administer to Ward after he
was fatally wounded,
Motion has been made for new
trial, which is being argued before
Judge Jones Thursday.