The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1919-06-25
Jury Finds Sam Greer's Slayer Guilty
of Murder in the First Degree
To be Elechocuted Aug. 22---Pathetic
Scene as Sentence is Pronounced
FIRST DEATH SENTENCE HERE in 50 YEARS

Worth White, who shot and killet
Sam Greer at the home of the latte
near Alnwick on March II, wa:
sentenced to be electrocuted by Judge
S. C. Brown in the circuit court here
Monday afternoon. None of the
members of the local bar, nor the
sheriff, have any recollection wher
the death sentence was last given in
Blount county. At least it is thought
this is the first time in fifty years.
White had been negotiating with
Greer for the farm of the latter near
Alnwick a few miles from Maryville,
for which it is stated White agreed tC
pay $4,000. According to Sam
Headrick and X. M. Grant, who were
witnesses, White claimed to have paid
cash which he said he carried with
him in a sock. However, there was
on the body of Greer check for
$12,300, signed by an unknown party
drawn on Knoxville bank, which
the deceased had shown to James
Greer, Ulys James and others, and
which he stated had baeR gisea blhl
by White for the farm. 1t was stated
that Mr. Greer had planned to go to
Knoxville the day of the killing to
have the check cashed. That morn
ing White called at Mr.. Greer's home,
and they were walking over the farm.
When near a pig pen, White claimed,
in statements made to friends,
though he did not go onto the witness
stand, that he remarked to Mr.. Greer,
who was carrying gun, that he saw
a rabbit running by, and asked Mr..
Greer to shoot it. He said that Mr..
Greer asked that he take the gun and
shoot the rabbit. White claims that
when he took it he accidentally
stumbled and the gun discharged,
killing Mr.. Greer.
From the evidence adduced in the
case to the effect that White had
told friends he paid cash, and to the
effect that the check, which was
taken from Mr.. Greer's body and
which he told friends had been given
him for the farm by White, and there
being no account in the Knoxville
bank to the credit of the man whose
signature appeared on the check, it
appeared that White had tried to
come into the possession of the farm
fraudulently, and that in his effort,
to get possession of the check, he
played the accidental shooting game.
However he got back neither the
check nor the farm, but death sent
ence in the court.
The jury in the case returned
verdict of murder in the first degree
with mitigating circumstances. White
was put on trial Thursday and the
verdict was returned Friday after
noon. He was represented by T. N.
Brown of Maryville and E. B. Madi-
son, of Athens. Attorney General
Peace was assisted by Gamble, Craw-
ford & Goddard. Motion for new
trial in the case was argued Monday
afternoon before Judge Brown, and
was overruled by the court.
Motion Overruled
Judge Brown, in passing upon the
said that White was guilty of
murder in the first degree without
circumstances, or he was
guilty of nothing; that he had care
fully sought since Friday to find cir
of mitigation that would
reduce the penalty from the electric
chair to a life sentence in the
penitentiary, but had been unable to
do so from the proof. He said it
would have been a great relief to him
to have found that there were miti-
eating circumstances, but for him to
say that the same existed when there
were none, was to give utterance to
that he did not believe.
How could there be mitigating cir
in the killing, said he,
when the jury by their verdict had
found that Greer had been killed by
the defendant wilfully, maliciously,