Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1919-05-21

WlSEMAN GUILTY OF KILLING tennessee.
Dr. Tennessee Fatally Shot to Death at Glen
Alpine on Night Of January 31st, 1918.

der in the first degree was the
verdict of the jury in the case OF
Aaron Wiseman of Avery coun-
ty, tried here for. the murder OF
Dr. R H Henuessee. at Glen Al.
pine on the night of January 81.
1918, Wiseman received the yer
dict with slight emotion. The
jury was out an hour and 10 min
utes.
With no signs of f1iuching,
Aaron Wiseman heard his-3death
sentence pronounced at $3.50 this
afternoon by Judge B F Long.
Notice of appeal was given BY
defendants counsel. June Goth
is the date set for the electrocu-
cution.
A singular thing in connection
with the Tennessee aud Pitts af-
fair is that when DR. Tennessee
was tried six years ago for kill
ing a Pitts, one Of his children
died. When the Pitts boys were
being tried their grandmother
died, and the day Wiseman was
arrested his father died. 9
The killing of Dr. Tennessee
occurred on the evening of Janu-
airy 81, 1918, as the doctor STEP
ped from the train No. 2l at
Glen Alpine. DR. Tennessee had
been to Greensboro On profession
al business. leaving the city for
his home on the midday train.
When the train reached Glen Al.
pine DR. Tennessee alighted. He
had gone but a few steps from
the train when their was a fusil-
ade of shots and he fell mortally
wounded. An examination of
the body showed that some 10 or
II shots had taken effect. This
led to the assumption that two
men did the shooting. The
following day Garfield and Aaron
Pitts were arrested charged with
the murder. They were tried for
the crime and acquitted. At the
trial of the Pitts boys there was
evidence that man wearing a
long coat did the shooting.
Subsequently Aaron Wiseman
was arrested for the crime at a
preliminary hearing held for the
grand jury. A true bill was re-
turned against him and the case
set for trial at Morganton. When
it came on for trial a motion to
remove to some other county was
made and the presiding Judge
ordered that the case be tried in
Cleveland county.
In the trial here the state re-
lied principally on the testimony
Of Fred Amos and Mr. Ramsey of
Statesville, Amos and Ramsey
were both passengers on the
train. They swore that when the
shooting started they looked
through the coach windows and
saw one man with a revolver in
each haud shoot DR. Tennessee.
They identified Wiseman as the
man who did the shooting. Amos
who didn't testify at the trial of
the Pitts boys, said that the rea-
son he failed to make it kn
that Wiseman was respons
for the death of Tennessee ia
because he was going to Chic IN
and did not want to be held
witness. A>
I he killing of DR. Henne. j
more than year ago create A~'
great deal of excitement in Blu OF
county. Suspicion was dire4er,
at once to the Pitts boys by rres
son of the battle between -
Pittses and DR. Tennessee soeo
six or seven years ago when :
Pitts was killed by DR. Heuness =.
At that time DR. Tennessee v
terribly wounded and for a ii ~
1t was thought that he wo ~
die. However, he recovered dO
was brought to trial and aeqse
ted on the charge of murder. T
bad feelings existed between
IP1ttSeS and HenneSsea WAS &c