The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1919-07-01
Lee and Dixon Face
Charge of Murder In
Blountville Court
jury Is Selected For Trial of
Kingsport Police Officers
Father of Boy Testifes For
State.

BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn, July l.
William Lee and Sam Dixon, charged
with murder in the first degree for
the alleged killing of Jack Bridwell
near Kingsport, Tenn, March 9, were
brought to trial before an adjourned
session of the Sullivan county circuit
court which was convened at Blount-
Vile, Tenn, yesterday The greater
part of the day was consumed yester-
day. in securing jury, number OF
men being challenged before the IL
Jurors were finally selected. The
firts eviednce in the case was intro
duced about three o'clock, and the
testimony of three witnesses for the
state was heard by the court.
The first witness ooffer testimony
in the case was George Bridwell, ia
ther of Jack Bridwell. Mr.. Bridwell
testified that on the afternoon OF the
day of the shooting he went IN his
buggy to Way Cross, a distance OF
from six to eight miles from Kings
port, where he met his son. The SUIT
cases said to have contained whlskey,
were put in the buggy and the two
men started back to Kingsport. Az q
bridge over the Holston river, called
the Rotherwood bridge, distance OF
a little over a mile from Kingsport'
Bridwell claimed that the buggy was
halted by a man who requested per-
mission to ride up town. 1t was now
dark, according to the testimony, and
Birdwell was unable to distinguish
who the man was. He learned later,
he said, that the man was Lee.
"But | see you are loaded" are the
words said to have been used by the
man after having made his request.
They Cross Bridge.
After having crossed the bridge, ac'
cording to Brdwell's testimony, an
+ other man stepped out in front of th'
horse and flashed a light in the faces
of the occupants of me buggy. Jacl
c Birdwell it is said, drew his revolver
o an dtold the man to get out of tn
road. Then, according to Brldwell
testimony, several shots were fired
G Bridwell testified that he himself tlre
three shots, but not until after hi
- how had been shot and the horse ha
h trotted a short distance on up tn
g road.
o. They had gone a distance of sewers
o hundred yards before the boy fell OF
!. of the buggy, according to the test
mony of the father, and the officer
following, picked the victim OF TT
n shooting up in their automobile ar
N carried him on into town. This WI
ID perhaps ten o'clock in the night.
The next witness to testify for tt
state was f. A. Haney, who lives ne
the scene of the shooting. Ham
claimed to have heard young Bridw'
- crv out and to have heard the faith
y saving, "You've shot my boy, YOU
shot my boy. Haney, according
en- his own testimony, did not go do'
,f- to the scene of the shooting.
ID The evidence for the day was co
m pleted with the testimony of M
les Pearl Dixon, who testified that
ior was at the home of Lee the day af'
he the shooting. She claimed that
in saw the guns with which'the shoou
lay had ben done lying on the man
at there,
,ad Members of Police Force.
Lee and Dixon were, at the time
list the shooting, members of the KIN
ed. port police force, and are suppo
on to have purposed searching the buf
ely for whiskey when the shooting occ
red. Young Bridwell, at the time
his death, had been returned II
service overseas but short time.
is expected that the case will go
L. the jury by tomorrow night.
w The officers are represented in
,er- case by Judge Dana Harmon, At
,as- ney f. K. Bachman, and the Firms
mo- Dodson and Ferguson and Bandy
ear Herndon. Attorney General 0,
Lovette is assisted by Judge Thad
su- Cox, Attorneys Homer Smith, J
f. Blevins, Ben Taylor, Joe Caldv