Blount County TN Archives News.....News Articles January 26, 1883
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MARYVILLE WATCHMAN January 26, 1883
Friday, January 26, 1883



Miss. Annie Lord left this morning for Florida, to attend the bedside of her

father, the Rev. C.B. Lord, who is lying at the point of death.



Ten Years In The Penitentiary---The trial of Robert Flannigan for the killing

of Thomas Nichols, his brother-in-law, in this county last year came off in

our Circuit Court this week and resulted in a verdict of guilty of man-

slaughter, and his sentence was fixed at ten years confinement in the State

penitentiary. The prisoner seemed well pleased with the verdict. He was ably

defended by Messrs. Cates and McTeer, of the Maryville bar. The State was

represented by Attorney General McConnell, assisted by Messrs. Brown and

Welcker. Following are the names of the jury: B.B. Steele, B.C. Taylor,

William Taynor, R.C. Duncan, Thomas Clark, J.C. Edmondson, J.L. Martin, D.K.

Parks, P.P. Miser, A.A. Coulter, D.B. Nelson and E.B. Young.



Mrs. Henry Hinton, daughter of William Hardin, died unexpectedly at her

residence near Miser’s Station, Monday last.



The sad intelligence reached us yesterday that Mr. Homer G. Meade, of

Louisville, died at his home Wednesday morning, and upon inquiry the report

proved only too true. He had been confined to his room for some time, but he

was not considered dangerously ill, and his death at the time was unexpected.

Mr. Meade was about 48 years of age.



We are pained to announce the death of Mr. R.H. Culton, one of our oldest and

most worthy citizens. He breathed his last at his home near Maryville, on

Friday last, the 19th inst., at the advanced age of 67 years. During his life

he was loved and respected by all who knew him, a devout Christian, and a

member of the Presbyterian Church, to which he was much attached. He was a

good man, and he has gone to his reward in a better land. He leaves a wife and

four children to mourn his loss.



Messrs. John Kerr, William Stafford and Joseph Walker were brought before the

bar of justice, charged with unlawfully carrying concealed weapons. Some of

them wanted to pay the cost “and say no more about it,” but Judge Hood and

Attorney-General McTeer didn’t just exactly think that way---that would not

satisfy the majesty of the law. Each of the three pistol “toters” met the same

sad fate--they were each fined $50 and cost and sentenced to ten days

imprisonment in the county jail. We hope this will be lesson to them.



Forty-six Years Ago---In the year 1837 a slave belonging to Mr. Cox, of

Louisville, this county, murdered in cold blood an old gentleman by the name

of Humes, who lived near Louisville. It was on a dark, rainy night in January

that the awful crime was enacted. The murderer crept close to the window,

armed with a shot-gun loaded with sixteen slugs. Mr. Humes sat playing a game

of “checkers” by the fireside with a Mr. Hackney, his wife sitting in the

corner knitting. He little thought that soon he would be a corpse, slain by

the hand of violence. The murderer pulled the trigger and sixteen leaden slugs

went crashing through the window and into Mr. Hume’s body. At the same instant

Mrs. Humes exclaimed: “What a loud report of thunder that was!” She had not

yet discovered that her husband sat dead in his chair, nor spoke a word after

the fatal shot was fired. The slave, Charlie Cox, was arrested soon after, on

suspicion. Humes owned Cox’s wife and the report had reached Cox’s ears that

she was cruelly treated at his hands. He had been heard to frequently remark

that he would “rather kill old Humes than to kill a bear.” Cox maintained his

innocence all through the trial. The evidence was entirely circumstantial, yet

Cox was found guilty and sentenced to be hanged. Still he said he was

innocent. The day of the execution arrived. Cox appeared careless and

indifferent to his fate. On the scaffold he was asked if he had any confession

to make. To the surprise of the officers, he said yes--that he “killed old

Humes and was proud of it.” With a terrible oath he cursed Humes, saying if he

had a thousand deaths to die he would sacrifice them every one to kill such a

man as he had murdered. He died with a curse on his lips against Humes and all

slave owners. This incident occurred forty-six years ago. Cox was the last man

hanged in Blount County. His executioner was the late Gen. William Wallace,

who was then the Sheriff of the county.



Is Justice A Mockery?---A gentleman from Monroe County informs us that the

jury in the famous Joe Boyd murder trial at Madisonville recently, after

“hanging” on the case for five days, failed to arrive at a verdict---rendering

a new trial necessary. According to the published facts in regard to the

affair, Joseph K. Boyd is surely a red-handed murderer. A few months ago he

invaded the home of his uncle, Thomas Boyd, at Sweetwater, and deliberately

shot him dead, without any provocation whatever. It is now stated that ten of

these jury-men were for acquitting this murderer, while two were for sending

him to the penitentiary for---one year! Comment is unnecessary.



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