Tennessee Supreme Court Cases
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The files located in the Tennessee Supreme Court Cases represent an especially valuable resource for historical and genealogical research at the Tennessee State Library and Archives [TSLA].
Tennessee Supreme Court Cases
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| View Entry | Year | Case Name | County | Cause/Crime | Case Description | Division | Location | # Pages | Order |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Entry | 1905 | B. S. Aden v. State | Henry | Murder |
Victim: Jack Hancock |
West | Range: 80 Section: A Shelf: Box Number: 1017 | 162 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1913 | Bob Green v. State | Henry | Murder |
Victim: Green Todd |
West | Range: 79 Section: A Shelf: Box Number: 1308 | 104 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1918 | Carl Travis v. State | Henry | Murder |
Victim: James Travis; weapon: gun; plaintiff in error case |
West | Range: 79 Section: F Shelf: Box Number: 1509 | 88 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1889 | John Hannah v. State | Henry | Murder |
Victim: Joe Ellis |
West | Range: 82 Section: B Shelf: Box Number: 490 | 116 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1911 | Nelson Ward v. State | Henry | Murder |
For 1st degree murder of Jim Davis. |
West | Range: 80 Section: H Shelf: Box Number: 1249 | 44 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1874 | State v. John C. Pitts | Henry | Murder |
Additional Parties: Andrew Ridgeway |
West | Range: 84 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 46 | 120 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1885 | State v. John Mathis | Henry | Murder |
Victim: L. Mathis |
West | Range: 83 Section: C Shelf: Box Number: 271 | 59 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1885 | State v. F. H. Campbell | Henry | Murder |
Victim: Frank E. Williams |
West | Range: 83 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 288 | 82 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1886 | State v. Marion Brockwell | Henry | Murder |
Defendant stabbed Eli Allen to death. Brockwell sentenced to a life of hard labor. |
West | Range: 83 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 303 | 47 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1921 | State v. John Matthews | Henry | Murder |
For murder of Almus Moore. Case in 2 folders. |
West | Range: 81 Section: G Shelf: Box Number: 925 | 318 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1920 | State v. John Matthews | Henry | Murder |
The defendant was charged with murder in the first degree for the death of Almus Moore. After a traffic incident between the two men, the deceased reportedly threatened the defendant, who shot him. |
West | Range: 80 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 1127 | 31 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1912 | State v. Isaiah Webb | Henry | Murder |
The victim's name in this case was Tom Travis. |
West | Range: 80 Section: H Shelf: Box Number: 1259 | 16 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1931 | State v. Virgil McClain | Henry | Murder |
Dfnt. was accused of shooting and killing Hurley Randle. Both dfnt. and decedent are noted to be "colored" in the testimony, but not in the title. Randle was killed at Birdie Love's home in the witness of Birdie and General Ray ("col.") Birdie noted that Hurley was Virgil's father-in-law, and there was some unknown difficulty between the two men. There was a scuffle in which Hurley forced Virgil to shoot toward the ceiling, but eventually lost the scuffle and was shot. |
West | Range: 77 Section: G Shelf: Box Number: 2085 | 40 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1926 | State v. Mib Pittman | Henry | Murder, 1st degree |
Pittman is also listed as Pitman through the case file. Pitman was accused of being an accomplice of Guy Gray in the murder of Lester Orr. This case was originally a joint murder case against Guy Gray and Pittman, but Pittman was tried separately. State v. Guy Gray is in WT1814 (78-G-5). Housed in 2 folders. |
West | Range: 78 Section: J Shelf: Box Number: 1852 | 292 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1880 | State v. Raleigh Wright | Henry | Murder |
The defendant was accused of killing James Wyrick in Paris, Tennessee. |
West | Range: 84 Section: G Shelf: Box Number: 149 | 0 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1883 | State v. George McChristian, et al. | Henry | Murder |
Defendants: Ad Sevor, Clay Jackson. Victim: Stubbfield. Additional parties: Sidney Bridges, Oke McGehee, Ewing Haley, Ike Oliver, |
West | Range: 83 Section: B Shelf: Box Number: 219 | 110 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1884 | State v. Shin Forrest | Henry | Murder |
The defendant was accused of shooting David Cruise and Jane Forrest. |
West | Range: 83 Section: C Shelf: Box Number: 251 | 56 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1884 | State v. Ike Tharpe & Lige Tharpe | Henry | Murder |
The Thorpes was accused of killing a man named John Jones. |
West | Range: 83 Section: C Shelf: Box Number: 251 | 58 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1883 | State v. Sherri Forest | Henry | Murder |
Victim: David Cruise |
West | Range: 83 Section: C Shelf: Box Number: 264 | 8 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1885 | State v. Dink Wynns | Henry | Murder |
Wynns is accused of striking Ed Elliott with "a hoe or shovel," inflicting "a mortal wound of the length of five inches of which wound he died." |
West | Range: 83 Section: C Shelf: Box Number: 271 | 35 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1933 | State v. Ira Morgan | Henry | Murder, 2nd degree |
Though not listed on the cover, Sid Curd and John Curd were initially charged with Morgan for murdering R. R. Reynolds in the 2nd degree. Dfnts. called Reynolds from his porch to their car, got him on the running board, and took off recklessly. Hitting a fence and ditch after a sharp turn, dfnts. dropped a limp Reynolds from the car. |
West | Range: 77 Section: J Shelf: Box Number: 2120 | 162 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1889 | State v. William Swain | Henry | Murder |
Victim: Robert Rushing |
West | Range: 82 Section: A Shelf: Box Number: 483 | 114 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1919 | State v John Matthews | Henry | Murder |
Significant discussion concerning defendant's safety and potential mob presence at trial. Name of victim: Almus Moore |
West | Range: 78 Section: A Shelf: Box Number: 1613 | 334 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1919 | State v. Will Vandyck | Henry | Murder |
Defendant is a colored man with only one usable arm, the other being paralyzed. Victim: Isaiah Martin, also a colored man. Issue over a quarrel from a craps game. |
West | Range: 78 Section: A Shelf: Box Number: 1615 | 193 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1926 | State v. Cloys Martin | Henry | Murder |
plaintiff in error case; shot and killed Tom Evans in the first degree; Evans belonged to a band who assumed to assist the revenue officers in the enforcement of the law. |
West | Range: 78 Section: J Shelf: Box Number: 1879 | 302 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1931 | W. I. Gregory v. State | Henry | Murder, 1st degree |
3 folders. Gregory was charged with murdering Hurdle Sherden in April 1930. |
West | Range: 77 Section: F Shelf: Box Number: 2039 | 447 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1867 | W. F. Diggs | Henry | Murder |
Incomplete case. Telegram from H. J. P. Dunlap concerning the requisition of W. F. Diggs indicted for murder in Callway county. Dunlap states that it is dangerous to keep Diggs in Huntingdon. |
West | Range: 79 Section: F Shelf: Box Number: 1505 | 1 | Order A Copy |