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 | 1935 | Alvin Long v. State | Roane | Murder |
Long convicted for the first-degree murder of Bronce Rogers in March 1934. He was sentenced to 22 years in the penitentiary. Testimony: T. E. Goodwin, Harry Carter, Lige Tedder, Joe Seward, Morgan & Claude Crabtree, Grover McLean, Leonard Newcomb, Lee Knox, and surnames Polston, Easter, Teasley, Ragle, Davis, Hinds, Miller, Harding, Beard, Sortin, Turner, Long, Walker, East, Poor, Green, Long, Hamby, and Jarvis. 2 folders. |
East | Range: 8 Section: B Shelf: Box Number: 821 | 196 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1936 | Fred Young v. State | Roane | Murder |
Murder of Jim Hamilton. |
East | Range: 8 Section: H Shelf: Box Number: 980 | 142 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1929 | John Jones, Oliver Stevenson, and Rufus Witherspoon v. State | Roane | Murder | East | Range: 5 Section: B Shelf: Box Number: 16 | 0 | Order A Copy | |
| View Entry | 1902 | Jack Baily, et al. v. State | Roane | Murder |
Additional Plaintiffs: Arthur Bailey. Victim: Lucinda Bailey. Additional parties: George Roberts, John McNew, Bill Bailey, James Hassler, John Brock, Katie Elmore. Incomplete case file. |
East | Range: 5 Section: A Shelf: Box Number: 6 | 6 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1941 | Jess Clark v. State | Roane | Murder |
Murder in the First Degree. Victim: Lella Clark. |
East | Range: 5 Section: E Shelf: Box Number: 109 | 166 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1902 | Jack Baily v. State | Roane | Conspiracy to Commit Murder |
Plaintiff is appealing the charge that he hired a "negro boy" to murder his wife. |
East | Range: 5 Section: C Shelf: Box Number: 30 | 12 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1929 | John Jones, Oliver Stevenson, & Rufus Witherspoon v. State | Roane | Murder |
Jones is appealing the charge of Murder in the 1st Degree without Mitigating Circumstances. Stevenson and Witherspoon are appealing the charge of Murder in the 1st Degree with Mitigating Circumstances. Case file is incomplete; opinion only. |
East | Range: 5 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 80 | 6 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | Jack Bailey v. State | Roane | Murder |
Jack & Arthur Bailey were indicted for murdering Lucinda Bailey, Jack's wife. ____ bludgeoned Lucinda and she died later that night. Jack & Lucinda's 8 year old son Bill witnessed the act. Jack wanted his wife killed so he could take possession of her Jack & Arthur Bailey were indicted for murdering Lucinda Bailey, Jack's wife. ____ bludgeoned Lucinda and she died later that night. Jack & Lucinda's 8 year old son Bill witnessed the act. Jack wanted his wife killed so he could take possession of her |
East | Range: 5 Section: A Shelf: Box Number: 6 | 6 | Order A Copy | |
| View Entry | 1933 | Lee Taylor v. State | Roane | Murder |
Plaintiff in error is accused of murdering Jess Moore with a shotgun in his home. It is alleged that Moore owed money to the plaintiff for whiskey. Brothers Paul and Alma Jones, sons of Wiley Jones, were also in the home when the murder occurred. It is alleged that the brothers were enticed by the defense to testify that the shooting was in self-defense. |
East | Range: 10 Section: H Shelf: Box Number: 1530 | 153 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1940 | Mrs. Hazel Loden v. State | Roane | Murder |
"Hit and run." Victim: Alvin Lee Presley. |
East | Range: 5 Section: E Shelf: Box Number: 111 | 186 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1932 | Roy Bunch v. State | Roane | Murder |
The defendant is accused of killing Oma Duncan. Duncan was shot on a hunting trip with five other men. They were hunting on land belonging to Johnnie Patterson. Members of the hunting party has been drinking and Duncan and Patterson were said to be fighting with the defendant. |
East | Range: 5 Section: G Shelf: Box Number: 173 | 179 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1931 | Roy Chitwood v. State | Roane | Murder |
Shooting Victim: Annie Grace Gilliland. 2 folders |
East | Range: 5 Section: G Shelf: Box Number: 173 | 516 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1931 | Roy Chitwood v. State | Roane | Murder |
Victim: Anna Grace Gilliland. Killed by electrocution. |
East | Range: 8 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 862 | 20 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1891 | Sam Ellis v. State | Roane | Murder |
Ellis was convicted of killing Mollie Scott alias Mollie Reed. Ellis found that a few members of the jury had decided he was guilty before the trial, and petitioned for a new trial. Mollie Scott was found dead with a knife in her hand in a pine thicket. |
East | Range: 5 Section: B Shelf: Box Number: 18a | 18 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1903 | State v. Joe Wright | Roane | Murder |
Incomplete case; brief only. Adams asked Wright to alleviate some of the weight on his wagon by carrying a 300 lb barrel of coal oil on his wagon. Wright did so, then the two disagreed about what the job was worth. Adams started to pull a knife on Wright, and Wright cut Adams, who died a few moments later. |
East | Range: 5 Section: A Shelf: Box Number: 6 | 12 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1938 | Sim Wakefield v. State | Roane | Murder |
Shooting. Victim: Sampson Wolfe. |
East | Range: 5 Section: E Shelf: Box Number: 113 | 248 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1834 | State v. Dillard Collins | Roane | Murder |
Victim: John Whitton. |
East | Range: 7 Section: G Shelf: Box Number: 696 | 22 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1886 | State v. William Potter | Roane | Murder |
The State charged Potter with the shooting death of William Walls. |
East | Range: 19 Section: B Shelf: Box Number: 1878 | 91 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | State v. R. F. Saylor | Roane | Murder |
Victim: Willard Goldston. Exhibits include hand-drawn terrain map. |
East | Range: 6 Section: F Shelf: Box Number: 380 | 439 | Order A Copy | |
| View Entry | 1866 | State v. John Hicks | Roane | Murder |
The defendant was found guilty and was sentenced to twenty years in the state penitentiary, rendered infamous and ordered to pay the costs of the prosecution. Sheriff ordered to bring two guards to escort defendant to jail. Judgment only. Case is incomplete. |
East | Range: 9 Section: C Shelf: Box Number: 1120 | 2 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1926 | State v. Walter Newport& Oscar Clark | Roane | Murder |
Exhibit Materials: three photos of farm where murder took place, one photo of whiskey still. Verdict affirmed as to Walter Newport and reversed and remanded as to Oscar Clark. |
East | Range: 6 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 338 | 474 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1824 | State v. Joseph Silva | Roane | Murder |
Victim: James Ford. Prosecutor: Benjamin Ford. Also mentioned in the stabbing death of James Ford was Brakston Silva. |
East | Range: 7 Section: G Shelf: Box Number: 688 | 61 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1885 | State v. Jack Taylor, et al. | Roane | Murder |
Additional Defendants: Robert Lively, Calvin McGhee. Victim: Henry Chiles. |
Middle | Range: 34 Section: B Shelf: Box Number: 593 | 11 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1938 | State v. Gus Adams | Roane | Murder |
Incident of 26 March 1937, defendant "unlawfully, willfully, maliciously shoot and kill Henry Eugene Fairchilds with a shot gun." Fairchilds had been the son-in-law of the defendant Adams. |
East | Range: 9 Section: H Shelf: Box Number: 1256 | 151 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1931 | State v. Abe Lawson & Jimmie Dalton | Roane | Murder |
Lawson & Dalton convicted of 1st degree murder of Kate Jett, 58, at her home in isolated part of county on Christmas Eve, w/axe & knife, for purpose of robbery, in afternoon while husband Rassie was away working. That night, Kate planned to meet Rassie at Christmas celebration at Jonesville Church in neighboring village Lawnville. Dalton & Lawson (who had come by Jett house on occasion to buy produce) each accused other of the crime. Sentence: Lawson-death by electrocution; Dalton-21 yrs in penitentiary. |
East | Range: 10 Section: A Shelf: Box Number: 1313 | 181 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1931 | State v. Albert Drake (col.) | Roane | Murder |
Fight btwn Albert, 22, & Archie Cannon (who had knife) over Archie's interaction w/Rachel D'Armond outside Jackson's Café (colored café in Harriman) culminated in Albert shooting Archie, who died in hospital. Witnesses: Archie's dad John, sister Minnie. Jury convicted Albert of 2nd degree murder, sentenced him to 10 yrs in penitentiary, affirmed on appeal w/recommendation to governor (in light of his youth) that it be reduced to voluntary manslaughter. |
East | Range: 10 Section: A Shelf: Box Number: 1311 | 108 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1877 | State v. Jack Brown | Roane | Murder |
The defendant committed felonious assault on his son, Sam with a gun or pistol in the back of the head. He did so with malice and aforethought against the dignity of the state. |
East | Range: 19 Section: J Shelf: Box Number: 1662 | 56 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1939 | Ted Pemberton v. State | Roane | Murder | East | Range: 5 Section: F Shelf: Box Number: 134 | 279 | Order A Copy | |
| View Entry | 1860 | William Brownlow Wright v. State | Roane | Murder |
Eliza Wright, sister of William, had an intimate relationship with the victim, William Pittman. Wm Wright had gone squirrel hunting on Christmas day, finding Wm Pittman at his house when he returned. He threatened Pittman, & they went outside where Wright threw a rock at Pittman, hitting him above the eye. He died days later. |
East | Range: 5 Section: A Shelf: Box Number: 9 | 20 | Order A Copy |