Order Cases Online
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].
Use quotes for an exact search. ex. "J. W."
View Entry | Year | Case Name | County | Cause/Crime | Case Description | Division | Location | # Pages | Order |
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View Entry | 1889 | Barnards v. State | Hancock | Murder |
Incomplete case file. Victim: Henly Sutton. Folder contains a partial printed brief on the case. See also ET 1831, ET 1838. |
Middle | Range: 35 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 835 | 16 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1889 | Jim Turney & MacK Francis v. State | Wilson | Murder |
Judgment is affirmed in the Supreme Court of Errors and Appeals. Incomplete case file. |
Middle | Range: 35 Section: A Shelf: Box Number: 738 | 4 | 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 | 1889 | Joseph Griffith et al v. State | Scott | Murder, 1st degree |
This appeal case includes Maynard Griffith, plaintiff in error. The plaintiffs were charged for the murder of John Griffith |
East | Range: 19 Section: E Shelf: Box Number: 1799 | 82 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1889 | State v. W. M. Hobbs, et al. | Knox | Murder |
Handwriting nearly illegible. Case notes by defense attorney seem to detail each witness indicating the weaknesses in their testimony. |
East | Range: 5 Section: B Shelf: Box Number: 19a | 14 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1889 | State v. John Barnard Sr., Elisha Barnard, Anderson Barnard, John Barnard Jr., and Clint Barnard | Hancock | Murder, 1st degree |
Victim: Henly Sutton; Barnards shot and killed Sutton with pistols. See also ET 1831. |
East | Range: 19 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 1838 | 93 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1889 | State v. Parker Harris | Shelby | Murder |
Paker Harris is charged with the murder of his wife Leather Harris. She was found in the street with her throat cut. This case had extreme water damage and many pages are falling apart. |
West | Range: 83 Section: G Shelf: Box Number: 395 | 72 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1889 | State v. Honeycutt | Carter | Murder, 1st degree |
victim: Thomas Goodson; Honeycutt shot Goodson in the head and beat him |
East | Range: 19 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 1834 | 140 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1889 | State v. Lewis Gilbert and Western Gilbert | Hancock | Murder, 1st degree |
The State charged the defendants with the 1st degree murder of Anderson Green. The circuit court found them guilty of 2nd degree murder and sentenced them to ten years hard labor in the state penitentiary. |
East | Range: 19 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 1831 | 104 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1889 | State v. John Barnard, Clint Barnard, Elisha Barnard, & Anderson Barnard, et al. | Hancock | Murder, 1st degree |
The State charged John, John (there were two), Anderson, Clint, and Elisha Barnard, all with the alias "Barnett" with the shooting murder of Henry Sutton. The circuit court found them guilty and sentenced them all to death by hanging in July 1889. |
East | Range: 19 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 1831 | 167 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1889 | State v. Thomas Jefferson | Shelby | Murder |
Also indicted: Alice Rogers. Victim: William Ragland |
West | Range: 83 Section: J Shelf: Box Number: 440 | 110 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1889 | State v. J. W. Johnson | Blount | Murder |
Defendant charged with the 21 June 1889 murder of William Wood. |
East | Range: 19 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 1825 | 41 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1889 | State v. Thomas Owens | Claiborne | Murder |
Thomas Owens is charged with murdering William H. Williams. Owens allegedly stabbed Williams to death. |
East | Range: 19 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 1827 | 111 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1889 | State v. Eph Ruors et al. | Shelby | Murder |
Co-defendants are Wash McCowan and Sam Tilly. The charge is murder in the first degree. The defendants are accused of shooting and stabbing Martin Moore to death. Because of attendance issues with jury members, the first trial ends in a mistrial. In the second trial Sam Tilly is no longer listed as a defendant. |
West | Range: 82 Section: B Shelf: Box Number: 496 | 150 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1889 | State v. M. J. Riley | Obion | Murder |
Mrs. Riley is accused of killing her husband, Jack Riley, by shooting him in the head. Large sketch of house interior is glued to p. 28. |
West | Range: 82 Section: B Shelf: Box Number: 504 | 86 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1889 | State v. Harper Jordan | Montgomery | Murder |
Exhibit only. A hand-drawn map of blacksmith shop and surrounding area where John T. Nolen was murdered. This map was filed by . H. Marable as exhibit to his testimony. Allen McCullum was also accused of murdering Nolen. See case State v. Harper Jordan and Allen McCullum (MT 759). |
Middle | Range: 34 Section: C Shelf: Box Number: Oversize Box 11 | 2 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1889 | State v. Larkin Lancaster | Giles | Murder |
Lancaster charged with killing Jack Dixon, a 17 year old. Both the head and the legs were cut off. Legs and torso were put in sacks and found in a creek. The head was not found. A lot of emphasis placed on victim's clothing and scars to identify him. Dixon was African American. Court found Lancaster guilty and sentenced him to be hanged. Additional documents located in MT 897. |
Middle | Range: 35 Section: B Shelf: Box Number: 785 | 182 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1889 | State v. Jordan Stokes | DeKalb | Murder |
Stokes charged with murdering Thomas Benton Stokes. Jury found him guilty of murder in the second degree and sentenced him to 10 years in the penitentiary. |
Middle | Range: 35 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 829 | 205 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1889 | State v. John Terrell & Maxey Terrell | Stewart | Murder |
John & nephew Maxey charged w/killing William Russell w/knife after attending church; fight occurred near church. Smith family (esp Mollie Smith, who was romantically linked to Maxey, and Russell's comments about it) was central to dispute that culminated in the killing. Witnesses: D.D.P. Philips (coroner), Smith family (Mollie's dad Henry, brother James, uncle Dick), Tom Freeman (Maxey's cousin), W.A. Freeman (Tom's dad), many others. |
Middle | Range: 35 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 832 | 116 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1889 | State v. John W. Green | Putnam | Murder |
Victim: Ova Davis |
Middle | Range: 35 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 836 | 233 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1889 | State v. William Fine | Cocke | Murder, 1st degree |
Victim was John Bradshaw. Weapon was a knife. Murder occurred June 29, 1888. |
East | Range: 19 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 1837 | 69 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1889 | State v. Charlie Wirt | Fayette | Murder |
The victim's name in this case was Eva Hester. |
West | Range: 83 Section: J Shelf: Box Number: 432 | 52 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1889 | State v. Curren Byrd | Hawkins | Murder |
Deft. charged with 1st-degree murder in the 15 July 1888 shooting death of his brother, James Byrd. The victim was shot when he intervened on the behalf of witness Robert Quick, who the deft. threatened to kill after Quick begged him not to shoot another man (Woods) with whom the deft. had had a quarrel. Testimony suggested that the deft. was a violent & dangerous man, subject to fits of rage during which he was incapable of distinguishing right from wrong. |
East | Range: 19 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 1825 | 77 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1889 | State v. Jeb Nolan | Shelby | Murder |
Drawing of a house which includes the defendant's room. Victim: J. W. Sullivan |
West | Range: 82 Section: B Shelf: Box Number: 488 | 90 | 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 | 1889 | State v. Henry Nowell | Crockett | Murder | West | Range: 82 Section: C Shelf: Box Number: 523 | 145 | Order A Copy | |
View Entry | 1889 | State v. Richard Greene and Hampton Greene | Hancock | Murder |
The state charged that the defendants Richard, alias Dick and Hampton, alias Hamp, assaulted and battered James Jones with guns and pistols, killing and murdering him in 1888. |
East | Range: 19 Section: E Shelf: Box Number: 1798 | 69 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1889 | State v. Harper Jordan & Allen McCullum | Montgomery | Murder |
Harper Jordan, a 24 year old blacksmith, and McCullum charged for murdering John T. Nolen. A hand-drawn map of the blacksmith shop and surrounding area can be found in State v. Harper Jordan in MT OV 11. |
Middle | Range: 35 Section: B Shelf: Box Number: 759 | 120 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1889 | State v. J. T. Carr alias Tip Carr | Overton | Murder |
Tip Carr (and Joe Carr, originally) charged with stabbing and killing Nelson Ray with a knife. Jury found Carr not guilty of first degree murder but second degree murder and sentenced him to 15 years in penitentiary. 2 folders. |
Middle | Range: 35 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 833 | 295 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1889 | State v. Jesse Gupton | Cheatham | Murder |
Defendant is accused of stabbing Joe Nicholson to death during a fight at a Christmas party in the home of W. T. Hunter. Plaintiff is claiming self-defense. Also mentioned are Henry Frazier, Thomas Adkins, George Nicholson, and Allen Hunter. |
Middle | Range: 35 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 834 | 179 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1889 | State v. Henry Cotton | Davidson | Murder |
Defendant is accused of stabbing and killing Geo. Fite after he and Fite got into an argument regarding the language Cotton was using. As he was dying, Fite told his father that it was Cotton who stabbed him. |
Middle | Range: 35 Section: E Shelf: Box Number: 872 | 61 | Order A Copy |
View Entry | 1889 | Thomas Condor v. State | Obion | Murder |
Victim: Jack Riley |
West | Range: 82 Section: B Shelf: Box Number: 487 | 98 | Order A Copy |