Victim: Joe Ellis

Handwriting nearly illegible. Case notes by defense attorney seem to detail each witness indicating the weaknesses in their testimony.

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.

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.

Also indicted: Alice Rogers. Victim: William Ragland

Thomas Owens is charged with murdering William H. Williams. Owens allegedly stabbed Williams to death.

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.

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.

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.

Victim was John Bradshaw. Weapon was a knife. Murder occurred June 29, 1888.

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.

Victim: Robert Rushing

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.

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.

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.