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 | 1892 | Beauregard De Foor v. State | Hamilton | Murder |
De Foor was tried for murdering Joe Williams in 1888. Transcript contains colorful testimony. Witness said that she and Williams were furnishing music for a lawn party given at a private home. Near midnight, defendant remarked that there was his cousin dancing with "Big Sis," a reference to Joe's wife. This offended Mrs. Williams, so she sought and received an apology; Joe asked likewise. Shortly, a gunfight and chase ensued, ending in Joe's death. Hand-drawn map shows key locations on street & alley. |
East | Range: 19 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 1824 | 68 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1892 | Beauregard De Foor v. State | Hamilton | Murder |
De Foor was tried for murdering Joe Williams in 1888. Transcript contains colorful testimony. Witness said that she and Williams were furnishing music for a lawn party given at a private home. Near midnight, defendant remarked that there was his cousin dancing with "Big Sis," a reference to Joe's wife. This offended Mrs. Williams, so she sought and received an apology; Joe asked likewise. Shortly, a gunfight and chase ensued, ending in Joe's death. Hand-drawn map shows key locations on street & alley. |
East | Range: 19 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 1824 | 68 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1892 | Belle Underwood v. State | Blount | Murder |
Plaintiff was charged with murder of her infant child. She had just given birth and tried to kill the child. |
East | Range: 19 Section: G Shelf: Box Number: 1731 | 44 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1892 | Moses Clance v. State | Hancock | Murder |
Plaintiff was on trail for the murder Ida Mathes with a pistol. |
East | Range: 19 Section: H Shelf: Box Number: 1699 | 58 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1892 | N. B. Ledgerwood, In Error v. State | Knox | Murder |
Defendants: N. B. Ledgerwood, James Ledgerwood, & William Ledgerwood. Incident of 14 Aug. 1891, "an assault did make upon the body of John Moran with certain deadly weapons to wit: a pistol and a beer glass, which they then and there … inflict upon the body of the said John Moran, a mortal wound, or wounds, from the effect of which he the said John Moran shortly thereafter died." |
East | Range: 19 Section: G Shelf: Box Number: 1730 | 147 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1892 | Robert Slaughter v. State | Claiborne | Murder, 1st degree |
Victim was Clinton R. Jones. |
East | Range: 19 Section: G Shelf: Box Number: 1741 | 7 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1892 | State v. Clay Mason | Tipton | Murder | West | Range: 83 Section: F Shelf: Box Number: 341 | 109 | Order A Copy | |
| View Entry | 1892 | State v. Frank Simpson | Hardin | Murder | West | Range: 83 Section: F Shelf: Box Number: 357 | 118 | Order A Copy | |
| View Entry | 1892 | State v. Horace Cross | Shelby | Attempted Murder |
The defendant was accused of shooting Joe Moore, a blacksmith from Arlington (Shelby County), Tennessee. |
West | Range: 83 Section: F Shelf: Box Number: 350 | 32 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1892 | State v. Henry Furnish | Shelby | Attempted Murder |
Henry Furnish shot and attempted to kill Martha Simmett. |
West | Range: 83 Section: G Shelf: Box Number: 371 | 30 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1892 | State v. Henry Clay King | Shelby | Murder |
Consists of 5 volumes. Volumes 1 & 2 are in Box 375; Volumes 3, 4, & 5 are in Box 376. Defendant charged with murder of D. H. (David Hammill) Poston on March 10, 1891. Poston was the attorney of King's former lover, Maria Eliza Dickson Pillow, widow of Gen. Gideon Pillow, for whom he had abandoned his wife and family. King had sued Pillow to recover property he thought she had stolen by secretly registering deeds for property he had put in her name. See WT 376. |
West | Range: 83 Section: G Shelf: Box Number: 375 | 2 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1892 | State v. James Wright | Hancock | Murder |
Brief by the defendant's attorney in a case of murder. The victim's last name was Owens, who was shot with a pistol. See additional pages in ET 1700 |
East | Range: 8 Section: B Shelf: Box Number: 817 | 93 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1892 | State v. Henry Charleston | Davidson | Murder |
The defendant is accused of murdering Sam Pennington. Pennington was riding his horse on Brick Church Pike when he stopped to talk to two women in the road. After Pennington announced that he had been drinking, Charleston pulled him from his horse and the two began fighting. Pennington was killed after his head was struck with a rock. Exhibit materials include a diagram of the crime scene including Brick Church Pike, and surrounding homes. |
Middle | Range: 36 Section: A Shelf: Box Number: 915 | 93 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1892 | State v. Ras Thurmond | Lauderdale | Murder | West | Range: 83 Section: F Shelf: Box Number: 339 | 100 | Order A Copy | |
| View Entry | 1892 | State v. John Haynes | Weakley | Murder |
Victim: Mollie Oldham. |
West | Range: 83 Section: F Shelf: Box Number: 344 | 40 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1892 | State v. George Duke | Coffee | Murder |
The defendant was accused of murdering Bud Elliot and Benton Messick with a pistol. On the evening of the shooting the three men, along with several others, were drinking and wrestling by a haystack near Duke's home. Near the end of the evening Duke told Messick that he owed him money and invited Messick and Elliot back to his home to review the books. Once inside Duke's home Messick and Duke began arguing. Elliot tried to intervene but was shot. Messick was then shot. |
Middle | Range: 36 Section: B Shelf: Box Number: 951 | 621 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1892 | State v. Asa Jones | Hancock | Murder, 1st degree |
Asa & Tip Jones, Lewis Gilbert (alias Moore), Western Gilbert (alias Moore), James Trent, (alias Prath?), George Cobb, William Connor, Samuel Burton & Henry Farrell charged with 1st degree murder in the 2 June 1888 shooting death of Anderson Greene. |
East | Range: 19 Section: G Shelf: Box Number: 1725 | 73 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1892 | State v. Sam Phillips | Hickman | Murder |
The defendant was accused of shooting and murdering Wade Satterfield during an outdoor dance. During the evening the two men began to argue and were held back and separated by witnesses. At some point the defendant fired his pistol but did not hit anyone. Seeing this, the def. threw a rock or "soda pop," bottle towards the defendant who then fired two shots at the deceased. The def. claims that he believed his life to be in danger and only fired his weapon in self-defense. Add. documents located in MT 960. |
Middle | Range: 36 Section: B Shelf: Box Number: 951 | 109 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1892 | State v. Bud Johnson | DeKalb | Murder |
The defendant is accused of murdering Susan Bullard, 42 years old. Bullard's body was found in a shallow grave with a bullet hole near the collar bone. The defendant and Bullard had been in a previous altercation that resulted in the prosecution of the defendant for assault. According to witness testimony, the defendant had spoken about killing Bullard on several occasions before her death. Bullard never married but had one son described as an "idiot." 2 folders. Additional pages in box MT 998 |
Middle | Range: 35 Section: F Shelf: Box Number: 911 | 501 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1892 | Thom Hill, alias Thom Grass v. State | Union | Murder, 1st degree |
For shooting & killing John Weaver. |
East | Range: 19 Section: G Shelf: Box Number: 1743 | 35 | Order A Copy |