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 | 1922 | State v. John McGlothlin | Davidson | Assault with Intent to Kill |
Victim: Joe Mays. Witnesses included Frances May (wife of Joe Mays) and Ever Berry, a sister-in-law of the victim. |
Middle | Range: 21 Section: H Shelf: Box Number: 160 | 0 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1881 | State v. Sam Wright | Smith | Assault with Intent to Kill |
A transcript of the record in the case of State v. Sam Wright, African American. |
Middle | Range: 21 Section: J Shelf: Box Number: 174 | 0 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1882 | State v. Morgan Pippin | Jackson | Assault with Intent to Kill | Middle | Range: 21 Section: J Shelf: Box Number: 174 | 0 | Order A Copy | |
| View Entry | 1921 | State v. Will McPeak | Wilson | Assault with Intent to Kill | Middle | Range: 21 Section: J Shelf: Box Number: 175 | 0 | Order A Copy | |
| View Entry | 1921 | State v. George Keeton | Wayne | Assault with Intent to Kill | Middle | Range: 21 Section: J Shelf: Box Number: 170 | 0 | Order A Copy | |
| View Entry | 1876 | State v. Gabe Hunter | Shelby | Assault with Intent to Kill |
Defendant's intended victim was Jess(?) Watkins. |
West | Range: 84 Section: E Shelf: Box Number: 71 | 0 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1877 | State v. Andy Goosby | Shelby | Assault with Intent to Kill |
Goosby is accused of firing a shotgun at Thomas Watson, who evidently survived, since his name is on the list of witnesses, along with Bettie Watson, Frank Falwell, Alf Turner, Isaac Harman, Mrs. Davis, and Lena Brown. |
West | Range: 84 Section: F Shelf: Box Number: 100 | 4 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1878 | State v. William Barton | Shelby | Assault with Intent to Kill |
Defendant had been charged with assaulting John McClellan on 18 March 1877, and found guilty of assault with intent to commit murder in the second degree. Nathan Barton named as William Barton's accomplice in attack on McClellan. |
West | Range: 84 Section: F Shelf: Box Number: 110 | 0 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1879 | State v. Willis Goodrich | Shelby | Assault with Intent to Kill |
Additional defendants: Richard Goodrich, Taylor Flinks(?), and Dave Hayes/Hays. Willis Goodrich indicted for assault with intent to commit murder in the first degree in the shooting of Benjamin White. |
West | Range: 84 Section: G Shelf: Box Number: 140 | 0 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1880 | State v. Newton Bowin | Gibson | Assault with Intent to Kill |
The defendant, an African-American, was accused of stabbing a man named Sam Olliphant. |
West | Range: 84 Section: G Shelf: Box Number: 149 | 0 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1880 | State v. William Fare | Dyer | Assault with Intent to Commit Rape |
The defendant was accused of assaulting an eighteen-year old woman named Lundy McCoy. Both were African-Americans. |
West | Range: 84 Section: G Shelf: Box Number: 149 | 0 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1879 | State v. John Walters | Shelby | Assault with Intent to Commit Rape | West | Range: 84 Section: G Shelf: Box Number: 154 | 0 | Order A Copy | |
| View Entry | 1857 | Samuel A. Shy v. State | Williamson | Assault with Intent to Maim |
Technically, Shy is charged with "malicious shooting." Case doesn't mention whether the victim actually died. |
Middle | Range: 32 Section: C Shelf: Box Number: 251 | 0 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1882 | State v. Louis Boyd | Shelby | Assault with Intent to Kill |
Defendant indicted for "assault with intent to commit murder in 1st degree". Attacked John Leonard on 1 April 1881, beating him about the face and head with a brick. |
West | Range: 83 Section: A Shelf: Box Number: 193 | 0 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1870 | State v. Nathan Bass et al. | Rutherford | Assault with Intent to Kill |
Additional Defendants: Buck Smith, Gentry Dement, Vander Smith, Coleman Perkins, Isham Thompson, Isaac Stagg, Robert Knox, Allen Fondley. All Defendants are African American. |
Middle | Range: 32 Section: E Shelf: Box Number: 325 | 0 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1866 | State v. Hinton | Franklin | Assault with Intent to Kill |
Defendant is white and assaulted a free person of color. Victim: Joshua Gore. |
Middle | Range: 32 Section: E Shelf: Box Number: 307 | 15 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1871 | State v. Eli Maxwell | Coffee | Assault with Intent to Commit Rape |
Assault with intent to commit murder |
Middle | Range: 32 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 302 | 32 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1872 | State v. Henry Hill | Maury | Assault with Intent to Kill |
Assault to commit murder on Isham Williams. Defendant is African American |
Middle | Range: 32 Section: E Shelf: Box Number: 320A | 30 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1915 | State v. Ollie Brown | Dickson | Assault with Intent to Kill |
Assault on Ephram Cooksey. Clayton Clifton also charged but not tried with Brown. |
Middle | Range: 32 Section: F Shelf: Box Number: 362 | 29 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1874 | State v. Samuel Meyers | Shelby | Assault with Intent to Commit Rape |
Verdict and Sentence Document Only. |
West | Range: 83 Section: C Shelf: Box Number: 246 | 83 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1926 | Segel Sexton& Lee West v. State | Scott | Assault with Intent to Kill |
Order only. |
East | Range: 5 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 70 | 1 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1879 | State v. Isaac Rodgers& Harrison Rodgers | McNairy | Assault with Intent to Commit Rape | West | Range: 83 Section: C Shelf: Box Number: 247 | 2 | Order A Copy | |
| View Entry | 1874 | State v. George Saunders | Shelby | Assault with Intent to Kill | West | Range: 83 Section: C Shelf: Box Number: 247 | 2 | Order A Copy | |
| View Entry | 1874 | State v. Sam Mack | Shelby | Assault with Intent to Kill |
Indictment. |
West | Range: 83 Section: C Shelf: Box Number: 248 | 2 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1884 | State v. Warren Adams | Shelby | Assault with Intent to Kill |
Adams assaulted Henry Hawkins on 31 Aug. 1883. Indicted for assault to commit murder in the 2nd degree. |
West | Range: 83 Section: C Shelf: Box Number: 254 | 23 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1831 | State v. James J. Darnell | Franklin | Assault with Intent to Kill |
Assault and battery with intent to kill, Polly Darnell in 1830. |
Middle | Range: 33 Section: A Shelf: Box Number: 374 | 14 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1884 | State v. Walker Winston & Charles Winston | Shelby | Assault with Intent to Kill |
victim: Henry Weaver |
West | Range: 83 Section: C Shelf: Box Number: 258 | 51 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1886 | State v. Charles Miller | Hawkins | Assault with Intent to Kill |
Miller was charged with assualting Sam Bradley (alias Sam Pearson) with a knife. |
East | Range: 19 Section: C Shelf: Box Number: 1868 | 37 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1852 | State v. Evan D. Frogg | Fentress | Assault with Intent to Kill |
Specific charge "malicious shooting." |
Middle | Range: 33 Section: A Shelf: Box Number: 383 | 47 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1932 | State v. J. D. Kenton | Gibson | Assault with Intent to Kill |
"Derwood" Kenton was accused of shooting Tolly Coleman with a shotgun in an attempt to murder Coleman. |
West | Range: 77 Section: J Shelf: Box Number: 2136 | 9 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1920 | State v. John Lancaster | Maury | Assault with Intent to Kill | Middle | Range: 33 Section: B Shelf: Box Number: 403 | 115 | Order A Copy | |
| View Entry | 1885 | State v. Thomas McBride | Shelby | Assault with Intent to Kill |
The victim in this case was a man named A. K. Sloan, who McBride was accused of shooting. |
West | Range: 83 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 284 | 29 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1921 | State v. Tom Hayes | Davidson | Assault with Intent to Commit Rape |
Cause of action: Assault with intent to commit incest with his daughter, Lou Ella Hayes, a girl aged about 17 years. |
Middle | Range: 33 Section: B Shelf: Box Number: 426 | 94 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1921 | State v. Julia Sanders | Shelby | Assault with Intent to Kill | Middle | Range: 33 Section: B Shelf: Box Number: 428 | 14 | Order A Copy | |
| View Entry | 1886 | State v. Lee Brown | Gibson | Assault with Intent to Kill |
The victim's name was William Baxter. |
West | Range: 83 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 294 | 73 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1945 | State v. S. T. Clevenger | Union | Assault with Intent to Kill | East | Range: 5 Section: F Shelf: Box Number: 144 | 149 | Order A Copy | |
| View Entry | 1931 | State v. Hafford Howard | Henry | Assault with Intent to Kill |
Howard was accused of beating and bludgeoning W. T. Porter with a stick, intending to "kill and murder the said W. T. Porter in the 2nd degree". |
West | Range: 77 Section: J Shelf: Box Number: 2119 | 29 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1922 | State v. Joseph Miller Baker & William E. Foster | Shelby | Assault with Intent to Kill | Middle | Range: 33 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 466 | 262 | Order A Copy | |
| View Entry | 1933 | State v. George Matheny | Dyer | Assault with Intent to Kill |
Dfnt. was accused of an unlawful, premeditated gun attack on Noah Burns, with the intent to kill said Burns. |
West | Range: 77 Section: H Shelf: Box Number: 2119 | 14 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1932 | State v. Herbert Powell & Sammie Powell | Dyer | Assault with Intent to Kill |
Dfnts. were accused of attacking Cind Bell Light with guns and knives in an attempt to commit first-degree murder. |
West | Range: 77 Section: J Shelf: Box Number: 2118 | 11 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1892 | State v. John Morton | Gibson | Assault with Intent to Kill |
Defendant is charged with assaulting Lewis Rodgers with a knife with the intent "willfully and maliciously to kill and murder him … in the second degree." |
West | Range: 83 Section: F Shelf: Box Number: 340 | 90 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1886 | State v. Camel Pratcher | McNairy | Assault with Intent to Commit Rape | West | Range: 83 Section: G Shelf: Box Number: 394 | 62 | Order A Copy | |
| View Entry | 1887 | State v. L. C. Baker | Gibson | Assault with Intent to Commit Rape | West | Range: 83 Section: H Shelf: Box Number: 399 | 214 | Order A Copy | |
| View Entry | 1888 | State v. Harve Richardson | Carroll | Assault with Intent to Kill | West | Range: 83 Section: H Shelf: Box Number: 403 | 65 | Order A Copy | |
| View Entry | 1888 | State v. James Rhodes | Shelby | Assault with Intent to Commit Rape | West | Range: 83 Section: H Shelf: Box Number: 405 | 42 | Order A Copy | |
| View Entry | 1889 | State v. George Brown | Shelby | Assault with Intent to Commit Rape |
Victims: Nelson McDonald and Albert Frayson |
West | Range: 83 Section: J Shelf: Box Number: 442 | 38 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1945 | State v. Sam Wright | Hamilton | Assault with Intent to Kill |
Verdict: Guilty, affirmed and modified on appeal to the Supreme Court. |
East | Range: 6 Section: E Shelf: Box Number: 359 | 80 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1941 | State v. Millard Wolfe | Hamblen | Assault with Intent to Kill |
Verdict: Guilty, affirmed on appeal to Supreme Court (no Bill of Exceptions filed). |
East | Range: 6 Section: E Shelf: Box Number: 365 | 22 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1896 | State v. Samuel Swanson | Davidson | Assault with Intent to Commit Rape |
Swanson was charged with assault with intent to commit rape against the body of Ella Hooper, who was the step-daughter of Swanson. A few months later Ella Hooper alleged Swanson attempted a second attack. The trial focused on the credibility of Ella verses Swanson. The court sided with Ella Hooper, however there were legal questions related to the case. |
Middle | Range: 36 Section: F Shelf: Box Number: 1086 | 57 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1926 | State v. Lewis Carroll et al. | Anderson | Assault with Intent to Kill |
Name of victim: Hurstle Bunch. Additional Defendant: Daniel Carroll. |
East | Range: 6 Section: F Shelf: Box Number: 401 | 18 | Order A Copy |