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
Use quotes for an exact search. ex. "J. W."
| View Entry | Year | Case Name | County | Cause/Crime | Case Description | Division | Location | # Pages | Order |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Entry | 1914 | Alonzo Smith v. State | Benton | Murder |
Victim: George Cole. Cause of action: murder by cutting with a knife. Alonzo Smith worked in the field with George Cole's children, Will Cole and Ethel Cole. Ethel ran away to marry Jim Smith. There was a knife fight between George Cole and Will Cole against Alonzo Smith and Jim Smith over preventing the marriage. Alonzo stabbed George. |
West | Range: 79 Section: B Shelf: Box Number: 1353 | 88 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1896 | John H. Reeves v. State | Benton | Robbery | West | Range: 83 Section: J Shelf: Box Number: 429 | 70 | Order A Copy | |
| View Entry | 1882 | State v. Felix Hudson | Benton | Possession of Illegal Weapons | West | Range: 83 Section: B Shelf: Box Number: 233 | 22 | Order A Copy | |
| View Entry | 1872 | State v. Presly Brackins | Benton | Other |
Brackins used abusive and vulgar language towards B. Forest, who was a constable of Benton County. Cause of Action: profanity |
West | Range: 84 Section: B Shelf: Box Number: 21 | 0 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1876 | State v. Jordan Jones | Benton | Illegitimate Child/Bastardy | West | Range: 84 Section: E Shelf: Box Number: 86 | 0 | Order A Copy | |
| View Entry | 1883 | State v. William Hargrove | Benton | Murder |
Victim: Alfred Register |
West | Range: 83 Section: B Shelf: Box Number: 229 | 80 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1874 | State v. John Bowlin | Benton | Larceny, Grand | West | Range: 83 Section: C Shelf: Box Number: 247 | 4 | Order A Copy | |
| View Entry | 1887 | State v. Thomas Daulton, W. H. Hatley, & Bill Shearley | Benton | Obstructing a Public Road/Road/Right of Way | West | Range: 83 Section: J Shelf: Box Number: 430 | 10 | Order A Copy | |
| View Entry | 1896 | State v. Ben Williams | Benton | Liquor Violation |
Pages bent. |
West | Range: 82 Section: A Shelf: Box Number: 462 | 40 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1908 | State v. H. L. Lowry | Benton | Assault with Intent to Kill |
Victim: John Rushing |
West | Range: 80 Section: E Shelf: Box Number: 1161 | 175 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1911 | State v. Jasper Conley, et al. | Benton | Murder |
Victim: Pete Nunnery. Additional defendants: Bates Conley, John Smith. |
West | Range: 80 Section: H Shelf: Box Number: 1257 | 123 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1870 | State v. W. R. Lantham | Benton | Murder |
Incomplete case file. Judgment only. Victim unknown. |
East | Range: 9 Section: B Shelf: Box Number: 1089 | 4 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1913 | State v. Henry Jackson | Benton | Assault, Felonious |
Victim: T. C. Whitfield. Cause of action: assault by shooting with a gun with an attempt to commit murder. Henry Jackson and T. C. Whitfield lived on farms adjoining each other. They had a disagreement over Whitfield's hogs being on Jackson's property. After Whitfield agreed to bring his hogs back, Jackson arrived with a shotgun and shot Whitfield in the groin and thighs. |
West | Range: 79 Section: B Shelf: Box Number: 1346 | 39 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1930 | State v. J. S. Bain | Benton | Fraud |
Bain was charged with writing an unlawful and fraudulent check to Jesse L. Byrn for the purchase of corn and hay. |
West | Range: 77 Section: E Shelf: Box Number: 2020 | 32 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1921 | State v. Purcell Porter | Benton | Assault with Intent to Kill |
The defendant feloniously and willfully shot and wounded one Marshall Robinson with the intent to kill him in the first degree. |
West | Range: 78 Section: B Shelf: Box Number: 1666 | 126 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1923 | State v. W. L. Wilson, et. Al. | Benton | Breaking and Entering |
Additional defendants: Will Presson, O. U. Swift, Raymond Doty, Ed Wilson. Also charged with Larceny. Charged with breaking into the Depot House of the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway in Eva, TN. |
West | Range: 78 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 1713 | 175 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1923 | State v. Ed Hartley & George Hartley, et. al. | Benton | Murder |
Additional defendants: Vuid Hartley and Bill Conley, alias Bill Surratt. Charged with killing Connie Hartley with a shot gun in February, 1922. |
West | Range: 78 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 1721 | 28 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1932 | State v. Sam Jones | Benton | Murder, 2nd degree |
Jones was indicted for first degree murder, but the cover says it was second degree. Decedent was listed as Troy Lockhart, shot and killed July 19, 1931. Jones ran a bar of sorts from his home. On the 19th, Jones asserted Lockhart "blackguarded before my woman and kids" the day before. This led to an argument between the men, during which Jones shot Lockhart, the wound eventually killing Lockhart. Housed in 2 folders. |
West | Range: 77 Section: G Shelf: Box Number: 2079 | 221 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1923 | State v. Lackie Odom | Benton | Liquor Violation |
Charge: Four Mile Law - preventing the sale of liquor within a four mile radius of a school. Defendants last name also spelled Odam. |
West | Range: 78 Section: E Shelf: Box Number: 1756 | 51 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1924 | State v. J. H. Henson | Benton | Liquor Violation |
Henson was charged with selling intoxicants within four miles of a school house. |
West | Range: 78 Section: F Shelf: Box Number: 1774 | 97 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1923 | State v. Walter Phifer | Benton | Liquor Violation |
Phifer was charged with violating the Bone Dry law, transporting and possessing a half gallon of whiskey. |
West | Range: 78 Section: F Shelf: Box Number: 1774 | 30 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1872 | State v. Virgil Barnett | Benton | Possession of Illegal Weapons | West | Range: 84 Section: B Shelf: Box Number: 21 | 0 | Order A Copy | |
| View Entry | 1879 | State v. Stephen Townsend et al. | Benton | Assault |
Additional Defendants: James Moore, Ethridge Moore, William Williams, Henry Coble, James Townsend, List Townsend. Additional parties: Mary F. Townsend, victim. |
West | Range: 84 Section: F Shelf: Box Number: 125 | 0 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1880 | State v. James Moore et al. | Benton | Assault with Intent to Commit Rape |
Additional Defendants: Ethridge Moore, Stephen Townsend, Henry Coble, James Townsend, William Williams, and Lish Townsend. The defendants were charged with assaulting a woman named Mary F. Townsend. |
West | Range: 84 Section: G Shelf: Box Number: 150 | 0 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1881 | State v. Thomas W. Floyd | Benton | Liquor, Sale of Illegal | West | Range: 84 Section: H Shelf: Box Number: 166 | 0 | Order A Copy | |
| View Entry | 1879 | State v. C. E. Leonard | Benton | Larceny, Grand | West | Range: 83 Section: C Shelf: Box Number: 247 | 4 | Order A Copy | |
| View Entry | 1885 | State v. Clark Kee | Benton | Malicious Destruction/ Mischief |
Charged with malicious mischief in torturing and shooting a mule valued at $75.00. Further attempted to harm mule's owner, William Kilbreath. |
West | Range: 83 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 281 | 5 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1886 | State v. James Shearley | Benton | Assault with Intent to Kill |
The victim's name was M. D. McElyea. |
West | Range: 83 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 293 | 40 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1888 | State v. John H. Rum | Benton | Assault with Intent to Kill | West | Range: 82 Section: A Shelf: Box Number: 458 | 16 | Order A Copy | |
| View Entry | 1890 | State v. Jack Wilson | Benton | Carrying an Illegal Weapon | West | Range: 82 Section: D Shelf: Box Number: 554 | 23 | Order A Copy | |
| View Entry | 1896 | State v. Gibson & McDade | Benton | Tippling | West | Range: 82 Section: G Shelf: Box Number: 663 | 108 | Order A Copy | |
| View Entry | 1905 | State v. D. M. Dowdy | Benton | Murder |
Cause of action: murder in the first degree. Victim: Henry Lowrey. |
West | Range: 81 Section: G Shelf: Box Number: 907 | 412 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1911 | State v. Philip N. Ashby | Benton | Murder |
For 1st degree murder of Pearly Ashby. |
West | Range: 80 Section: H Shelf: Box Number: 1249 | 198 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1913 | State v. Robert Barnett | Benton | Breaking and Entering |
The defendant was also charged with larceny. He broke into a business owned by Mike Fry. |
West | Range: 80 Section: J Shelf: Box Number: 1303 | 40 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1866 | State v. Benjamin Wilder ( a free man of color ) | Benton | Larceny, Petit |
Judgment only. Case is incomplete. |
West | Range: 79 Section: B Shelf: Box Number: 1361 | 4 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1932 | State v. Clyde Watson | Benton | Manslaughter, Voluntary |
Watson was accused of the murder of Sam Hall. On October 15, 1929, Watson shot Hall twice with a shotgun on land subject to Hall's life estate. Watson was Hall's son-in-law by wife, Lorene. After Watson used Hall's mules the day before, they were a little beat up around the mouth. Hall threatened Watson's life and cursed him. Watson secured a shotgun, and returned to picking cotton. Hall advanced on Watson with something in his hand, Watson retrieved the gun, and fired twice in self-defense. In 2 folders. |
West | Range: 77 Section: G Shelf: Box Number: 2084 | 269 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1930 | State v. Alex Seburn | Benton | Liquor Violation |
Seburn was accused of breaking the "bone dry" law. |
West | Range: 77 Section: E Shelf: Box Number: 2020 | 10 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1931 | State v. Eldridge Gallion | Benton | Larceny, Petit |
Though not mentioned on the title page, R. E. Gallion was also accused with dfnt. of petit larceny after knowing accepting three sheep stolen from J. P. Rushing. The sheep were worth about $60 in total. |
West | Range: 77 Section: G Shelf: Box Number: 2081 | 62 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1924 | State v. A. M. Mangrum | Benton | Liquor Violation |
Mangrum is charged with violation of the "Four Mile Law." According to witness testimony, he was selling whiskey in O. D. Lindsey's barn which was just a few hundred yards from a school house. |
West | Range: 78 Section: E Shelf: Box Number: 1758 | 55 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1926 | State v. J. R. Menzies | Benton | Murder, 1st degree |
Victim: Tisha Menzies; "unlawfully, willfully, maliciously, deliberately, premeditative and feloniously did with his hands and a stick and piece of iron and with some hard substance hit and strike and beat, wound and kill Tisha Menzies no bill of exceptions |
West | Range: 78 Section: J Shelf: Box Number: 1879 | 12 | Order A Copy |
| View Entry | 1926 | State v. Edd Williams & Leonard Williams | Benton | Murder, 1st degree |
Victim was J. W. King. Murder occurred in April, 1925. Both defendants as being laborers. Victim was killed with both a knife and a pistol. Were found guilty of felonious assault. |
West | Range: 78 Section: J Shelf: Box Number: 1859 | 100 | Order A Copy |