GRABBED HER ARMS



"Billings had a big dog barking and rearing and trying to bite me. I picked up a rock and threw at the dog and he run around on the other side of the house. I went on up to the house and peeped through a crack by the side of the door about eight inc hes square which was filled with old rags. I saw Mrs. Billings and the little girl sitting up in the bed. There was no light in the house. I could see them by moonlight. The woman had on her night clothes. The little girl had slipped on her dress, bu t it was not fastened. I ran my hand thro9ugh the hole and pulled out the peg that the door was fastened with and threw the pin down and went in and Mrs. Billings says 'Go back! Go Back!'

"I pushed the door together and started toward her and she reached up and took hold of a gun and pointed it toward me to shoot me."

"As I rushed toward her she set it down over against the foot of the bed. I then caught hold of her. When she commenced hollowing, I then caught her by the throat to keep her from hollowing. The scuffle went on till she got off the bed onto the flo or. She then caught me by the hair of the head with one hand when she got out of the bed. I let loose of her throat and grabbed her by both arms."



Struck With An Ax


"At this time the little girl had got out of the bed and got an ax, but missed me as I jumped behind her mother. I am pretty certain that she hit her mother with the ax from the fact that her mother sorter fell up against me. I then took the ax out of the hands of the little girl,(who was about nine or ten years old) and I struck her mother on lick with the ax on the side of the head, when she fell to the floor. I then turned to the little girl an struck her with the ax. She fell sorter across the hearth. (I did not know at the time I had hit either of them until informed next day by mother that the wounds were on the head.)"

"I am informed that the little girl said that I went back and tapped her on the fingers to see if she was dead. I did not go back nor tap her on the fingers intentionally but did drop the ax near the little girl and it may have fallen on her fingers. "



Blood on Sleeve


"I then turned around and went to where the woman was lying on the floor and got down by her side and put my right hand flat upon the floor in a puddle of blood, and my shirt sleeve was down over my hand and I got it all bloody and about the same time I put my left hand on her body. I then became scared of finding so much blood upon the floor that all my feeling left me. I did not do what I went there to do nor did I know that she was killed until informed next morning."

"After finding the blood on my hand and shirt sleeve, I got up and went out at the other door and washed my hand and sleeve in the water bucket, which was on the shelf outside and nearly full of water, but did not wipe my hands on the towel as charged ."

"I then went by the smoke house then down through the little orchard; and got over the fence and struck a little path and kept it down to the big hollow; then I left the path and turned into the woods and sorter got lost, and rambled around awhile and come to our field."

"Then I went on to the house and slipped in as easy as I could, without making any noise, and went to bed. I did not disturb any of the family when I got back. They were all asleep."

"I think I was gone from home something like one hour. After I went to bed I did not sleep for sometime. I cannot tell how long."

"After I went to sleep I did not wake up until between daylight and sunrise. After I got up in the morning I went down to the branch, for I discovered blood on one of my shirt wrist bands, and washed it off as well as I could."

"Then I went back to the house, washed my face and combed my hair and fixed for breakfast. I did not eat much for I felt so bad I could not eat. After breakfast I caught up the steers and went to hauling house logs, and while I was at work the news came that Mrs. Billings was killed."

"I then quit hauling logs and went to work on the new house we were then building. In a short time Bill Love and some others came and brought the measure of a track and tried it to my foot, but it did not fit. (I was then taken to the smoke house an d was there to let down my pants to look for blood; none being discovered). They then said I was not guilty of the murder and went off and left me. But they returned about two o'clock and arrested and carried me over to Billings' and kept me there some two or three hours, and then carried me down to old John Love where they kept me all night."



Proved Guilty


"On Tuesday they sent and got Squaire Judkins and tried me there at Love's House. I was proved guilty; and failing to give bond, I was committed to this jail and carried, by Sheriff Blackburn to the jail at Nashville for safe keeping."

"I remained in jail at Nashville until the next Circuit Court of Dekalb County and brought back, tried by a jury of 12 men, convicted and sentenced to be hung on the 26th day of August, 1871. I then prayed an appeal to the Supreme Court, which was gr anted, and the judgment of the Circuit Court was confirmed at the December term of the Supreme Court, and my sentence of death confirmed and ordered to be executed on the 26th day of April, 1872, in or near Smithville."

"I then appealed to the Governor to extend my time to the 24th day of May 1872."

"I will not state that I don't believe my people, I mean my parents, knew nothing of my guilt, until I made a confession of the crime at Nashville a short time ago. I want everybody to take warning by me, and take the advice of their parents; for tha t is just what has brought me to what I am, for my parents have always give me good advice. I advise everybody to be certain to quit drinking and try to be prepared to die."



Read The Bible


" I want to give them all the advice I can, for I know that I will not be in this world long. I want everybody to read the Bible that can read and those that cannot read to get someone to read for them. That is the way I have done and it has been a great comfort to me to hear the Bible read. I am now prepared to meet that day that is coming. I don't dread death. I thought for a long time that my crime was so heinous that there was no forgiveness for me. But I am now fully satisfied that my sins are forgiven and that I shall meet my God in peace."

"I am now within 150 yards of the gallows whereon I am to breathe my last and I hope the world will believe what I have said, for I have nothing to gain by falsehood that I might publish. I know that five days more is all the time I have to spend in this life and I do not dread the time."

"I am pleased to know that my old father will receive my remains and have me put away in the clay of this earth, as has been done by others. I wanted to confess this two or three weeks before I did and the more I thought of it the more anxious I was to confess. I first made known my guilt to Bates and Turner, who were preachers. They came to see me when in jail in Nashville. On last Thursday night was when I think my sins were forgiven."



Return to top of page.


Return to "The Presswood Hanging"

Return to "The Dekalb County Page"