DICKSON, TENNESSEE
JAMES T CLARDY b. Abt 1823, Virginia, d. 25 January 1881, near Charlotte (Dickson) Tennessee James T. CLARDY Inquest
State of Tennessee, Dickson County
An inquisition holden at the residence of James T Clardy’s in the County and State aforeSaid on the 26th of January 1881 before J M Stuart Justice of the piece of Said County upon the body of James T Clardy, there lying dead by the jurors whose names are hereto SubScribed who upon there oaths do Say on the night of the 25th of January in the fore part of the night that he was killed in cold blood by unknown persons with a dogwood Stick Seizened about four feet long about one and a half inches thick from Said Stick he appears to have recieved different blows one on the back part of the head cutting to the bone about 4 inches the Skull bone appears to be fractured one other near the Same place cutting about two inches to the bone Some other bruses S[u]pposed to of been done in falling or Strugling he was found on his face on the harth his close all burnt off to his waist and in some places further in his pocket was found $27.00 in Gold his paper and Silver money all gone and from the best information he had over fifty Dollars and his horse and bridle gone In testimoney whereof the Said jurors have here unto Sat there hands the day and date above Among the newspapers in Middle Tennessee, which mentioned the Clardy murder, were the Hickman Pioneer, the Erin Review, and the Dickson County Herald. From these accounts we learn that James T Clardy was murdered by Andrew Jackson White. White, a simple-minded man, apparently had stayed the night at Clardy's home near Charlotte on the night of the murder. After killing Clardy and stealing his horse, A J White went to Nashville to sell the horse. White was tried and sentenced to be hanged, but was eventually the governor commuted the sentence to life in prison. He served 23 years in prison and was released in 1909. Since the Clardy family and the White family were inter-related, one wonders if A J White and James T Clardy were kin.S C Brown
J M Stuart JP
Moses Garton
Bill of Costs J J Brown
JP - J M Stuart $5.00 D H HarraS
Jurors $7.00 Ben Oliphant $12.00 D H Brown M H Meek
The hand-written copy of this inquest was found in a trunk belonging to Ladocia White Sears Brown who was the wife of James Franklin “Frank” Brown. Frank was the son of Aquilla Brown and Martha Ann Clardy, sister of the above James T Clardy. James never married. According to various newspaper reports at the time, Andrew Jackson White, a simple-minded man, killed James. A J White went to trial; was convicted.; and sentenced to be hanged. His sentence was commuted to life in prison.
Thanks to Nettye Knoop for her generous contribution
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