While looking up information concerning the death of Acra Archie Cathey I found a website for the Special Collections at University of Tennessee at Martin that listed a court case, State of Tennessee v Acra Cathey, which took place in 1917 in Weakley County, Tennessee. I wrote to them asking how I could possibly get a copy of the court records, and while I waited for their response I had a million different ideas in my mind of what it could have been about. About a week or so after I sent my email I got a response that they don’t normally scan the documents in that bunch of papers, but since the file I was requesting was in such good condition they went ahead and scanned them, then sent them in the email!
Below are the pages from the court case, along with the transcriptions. I found this kind of humorous since I recently found out that some distant cousins on the Bondurant side of the family were bootleggers, too!
If anyone sees anything that needs correcting please let me know!
STATE WARRANT
State of Tennessee, Weakley County
Personally appeared before me LA Elliott, an acting Justice of the Peace of said County, T.H. Carney, and made the following statement: – that Acra Cathey did bring into the State of Tennessee whiskey on Nov. 14th 1917 and said offense being com in violation of the Bone dry law of the State of Tennessee. Said offense was committed in the 2nd Civil district of Weakley County State of Tennessee against the Peace and dignity of the State.
T.H. Carney
Sworn to and subscribed before me, this 14th day of Nov 1917
LA Elliott JP
State of Tennessee, Weakley County
To any Lawful Officer of Said County:
Information on oath having been made me by TH Carney that the offense of violating the Bone dry law has been committed and charging Acra Cathey thereof, you are therefore commanded, in the name of the STATE, forthwith to arrest the said Acra Cathey and bring him before me, or some other Justice of said County; to answer the above charge.
This Nov. 14th 1917 LA Elliott
Justice of the Peace
STATE OF TENNESSEE
VS
Acra Cathey
Violating the Bone
Dry law
Came to hand and executed by arresting defendant and setting the case for trial before
L.A. Elliott
Justice of the Peace, at 10 o’clock
aM. Nov the 14 1917.
T.H. Carney
D.S. Constable
BILL OF COSTS
Affidavit $ 10
Warrant 50
Subpoena 25
Arrest 100
Sum’ing Witnesses 25
Judgment 75
Mittimus 50
Recognizance
Bond
Witness Attendance 50
Fine
Taking Evidence-
In Writing
Jail Fees
Docketing 15
Making out-
Bill of Costs 25
Continuance, 1st
Continuance, 2nd
Total $ 425
I certify that the above Bill of Costs is correct.
L.A. Elliot
Justice of the Peace
STATE OF TENNESSEE VS Acra Cathey
Judgment that Defendant Acra Cathey waives examinations of charge of violating the bone dry law and I place bind him over to await the action of the next Grand Jury of Weakley County and I place the amount of bond of Four hundred and fifty dollars which bond the defendant failed to make I therefore issue a mittimus to the sherriff (sic) and to place them in jail. Signed JA Elliott
Justice of the Peace
STATE SUBPOENA
STATE OF TENNESSEE, WEAKLEY COUNTY.
To the Sheriff of Weakley County-Greeting:
We command you to summon TH Carney, JR Bruce, E.D. Henderson personally to appear on after the second Monday in Dec before the Judge of our Circuit Court for the County of Weakley, to be held the First Monday in Dec 1917, next, at the Courthouse in the town of Dresden, then and there to testify, and the truth to say, in behalf of the State in the case of State of Tenn vs. Acra Cathey and this you shall in nowise omit, under the penalty prescribed by law.
Witness, W.W. House, Clerk of our Circuit Court, at office, the first Monday in Dec, A.D. 1917, and the 142 year of American Independence.
WW House, Clerk.
D.C.
CIRCUIT COURT.
WEAKLEY COUNTY.
STATE OF TENNESSEE
vs.
Acra Cathey
SUBPOENA.
Issued this 6 day of
Dec, 1917
WW House, Clerk
Executed as
Commaned (sic)
this Dec the 8
1917
T.H. Carney
D.S.
SUBPOENA
STATE OF TENNESSEE, WEAKLEY COUNTY
To Any Lawful Officer to Execute and Return:
You are Hereby Commanded to summon JR Bruce to appear at my office, on the 14th day of Nov 1917, at 10 o’clock to give evidence in behalf of State of Tennessee in a suit pending before LA Elliott wherein State of Tennessee is Plaintiff, and Acra Cathey is Defendant; and this you shall in nowise omit.
This 14th day of Nov 1917
LA Elliott J.P.
No.
MAGISTRATE’S SUBPOENA
State of Tennessee
Plaintiffs,
vs.
Acra Cathey
Defendants
Issued 14th day of Nov 1917
Came to hand same day issued, and executed by reading the within Subpoena to JR Bruce and citing him to appear before Justice of the Peace, for trial, the 14th day of Nov 1917 at 10 o’clock aM.
T.H Carny
DS Constable
INDICTMENT
State of Tennessee, WEAKLEY COUNTY
WEAKLEY COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT
December TERM, A.D., 1917
The Grand Jurors of the State of Tennessee, elected, impaneled, sworn and charged to inquire in and for the body of the County of Weakley in the state aforesaid, upon their oath, present that Acra Cathey late of said County, laborer, heretofore, to wit, on the ___ day of November, A.D. 1917 in the County of Weakley aforesaid, then and there, unlawfully did receive and possess a quantity of intoxicating liquor to-wit: whiskey, against the peace and dignity of the state.
Thos. O (?)
Attorney General
Second Count:-
And the Grand Jurors aforesaid on their oath aforesaid, further present that the said Acra Cathey-on the day and date aforesaid, and in the state and county aforesaid, then an there, unlawfully did personally transport from another state into Weakley County, Tennessee, a quantity of intoxicating liquor to-wit:-whiskey, against the peace and dignity of the state
Attorney General
Third Count:-
And the Grand Jurors aforesaid, on their oath aforesaid, further present that the said Acra Cathey on the day and date aforesaid, and in the state and county aforesaid, then and there unlawfully did personally transport from one point in Weakley County, Tennessee, to another point in Weakley County, Tennessee, a quantity of intoxicating liquor, ot-wit (sic):-whiskey
Against the peace and dignity of the State.
Thos (?)
Attorney General
No.
STATE OF TENNESSEE
VS. PRESENTMENT FOR
Bone Dry
Acra Cathey
Witness:
T.H. Carney
Summon for the State
T.H. Carney
JR Bruce
Tom Vaughn
Everett Henderson
By order of
Thos. (?)
Attorney General
Signed by
W.C. Cardwell
Foreman of the Grand Jury
AND
1 R.E. Duke
2 W.C. Cardwell
3 C.H. Wheeler
4 AM Rea
5 Charley Keys
6 W.H. Phillips
7 E.B.Carmichel
8 JT Rawles
9 Ashley Weatherford
10 CB Higgs
11 SR McFarland
12 Walter M Claire
13 CB Bailey
Grand Jurors.
December Term, 1917
