rend wolf, Stephen Tribble. I am personally acquainted with
him, as I lived in Sullivan county when he was in the
Blountville jail. I have heard him preach here, and deny from
the stand ever having been in jail, when he and I had talked
the whole matter over the day before. He is now about
forty-eight years of age--has a scar on his cheek. He preached
here monthly in 1846, and here it was that he joined the
American party. He now resides either in Graves or Fulton
county, Kentucky. One of his brothers told me last week that he
now preaches at one point in Kentucky, and the rest of his time
in Missouri. One of their preachers told me that he gets drunk
and cuts up largely. Yours, with respect,
"A. J. HICKS."
To the foregoing letters we add a certified copy of the records of the
Circuit Court of Sullivan county, and after this we shall leave this
_old clerical debauchee_ to preach for such Sag Nichts as may feel
edified by his ministry:
"MONDAY, Sept. 24, 1827.
"State of Tennessee, First Circuit, Sullivan County Court: met
according to adjournment. Present, Honorable Samuel Powell,
Judge, &c."
"FRIDAY, Sept. 28, 1827.
"STATE _vs._ STEPHEN TRIBBLE AND JOHN TRIBBLE.
"In this cause, the jury having retired yesterday to consider
of their verdict, under the care of an officer, and the same
jury, to wit: James Steele, Wm. Morgan, Joshua Miller, John
Thomas, Wm. Hashman, John Wassum, Thomas Brown, Stephen B.
Cawood, John K. Arnold, Thomas Fain, William Hughes, and
William H. Biggs, returning to the bar, do say, they find the
defendants not guilty of the murder, but they find them guilty
of manslaughter as charged in the bill of indictment. Whereupon
the defendants moved the Court for a rule to show cause why a
new trial should be had, which rule is granted, and on argument
said rule is discharged. It is therefore considered by the
Court that for such offence the said defendants be imprisoned
for the term of four calendar months: that they be branded with
the letter M in the brawn of the thumbs of their left hands on
to-morrow morning, and that they pay the costs of this suit or
remain in custody until the same is paid."
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