Roll #101
Cookeville Press
(Miscellaneous)
1894 - 1896
JARED, ROBERT H.: Last Saturday afternoon at about 3:30, between Double
Springs and Bloomington, four shots were fired from a pistol, and Robert
H. Jared constable of the 12th district, fell from his horse a dead man.
The facts as to who fired the fatal shots and the circumstances which
led to it, so far as we can learn are as follows: There was a large
crowd assembled at Bloomington, celebrating the Glorious Fourth, among
which were several boisterous citizens, who were patriotically "tanked
up" and one who specially made himself obnoxious was Almon Martin.
Constable Jared, in the discharge of his duty arrested Martin. In the
mean time Jared had learned of the death of his sister-in-law at her
home several miles away, he turned the prisoner over to the Deputy
Sheriff J. L. Odum, and they all started off in the direction of
Cookeville where Martin was to be placed in jail. Jared however only
intended accompanying Odum until he met his brother Alvin who had gone
to Double Springs, and with whom he intended returning home. When they
were within half a mile of Double Springs they met Alvin Jared and
George Thompson. Robert bade Odum good bye and turned around went back
with them. They had not gone more than two hundred yards when they met
Perry Essex who lives two miles from this place, and Charley and Waymon
Isom, who live near Peekville, they passed on the left of each other,
and Alvin Jared says some one said "howdy" to them, and rode on, he was
in advance of Robert and hearing a pistol shot, turned around in his
saddle and saw a man shooting Robert. He thinks the man who shot was
Essex. Robert fell from his horse, and the three men rode away. Upon
examination it was found that four balls had entered Jared's body. One
struck him in the right temple and passed through his head, another, in
the hest and two in his bowels, any of which would have proved fatal.
The news reached Sheriff C. F. McCaleb, who was coming from Bloomington,
with his family, and he quickly rushed to where Jared lay dead. He
mounted Jared's horse, and with Deputy Odum and C. Gillem started in
pursuit of the murderers. They could easily follow them as the mule
tracks were plain in the soft ground and showed they were running. After
crossing the Buffalo Valley road, going south, only two mule tracks were
visible, and it was evident that one of them had turned another way.
On[e] the officers sped after the two, and about 4 o'clock, overtook
them five miles distant, about two miles below Pilot Knob. The two
proved to be Perry Essex and Waymon Isom. When arrested they demanded of
the officers what the arrest meant, Sheriff McCaleb told that Robert
Jared had been killed and they (Essex and Isom) knew all about it, after
which Essex said to Isom they might as well tell all about it. Then they
told the Sheriff that Charley Isom was theone who killed Jared. They
were taken back to Bloomington, but excitement was so high and mob
violence was talked of that Sheriff McCaleb brought his prisoners to
Cookeville and placed them in Jail where they have been closely guarded.
It was rumored that a mob would attempt to lynch them Monday night, but
no disturbance was attempted. Up to going to press Charley Isom has not
been caught, although a posse of officers have been scouring the
country. A PRESS man tried to get Essex to make a statement regarding
the killing, and although he said he was present and knew all about it,
he absolutely refused to talk, but said he would testify on the witness
stand. The only reason that can be assigned for the cowardly deed is
that, the three were boisterous at Bloomington and Jared had admonished
them to keep quite, but Deputy Odum says Jared was with him all day, and
that he could not have said anything to him. Robert H. Jared was a
splendid man about 27 years old and married. He was serving his second
term as constable and had made a most efficient officer. He was
prominently connected with many of the best citizens of our county, was
a nephew of Mrs. C. F. McCaleb. . . . [Date 7/9/1896, Vol. IX, No. 38,
Page 1]
