Alexandria Historic Cemeteries District

Reprinted with Permission from Mitzi Freeman – Originally found on the MTGS issue XXXI No. 1

The Allison Murders in Putnam County (part 5) by Dr. Mitzi P. Freeman
continued from the Spring 2017 issue (vol. XXX, no. 4)

Introduction
On 30 June 1877, a jury found Jo and Teek Brassell guilty of Murder in the First Degree for the murder of Russell Allison in November 1875. The judge sentenced them to be hanged on 9 August 1877 in Putnam County. The defense attorneys immediately requested that the case be brought to the Tennessee Supreme Court. It was another nine months before Jo and Teek met their destiny.

The Escape of Dol Bates

The day of Russell Allison’s murder, Bates and Johnson returned to their homes in DeKalb County. Initially, their participation in the crime was unknown to the authorities. Their role was discovered only after Johnson, attempting to avoid charges for an unrelated crime, confessed to being present at the scene of the murder. He turned State’s Evidence to avoid charges in either crime. A warrant was immediately issued for Bates arrest. He was captured in January 1876 by Sheriff Doss and sent to the Nashville Jail.

The day of Russell Allison’s murder, Bates and Johnson returned to their homes in DeKalb County. Initially, their participation in the crime was unknown to the authorities. Their role was discovered only after Johnson, attempting to avoid charges for an unrelated crime, confessed to being present at the scene of the murder. He turned State’s Evidence to avoid charges in either crime. A warrant was immediately issued for Bates arrest. He was captured in January 1876 by Sheriff Doss and sent to the Nashville Jail.

While on the run, he stole a mule and rode it to Gallatin. He sold it shortly thereafter. Boarding a train, he traveled to Louisville, Kentucky. From there, he boarded a boat and traveled to Covington, Kentucky and Cincinnati, Ohio. He eventually made his way to Indianapolis, Indiana where he stayed for a while.

After contemplating the mess that he had gotten himself into, he decided to return to Tennessee and meet his fate. He later told a reporter: “On account of my mind being so troubled and so weary; I had feeling that cannot be described, and made up my mind to return and stand a trial, feeling that I could be cleared.”

He arrived back in Gallatin on 19 April 1878 and walked to his home in Alexandria. After spending a day and a night at home, he changed his mind and left to visit some relatives in Mississippi. He stopped at Thomas Chapman’s farm in Liberty and stole his tender footed bay mare. Riding this mare, he traveled to Culpepper where he stopped to rest in the woods near the Woodbury and Murfreesboro Turnpike. Bates hitched the mare to a tree and lay down to rest. He kept his double-barrel shotgun under his arm as he slept.

Nearby, three young men were out in the woods hunting when they accidentally stumbled upon Bates sleeping. Fearing that he was a horse thief, they went and contacted Lewis Jetton, who was a member of the Vigilance Committee in Cannon County. Jetton and the three young men returned to where Bates was sleeping and demanded to know who he was. He informed them that his name was “Wilson,” which he later claimed to be a joke. He was immediately arrested on suspicion of being a horse thief and taken to Woodbury.

As the party of men reached the Public Square in Woodbury, several members in the crowd cried out “That’s Dol Bates!” After confirming his
identity, he was placed in the custody of Sheriff James H. Mitchell of Cannon County and escorted back to jail. When the sheriff searched Bates, he found nothing on him except four empty whiskey bottles. Dirty and disheveled,
Bates had been captured wearing a pair of blue pants, a gray-lined duster, and a collarless shirt. His clothes had not been washed in weeks.

Sheriff Doss and Deputy Sheriff Robert Botts arrived by wagon in Woodbury to escort Bates back to Alexandria and then back to the Nashville jail. They handcuffed Bates and tethered his handcuffs to the wagon. Doss tied the knot so tightly that it was feared that he might have to later use a knife to free Bates.

While in the custody, Bates attempted another escape. He first tried to bribe Doss with $500 [$12,100 today] and a deed for 300 acres of land. When that attempt failed, he tried to free himself from his restraints and jump from the wagon. In another attempt while Botts was driving the wagon and Doss lay sleeping in the bed of the wagon, Bates manipulated his hands until they were nearly free. When Botts realized what Bates was doing, he cried out to Doss to awaken him. Bates, attempting to allay his fears, whispered “There is no necessity for calling him; there is no danger.” However, Botts continued to yell until Doss awoke.

Bates escaped again in July 1878 when US Deputy Marshal John T. Armstrong escorted him from Nashville to Smithville for a court appearance. Armstrong had been specifically chosen for this duty, because he was well known for his ability to control his prisoners. After he and Bates left, other officials realized that Armstrong had taken no guards with him. They immediately dispatched George W. Hathaway and John Blackburn to aid Armstrong during the transfer.

As they traveled back to DeKalb County, Armstrong and Bates were in a buggy in front; and Hathaway and Blackburn followed in a Jersey behind. Bates was handcuffed to Armstrong. Hathaway and Blackburn later stated that in preparation for travel, Armstrong had adamantly refused to allow them to assist with Bates in any way. While enroute, Armstrong made it difficult for Hathaway and Blackburn to keep pace with the buggy. They stopped in Alexandria for dinner. When it came time to leave, Armstrong drove off with Bates leaving Hathaway and Blackburn behind. Hathaway then drove at full speed trying to catch up with the buggy but failed to do so. By the time they reached Liberty, Bates had successfully escaped.

Armstrong and Bates had arrived in Liberty at Armstrong’s brother-in-law’s stable between 2:00am – 3:00am on the morning of 10 July. Needing to unharness the mule, Armstrong removed the handcuff from his own wrist and placed it on Bates’ free wrist – both wrists were now cuffed together. He removed the harness from the mule and carried it into the stable, while leaving Bates behind to hold the mule. As Armstrong disappeared behind the crib door, Bates simply walked off. Several people in the town saw him escape, but no one made any effort to stop him. Armstrong failed to raise any type of alarm or to make any effort to apprehend him. A few days later, Armstrong was indicted “for corruptly and voluntarily allowing the escape.”

To be continued…

Mitzi P. Freeman, Ph. D., has been doing genealogical research for nearly 20 years. Her interests are primarily in Putnam, Jackson and White counties. She hosts a website called TNGenes Genealogy at http://tngenes.net. She can be reached at tnresearch@tngenes.net.

i “Dol Bates Wanderings – How He Happened to Wind Up in the Davidson County Jail – Where He Has Been Since His Disappearance.” Daily American [Nashville, TN] 21 Apr 1878: 1, hereinafter cited as “Dol Bates Wanderings.”
ii “Dol Bates Captured – The Accomplice of the Brassell Brothers Overhauled in Cannon County.” Daily American, 20 Apr 1878: 4., hereinafter cited as “Dol Bates Captured.”
iii “Dol Bates Wanderings.”
iv Ibid.
v “DOL BATES’S ESCAPE – Suspicious Conduct of the Officer Who Let Him Get Loose – Indicted for Complicity in the Affair.” Daily American, 14 July 1878: 3.