Although the Epperson tragedy was the topic in Week 9, I couldn't help but write a part two of sorts on the trial that would transpire. The emotional toll this had on my great-grandmother, Allie Epperson Sutton, and her siblings must have been horrendous. The eldest brother, John A. Epperson (age 25) would be charged with the murder of his father. John’s younger brother, Thomas Epperson (age 20) would act as prosecutor and principal witness for the State despite using the weapon that caused the deaths of his mother and sister. Reading through summary of the appeal filed by John A. Epperson saddened me but also helped to visualize how angry two brothers were during the tragic day. It seems like enough sadness had occurred in the family but now their pain would be revisited again in court.
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| John A. Epperson v. The State, p. 291 |
Newspapers had written that John was a one-armed man and I was shocked to discover that this was confirmed in the legal documents. His right arm had been lost to an accident. After reading testimony indicating that his father had accosted him and encouraged Thomas to join in the fracas, it seems odd that there wasn't more sympathy given that he was handicapped. Seems he had a right to defend himself but we will never know what the true relationship was between father and son but John was very determined to defend his mother. Two siblings were witnesses for the defense – George (age 23) and Mary Epperson (age 14). The Knoxville Daily Chronicle published an article on September 26, 1880 regarding John's conviction. The writer indicated that the deaths of his mother and sister were a result of John's actions; however, the legal summary indicated that it was Thomas. He pointed a gun at John and George grabbed his hand resulting in a struggle and the weapon fired. The bullet's victim was their 15-year old sister Gracy who later died of her injuries. As George and/or John walked out of the room, Thomas fired the gun once again in their direction but shot his mother instead!
The enumerator also indicated that John was married. Could he have children from this union? Luckily, information provided on Find A Grave revealed his spouse as Sarah Elizabeth Lea and there was indeed a child -- a daughter named Laura.
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| John A. Epperson's death record. Source: Tennessee, City Death Records 1872-1923 |
It saddened me to realize that Laura was born after her father's death. According to the information on Find A Grave, Laura was born on December 31, 1883 and her father had died from tuberculosis in the State Prison located in Nashville on March 22, 1883. Could her birth year or birth month be incorrect given she was born nine months after his death? John may have gone to his grave unaware that he was going to be a father. He was laid to rest in Mt. Ararat Cemetery and that is curious given it is a historical African-American Cemetery located in Nashville. I doubt there is a headstone but his death and burial location was recorded:
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| Source: Tennessee, Deaths and Burials Index, 1874-1955 -- Ancestry.com |
After John’s death, Sarah remarried in Hamblen County on February 23, 1891, to Harbert Cooper with whom she had several children. Daughter Laura was wed to Benjamin Franklin Moore on March 20, 1898 in Hamblen County. To this union, nine children were born and in reading Laura's obituary, it sounds like she had a wonderful life.
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| Source: Elizabethton Star (Elizabethton, Tennessee) 29 Dec 1963 -- Newspapers.com |
Now as each generation discovers this tragedy, it re-opens the wound that has been felt through the years:
“It has been said, 'time heals all wounds.' I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone.”
― Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy
― Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy
As I said before, we are all affected by this in ways we will never know
ReplyDeleteAnd my aunts swore my dad to secrecy. It’s sad because we don’t know how to deal with it.
ReplyDelete