Murder on Tumbling Creek is a biographical work depicting the circumstances surrounding the murder of a Tumbling Creek farmer, John T. Peeler, in the August of 1918. The crime occurred in the former Crowell Community which has afterward been more commonly referred to as ÒPoplar GroveÓ in consequence of the Crowell familyÕs involvement with the Peeler-Crowell case. It was an ÒassassinationÓ and Òone of the most brutal murders in TennesseeÓ according to the Peeler family in a letter to the press dated November 1918. Elvis Crowell was accused of committing the crime, but popular belief suggests that it was his uncle, Lee Crowell. At the time, in 1918, Peeler had actively campaigned with John Mark Gray against Lee Crowell as candidates to become a Justice of the Peace (also called county magistrate).
The May 2, 1919, issue of the Dickson County Herald remarked of the occasion of State Vs. Crowell as the climatic response to the Òmost heinous cold-blooded murder to ever be committed in Humphreys County.Ó Murder on Tumbling Creek will feature the key excerpts from the trial proceedings accompanied by commentary. Additionally, a host of supplemental resources have been included among which are documents relating to Mormon missionaries in Tennessee, the Civil War in Humphreys County, and never before seen photographs/maps.
Murder on Tumbling Creek seeks to better document the rich history of that part of the world called Poplar Grove which is beloved by many today by examining the events leading up to and after the murder. ÒThis is not just a story about a murder but of a people and a community that was forever impacted,Ó writes Stewart, ÒIf we are to extrapolate meaning from any of it, the story must be written and the history passed down, both the good and the bad.Ó
Includes:
Hardcover binding
Premium black & white ink (quality picture reproduction)
Coated white paper (quality printing)
Matte cover finish
Printed and bound in the United States of America