Donald Paine Collection of State of Tennessee v. Fulton
This collection contains lectures, handouts, notes, photocopies of court documents, maps, newspaper clippings, and photographs documenting the case of State of Tennessee v. Fulton. Series I: Lecture Materials, 2002-2003, contains material related to a lecture entitled "Sex, Murder, and UT Football" that Donald Paine wrote and presented to several legal organizations in East Tennessee. It provides an overview of the case mounted against James Fulton for murdering Sam Parker and the subsequent case against J. E. Bell for murdering James Fulton. Series II: State of Tennessee v. Fulton, 1850-2003, consists primarily of photocopies of original court documents and newspaper clippings documenting the case. Of particular note are the two binders, which contain a complete transcript of the case. Other items include research regarding Sam Parker's life, including material related to his time at the University of Tennessee, notes, photographs, and reference books. This series also includes several items documenting the later case of State of Tennessee v. J. E. Bell.
Dates
- 1850-2003 (bulk 1903-2003)
Conditions Governing Access
Collections are stored offsite and must be requested in advance. See www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.
Conditions Governing Use
The UT Libraries claims only physical ownership of most material in the collections. Persons wishing to broadcast or publish this material must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants on www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.
Extent
1.5 Linear Feet
Abstract
This collection contains lectures, handouts, notes, photocopies of court documents, maps, newspaper clippings, and photographs collected by Donald Paine that document State of Tennessee v. Fulton, a case related to the murder of UT graduate Sam Parker on July 5, 1906.
Biographical/Historical Note
Samuel Epps Young Parker was born on May 12, 1880. He attended the University of Tennessee from 1903 to 1905, during which time he played on both the football and baseball teams and was apparently quite well known. On July 5, 1906, lawyer James E. Fulton shot Parker as he was stepping off a train in Helenwood, Tennessee. Parker died the following morning, and Fulton was charged with his murder. At his trial, Fulton insisted that his wife, Laura Neil Fulton, had been conducting an extramarital affair with Parker. As a result, when Fulton saw Parker at the train station, he was so enraged that he shot Parker without being conscious of his actions. Fulton's first trial ended with a hung jury, but he was found guilty at his second trial and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Governor Malcolm R. Patterson pardoned him after only 10 months, and Fulton returned to his legal work.
In June of 1917, the editor of the Scott County Times, J. E. Bell, printed an editorial that Fulton felt reflected poorly on him. Fulton apparently stalked Bell for several weeks thereafter, which prompted Bell to procure a firearm to defend himself. Somewhat predictably, when Fulton appeared in Bell's office on July 1, 1917, Bell shot and killed him. Bell was convicted of involuntary manslaughter but subsequently pardoned by Governor Thomas Rye.
Arrangement
This collection consists of two boxes divided into two series:
Missing Title
- Series I: Lecture Materials, 2002-2003
- Series II: State of Tennessee v. Fulton, 1850-2003
Acquisition Note
Donald Paine donated this collection to the Special Collections.
Repository Details
Part of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Repository