This article was copied from The SOUTHERN STANDARD of July 27, 1933

MORRISON PHYSICIAN MORTALLY WOUNDED IN DAYLIGHT ROBBERY

Dr. J.A. CLARK, 62, SHOT DOWN TUESDAY AS HE ATTEMPTED TO THWART ROBBERY OF CITIZ
ENS STATE BANK AT MORRISON; CLIFTON COTTON AND TAFT FULLER ARRESTED NEAR WOODBUR
Y; J. RAINS GIVES SELF UP; OTHERS HELD FOR FUTHER QUESTIONING
__________________________________
In one of the most daring attempts at bank robbery ever committed in Warren C
ounty, Dr. J.A. Clark, 62 highly respected and well known physician of Morrison,
12 miles south of this city, was mortally wounded at 12:45 p.m., Tuesday aftern
oon as he attempted to frustrate the daylight robbery of the Citizens State Bank
of Morrison.
Clark was shot in the abdomen at close range with a sawed off shotgun in the
hands of Taft Fuller, 23, of Cannon County, who sat at the wheel of the bandit c
ar in front of the bank. Approaching from the right, carrying a shotgun Dr. Cla
rk commanded the bandit to "stick 'em up." In answer Fuller raised the shotgun a
nd fired. Dr. Clark fell to the ground mortally wounded, but raised up as J. Rai
ns and Clifton Cotton rushed from the bank carrying between $400 and $500 in cur
rency and silver. Dr. Clark fired twice at the trio, one charge striking Fuller
in the left breast, as he slumped over the wheel. As Rains fled from the bank he
emptied his pistol at Dr.Clark, but none of the bullets took effect. The robbe
rs drove their car east from the bank, intending to turn to the right at the cor
ner, but shots from a gun in the hands of Joe Comer, who operates a store adjace
nt to the bank, forced the trio to turn to the left, heading toward Jacksboro. C
itizens of Morrison in two automobiles, armed with shotguns, pursued the bandits
but were out distanced. Officers of surrounding counties were informed of the
robbery and asked to be on the lookout for the band of robbers. Sheriff Hollings
worth of Woodbury accompanied by Deputies Lester Higgins and James Jones, armed
with a .45 calibre revolver and two shotguns came abreast of the fleeing car con
taining Cotton and Fuller about two miles north of Hollow Springs on the Manches
ter Pike, leading toward Woodbury. Turning around the three officials started ou
t in pursuit, but did not get within shooting distance until they had pursued th
e robbers for fully two miles. In a running gun battle the fleeing car was force
d into the ditch and Cotton and Fuller were taken into custody. Fuller was found
to be badly wounded, being shot in the left chest and in an unconscious conditi
on. He, with Cotton was rushed to the Woodbury hospital where attendants pronoun
ced that he was mortally wounded and would not live more than two days. An X ray
examination disclosed that one of the leaden missles had taken a downward cours
e and had lodged against the spine, with the left lung being punctured. Cotton w
as bleeding from a flesh wound in the left temple and from buckshot wounds in th
e left forearm. His condition was not considered serious in any respect
Rains is said to have abandoned the fleeing car near Jacksboro and boarded an
other automobile, said to have been driven by the fourth accomplice. Proceeding
to the home of his father, Newt Rains, about four miles north of Centertown, Ra
ins is said to have gone into the woods and secreted the loot.He was bought to W
oodbury by his father and brother in law, Mayne Lorance, where he gave himself u
p to Woodbury officials who wanted him, not only for the murder and Morrison ban
k robbery, but in connection with the Gassaway bank robbery for which his bondsm
en had notified Cannon County officials that they had withdrawn from his bond. W
arren County officials had planned to bring Cotton and Rains to the Warren Count
y jail late Tuesday night, but when sanction was sought of Judge Richardson of M
urfreesboro, the latter refused to turn over the bandits into the custody of She
riff McAfee of McMinnville giving as his reason that he feared a possible lynchi
ng and that the Warren County jail was not sufficiently strong enough to withsta
nd such an attack. He ordered that the bandits be taken to Nashville for safekee
ping until the feeling in Warren County had subsided or until the accused men we
re wanted for preliminary hearing. They were taken to Nashville by Sheriff Holli
ngsworth of Woodbury and Sheriff McAfee and Policeman Lon Parish of McMinnville
. Last week a report was circulated among the five banks in Warren County that a
bank robbery was being planned and to be prepared for a robbery which was to ha
ve taken place last Thursday. Officials of the five banks purchased a quanitity
of guns and distributed them in strategic locations. The robbery failed to matre
ralize, however, but nevertheless bank officials continued to keep up their vigi
l. Tuesday morning a small sedan containing Cotton, Rains and Fuller, was seen
crusing around in the streets of Morrison and bank officials were certain that t
he robbery was to take place on that day. Selecting an hour when the streets of
Morrison were practically devoid of pedestrians, the trio calmly drove up to the
front door of the bank. The motor of the car was left running as Rains and Cott
on walked in the door of the bank. H.A. Cunningham and J.D. Jarrell, cashier and
assistant cashier respectively, looked up as the two men entered to be faced wi
th leveled guns. J. Rains informed Cashier Cunningham that "I am J. Rains and a
bad man; get in the vault and lie down".The two men entered the vault as command
ed, but before doing so, Mr.Jarrell tripped the combination which allowed the bo
lts of the door to drop thus preventing the robbers from locking the two officia
ls inside the door, avoiding possible suffocation. Rains scooped up the ready ca
sh as Cotton kept guard over the two men. They were halted in their looting by t
he warning shot fired from Fuller's gun. Brandishing revolvers the two rushed fr
om the bank building, with their revolvers pulsating with a stream of lead. Seiz
ing two guns Cunningham and Jarrell fired as the trio fled, but without results.
Shots poured from the guns in the hands of Morrison citizens from every angle.
It is thought that Joe Comer scored a hit as the fleeing car careened to the lef
t in front of his store. One of the bandits, thought to have been Cotton was see
n to grab the left side of his face and fall forward just after Comer fired. Fe
eling amongst residents of Morrison was running high following the robbery and c
old blooded shooting of Dr. Clark and threats of a public hanging could be heard
, if the fleeing bandits were apprehended. The John W. High ambulance from McMin
nville was called and Dr. Clark rushed to the Maloney Hospital here, where he wa
s pronounced to be in a serious condition. He succumbed to his injuries a few mi
nutes after the bandits were arrested. Dr. Clark was widely known as a dead shot
with a gun and had he been given half a chance he would have accounted for all
of the bandits, but he was not given an even break and was shot down in cold blo
od. All three of the bandits have long police records. Rains killed a Coffee cou
nty man several
years ago, was convicted and sentenced to the state prison. Shortly after going
to prison Rains killed a fellow prisoner. Later though the efforts of relatives
he was adjudged to be an insane subject and was transferred to Central State Hos
pital and later released. He later robbed Muncie's store of near Woodbury of abo
ut $1800 in currency and notes. A few months ago he again broke out in another s
eries of law violations when he is said to have engineered the robbery of Melton
's bank of Gassaway, Cannon County, of $2,274 on May 9, 1933. Later he was impli
cated in the theft of L.S. Conger's car of Smithville and only a week ago in com
pany with Cotton and two others, stole a car belonging to J.K. Stanley of Bone C
ave. He was out under $2,000 bond in the Gassaway bank robbery and another $2,00
0 bond in the car theft and $500 bond in the second car theft. Criticism has bee
n directed against Warren County officials, since the Morrison bank robbery, for
the lax methods of allowing habitual criminals the liberty of furnishing bonds
and obtaining their liberty, only to get involved into futher trouble. Cotton is
under a fifteen year sentence and was at liberty on a $3,000 bond in connection
with a perjury indictment in the famous "Braswell" torture robbery case in Smit
hville. He was also out on a $2,000 bond in connection with the theft of a Mario
n county car; $2,000 bond in the Conger auto theft case; and a $500 bond in the
Stanley car theft case. At one time Cotton, who is 30 years old was a school te
acher in this county and had a good reputation. A motion for a new trial in the
Smithville case is scheduled to be argued before Judge R.W. Smartt at Smithville
on August 8.
Fuller, who is 28 years old and a resident of the sixth district of Cannon Count
y, also has a police record and has served several jail sentences. Another arre
st of the fourth and fifth members of the gang is to be made within a few days,
according to local officials. It is thought that they waited near Jacksboro in R
ains' car and carried the latter and the loot away from the pursuing officials.
Local officials are getting matters in shape for a speedy trial and Judge Smartt
is being urged to call a special term of court that speedy justice can be meted
out to the bandits. They will be charged with murder in the first degree. With
Rains and Cotton in custody a gang of thieves which has terrorized this county a
nd neighboring counties has been broken up. Rains was recognized as an exceptio
nally dangerous man and the reputed "brains" of the gang. Last Friday when Rains
and Cotton were being arraigned before Magistrate J.H. Mayo on charges of steal
ing L.S. Conger's car, Rains is said to have threatened "that he was going to ge
t someone and when he did he would not be able to furnish bond for the deed". Th
us a useful and valuable life has been taken for which the state will demand the
full penalty in return. Dr. Clark was a highly respected citizen of Morrison an
d the manner of his untimely death has stirred the citizenry of Morrison to acti
on and they are demanding that the bandits be sent to the electric chair. If suc
h is done it will be the first legal electrocution done by the state to any citi
zen of Warren County. Rains, when asked about his part in the robbery denied any
part in it and said "that they didn't have anything on him". When asked to pose
for a photograph in his cell, Rains refused to get up off his feet. "I have had
enough pictures taken already, you can find plenty of them in Nashville and oth
er cities" he said. Rains was asleep on a cot while Cotton was reading a magazi
ne when a representative of the Southern Standard was admitted to their cell. Co
tton was calm and the fact that he had been an accomplice in a cold blooded murd
er seemed to have little or no effect upon him. Once, Rains went to the cell win
dow and wise cracked and jeered at the several hundred people who had assembled
outside the jail. It is quite evident that Rains will try to avoid electrocution
by pleading insanity. New developments came in the case Wednesday morning when
Sheriff McAfee and Lon Parish arrested Newt Rains, father of J. Rains and Claren
ce Gilley of near Jacksboro and Homer Haley of Cannon county. They were brought
to the jail here and held for questioning, without bonds. This move came after a
pproximately 30 men from Morrison and McMinnville went to the farm home of Newt
Rains, a few miles southwest of Jacksboro, and searched over the farm and in the
buildings in the hope of finding the loot. It is thought that the three men mig
ht know something of the wherabouts of the money stolen from the Morrison bank.
Sheriff McAfee notified Nashville police authorities to be on the lookout for t
wo other men, one a brother in law of J. Rains, who were thought to have taken t
he money from its hiding place early Wednesday morning and started with it for N
ashville. Mrs. Newt Rains, step mother of J. Rains told a Southern Standard rep
resentative that she and her husband were on the front porch of their home when
a car carrying three men, traveling east, passed their home at a high rate of sp
eed. One of these men, she said was recognized to be Clifton Cotton. Following
the Cotton car was another car,also traveling fast, containing J. Rains. Rains,
according to the step mother, stooped his car in front of the porch, which is ju
st a few feet from the road. Jumping out of the car and running to the porch whe
re the two were seated J. Rains threw the keys of the car down at his fathers fe
et, saying "Well I have just robbed the Morrison bank" According to the step mot
her. Mrs. Rains said she knew very little of the activities of her step son. She
said that he talked very little around the home and other members of the househ
old
knew little or nothing about his actions. Occasionally he brought other young m
en to the home. Sometimes these young men were introduced she said, possibly und
er an assumed name. She said that she did not inquire at anytime in his own pers
onal affairs. "If you don't know anything you can't tell anything," she said.
Dr. Adams of the Woodbury hospital stated to the Southern Standard late Thursday
afternoon that Taft Fuller was doing well and would probably recover unless com
plications set in within the next few days. He said that Fuller suffered interna
l hemorrhages to the right lung and that blood had formed in the lung and would
have to be removed before Fuller would be out of danger. When questioned how lo
ng Fuller would have to remain in the hospital he said that in all probabilities
he would be confined there for at least three weeks, unless he took a turn for
the worse, or his condition improved far more rapidly than it is looked for.

This article was copied from The SOUTHERN STANDARD of July 27, 1933
MORRISON PHYSICIAN MORTALLY WOUNDED IN DAYLIGHT ROBBERY
Dr. J.A. CLARK, 62, SHOT DOWN TUESDAY AS HE ATTEMPTED TO THWART ROBBERY OF CITIZ
ENS STATE BANK AT MORRISON; CLIFTON COTTON AND TAFT FULLER ARRESTED NEAR WOODBUR
Y; J. RAINS GIVES SELF UP; OTHERS HELD FOR FUTHER QUESTIONING
__________________________________
In one of the most daring attempts at bank robbery ever committed in Warren C
ounty, Dr. J.A. Clark, 62 highly respected and well known physician of Morrison,
12 miles south of this city, was mortally wounded at 12:45 p.m., Tuesday aftern
oon as he attempted to frustrate the daylight robbery of the Citizens State Bank
of Morrison.
Clark was shot in the abdomen at close range with a sawed off shotgun in the
hands of Taft Fuller, 23, of Cannon County, who sat at the wheel of the bandit c
ar in front of the bank. Approaching from the right, carrying a shotgun Dr. Cla
rk commanded the bandit to "stick 'em up." In answer Fuller raised the shotgun a
nd fired. Dr. Clark fell to the ground mortally wounded, but raised up as J. Rai
ns and Clifton Cotton rushed from the bank carrying between $400 and $500 in cur
rency and silver. Dr. Clark fired twice at the trio, one charge striking Fuller
in the left breast, as he slumped over the wheel. As Rains fled from the bank he
emptied his pistol at Dr.Clark, but none of the bullets took effect. The robbe
rs drove their car east from the bank, intending to turn to the right at the cor
ner, but shots from a gun in the hands of Joe Comer, who operates a store adjace
nt to the bank, forced the trio to turn to the left, heading toward Jacksboro. C
itizens of Morrison in two automobiles, armed with shotguns, pursued the bandits
but were out distanced. Officers of surrounding counties were informed of the
robbery and asked to be on the lookout for the band of robbers. Sheriff Hollings
worth of Woodbury accompanied by Deputies Lester Higgins and James Jones, armed
with a .45 calibre revolver and two shotguns came abreast of the fleeing car con
taining Cotton and Fuller about two miles north of Hollow Springs on the Manches
ter Pike, leading toward Woodbury. Turning around the three officials started ou
t in pursuit, but did not get within shooting distance until they had pursued th
e robbers for fully two miles. In a running gun battle the fleeing car was force
d into the ditch and Cotton and Fuller were taken into custody. Fuller was found
to be badly wounded, being shot in the left chest and in an unconscious conditi
on. He, with Cotton was rushed to the Woodbury hospital where attendants pronoun
ced that he was mortally wounded and would not live more than two days. An X ray
examination disclosed that one of the leaden missles had taken a downward cours
e and had lodged against the spine, with the left lung being punctured. Cotton w
as bleeding from a flesh wound in the left temple and from buckshot wounds in th
e left forearm. His condition was not considered serious in any respect
Rains is said to have abandoned the fleeing car near Jacksboro and boarded an
other automobile, said to have been driven by the fourth accomplice. Proceeding
to the home of his father, Newt Rains, about four miles north of Centertown, Ra
ins is said to have gone into the woods and secreted the loot.He was bought to W
oodbury by his father and brother in law, Mayne Lorance, where he gave himself u
p to Woodbury officials who wanted him, not only for the murder and Morrison ban
k robbery, but in connection with the Gassaway bank robbery for which his bondsm
en had notified Cannon County officials that they had withdrawn from his bond. W
arren County officials had planned to bring Cotton and Rains to the Warren Count
y jail late Tuesday night, but when sanction was sought of Judge Richardson of M
urfreesboro, the latter refused to turn over the bandits into the custody of She
riff McAfee of McMinnville giving as his reason that he feared a possible lynchi
ng and that the Warren County jail was not sufficiently strong enough to withsta
nd such an attack. He ordered that the bandits be taken to Nashville for safekee
ping until the feeling in Warren County had subsided or until the accused men we
re wanted for preliminary hearing. They were taken to Nashville by Sheriff Holli
ngsworth of Woodbury and Sheriff McAfee and Policeman Lon Parish of McMinnville
. Last week a report was circulated among the five banks in Warren County that a
bank robbery was being planned and to be prepared for a robbery which was to ha
ve taken place last Thursday. Officials of the five banks purchased a quanitity
of guns and distributed them in strategic locations. The robbery failed to matre
ralize, however, but nevertheless bank officials continued to keep up their vigi
l. Tuesday morning a small sedan containing Cotton, Rains and Fuller, was seen
crusing around in the streets of Morrison and bank officials were certain that t
he robbery was to take place on that day. Selecting an hour when the streets of
Morrison were practically devoid of pedestrians, the trio calmly drove up to the
front door of the bank. The motor of the car was left running as Rains and Cott
on walked in the door of the bank. H.A. Cunningham and J.D. Jarrell, cashier and
assistant cashier respectively, looked up as the two men entered to be faced wi
th leveled guns. J. Rains informed Cashier Cunningham that "I am J. Rains and a
bad man; get in the vault and lie down".The two men entered the vault as command
ed, but before doing so, Mr.Jarrell tripped the combination which allowed the bo
lts of the door to drop thus preventing the robbers from locking the two officia
ls inside the door, avoiding possible suffocation. Rains scooped up the ready ca
sh as Cotton kept guard over the two men. They were halted in their looting by t
he warning shot fired from Fuller's gun. Brandishing revolvers the two rushed fr
om the bank building, with their revolvers pulsating with a stream of lead. Seiz
ing two guns Cunningham and Jarrell fired as the trio fled, but without results.
Shots poured from the guns in the hands of Morrison citizens from every angle.
It is thought that Joe Comer scored a hit as the fleeing car careened to the lef
t in front of his store. One of the bandits, thought to have been Cotton was see
n to grab the left side of his face and fall forward just after Comer fired. Fe
eling amongst residents of Morrison was running high following the robbery and c
old blooded shooting of Dr. Clark and threats of a public hanging could be heard
, if the fleeing bandits were apprehended. The John W. High ambulance from McMin
nville was called and Dr. Clark rushed to the Maloney Hospital here, where he wa
s pronounced to be in a serious condition. He succumbed to his injuries a few mi
nutes after the bandits were arrested. Dr. Clark was widely known as a dead shot
with a gun and had he been given half a chance he would have accounted for all
of the bandits, but he was not given an even break and was shot down in cold blo
od. All three of the bandits have long police records. Rains killed a Coffee cou
nty man several
years ago, was convicted and sentenced to the state prison. Shortly after going
to prison Rains killed a fellow prisoner. Later though the efforts of relatives
he was adjudged to be an insane subject and was transferred to Central State Hos
pital and later released. He later robbed Muncie's store of near Woodbury of abo
ut $1800 in currency and notes. A few months ago he again broke out in another s
eries of law violations when he is said to have engineered the robbery of Melton
's bank of Gassaway, Cannon County, of $2,274 on May 9, 1933. Later he was impli
cated in the theft of L.S. Conger's car of Smithville and only a week ago in com
pany with Cotton and two others, stole a car belonging to J.K. Stanley of Bone C
ave. He was out under $2,000 bond in the Gassaway bank robbery and another $2,00
0 bond in the car theft and $500 bond in the second car theft. Criticism has bee
n directed against Warren County officials, since the Morrison bank robbery, for
the lax methods of allowing habitual criminals the liberty of furnishing bonds
and obtaining their liberty, only to get involved into futher trouble. Cotton is
under a fifteen year sentence and was at liberty on a $3,000 bond in connection
with a perjury indictment in the famous "Braswell" torture robbery case in Smit
hville. He was also out on a $2,000 bond in connection with the theft of a Mario
n county car; $2,000 bond in the Conger auto theft case; and a $500 bond in the
 Stanley car theft case. At one time Cotton, who is 30 years old was a school te
acher in this county and had a good reputation. A motion for a new trial in the
Smithville case is scheduled to be argued before Judge R.W. Smartt at Smithville
on August 8.
Fuller, who is 28 years old and a resident of the sixth district of Cannon Count
y, also has a police record and has served several jail sentences. Another arre
st of the fourth and fifth members of the gang is to be made within a few days,
according to local officials. It is thought that they waited near Jacksboro in R
ains' car and carried the latter and the loot away from the pursuing officials.
Local officials are getting matters in shape for a speedy trial and Judge Smartt
is being urged to call a special term of court that speedy justice can be meted
out to the bandits. They will be charged with murder in the first degree. With
Rains and Cotton in custody a gang of thieves which has terrorized this county a
nd neighboring counties has been broken up. Rains was recognized as an exceptio
nally dangerous man and the reputed "brains" of the gang. Last Friday when Rains
and Cotton were being arraigned before Magistrate J.H. Mayo on charges of steal
ing L.S. Conger's car, Rains is said to have threatened "that he was going to ge
t someone and when he did he would not be able to furnish bond for the deed". Th
us a useful and valuable life has been taken for which the state will demand the
full penalty in return. Dr. Clark was a highly respected citizen of Morrison an
d the manner of his untimely death has stirred the citizenry of Morrison to acti
on and they are demanding that the bandits be sent to the electric chair. If suc
h is done it will be the first legal electrocution done by the state to any citi
zen of Warren County. Rains, when asked about his part in the robbery denied any
part in it and said "that they didn't have anything on him". When asked to pose
for a photograph in his cell, Rains refused to get up off his feet. "I have had
enough pictures taken already, you can find plenty of them in Nashville and oth
er cities" he said. Rains was asleep on a cot while Cotton was reading a magazi
ne when a representative of the Southern Standard was admitted to their cell. Co
tton was calm and the fact that he had been an accomplice in a cold blooded murd
er seemed to have little or no effect upon him. Once, Rains went to the cell win
dow and wise cracked and jeered at the several hundred people who had assembled
outside the jail. It is quite evident that Rains will try to avoid electrocution
by pleading insanity. New developments came in the case Wednesday morning when
Sheriff McAfee and Lon Parish arrested Newt Rains, father of J. Rains and Claren
ce Gilley of near Jacksboro and Homer Haley of Cannon county. They were brought
to the jail here and held for questioning, without bonds. This move came after a
pproximately 30 men from Morrison and McMinnville went to the farm home of Newt
Rains, a few miles southwest of Jacksboro, and searched over the farm and in the
buildings in the hope of finding the loot. It is thought that the three men mig
ht know something of the wherabouts of the money stolen from the Morrison bank.
Sheriff McAfee notified Nashville police authorities to be on the lookout for t
wo other men, one a brother in law of J. Rains, who were thought to have taken t
he money from its hiding place early Wednesday morning and started with it for N
ashville. Mrs. Newt Rains, step mother of J. Rains told a Southern Standard rep
resentative that she and her husband were on the front porch of their home when
a car carrying three men, traveling east, passed their home at a high rate of sp
eed. One of these men, she said was recognized to be Clifton Cotton. Following
the Cotton car was another car,also traveling fast, containing J. Rains. Rains,
according to the step mother, stooped his car in front of the porch, which is ju
st a few feet from the road. Jumping out of the car and running to the porch whe
re the two were seated J. Rains threw the keys of the car down at his fathers fe
et, saying "Well I have just robbed the Morrison bank" According to the step mot
her. Mrs. Rains said she knew very little of the activities of her step son. She
said that he talked very little around the home and other members of the househ
old
knew little or nothing about his actions. Occasionally he brought other young m
en to the home. Sometimes these young men were introduced she said, possibly und
er an assumed name. She said that she did not inquire at anytime in his own pers
onal affairs. "If you don't know anything you can't tell anything," she said.
Dr. Adams of the Woodbury hospital stated to the Southern Standard late Thursday
afternoon that Taft Fuller was doing well and would probably recover unless com
plications set in within the next few days. He said that Fuller suffered interna
l hemorrhages to the right lung and that blood had formed in the lung and would
have to be removed before Fuller would be out of danger. When questioned how lo
ng Fuller would have to remain in the hospital he said that in all probabilities
he would be confined there for at least three weeks, unless he took a turn for
the worse, or his condition improved far more rapidly than it is looked for.