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- [S106] The Mountain Press, 10 Oct 2011.
Upland Chronicles: George Zirkle's career in law noteworthy
By CARROLL McMAHAN
George Zirkle, along with Capt. William W. Mullendore and an attorney from Newport, Col. W. J. McSween, represented the defense for Pleas Wynn and Catlett Tipton after the two alleged White Caps were arrested for the brutal double murder of William and Laura McMahan Whaley while their infant daughter lay crying in her crib on Dec. 28, 1896.
The trial was reputedly the most talked about judicial event in the history of Sevier County.
On the day before the trial of Wynn and Tipton for the murder of William Whaley was submitted to the jury, William Wynn, who was a brother of Pleas Wynn, became enraged by the testimony of Owen Dickey, who testified for the prosecution. After court adjourned, William Wynn, who had been drinking freely all day, met the witness in the courthouse and began shouting obscenities and calling Dickey a liar.
Sheriff Fillmore Maples ordered William Wynn to leave the courtroom.
Later that afternoon, as the sheriff was walking away from the courthouse, Wynn and a group of his friends stepped out from behind McDonald Brown’s Livery Stable and an altercation erupted between the armed men and the lone sheriff. Five shots rang out in rapid succession and William Wynn fell to the ground dead, shot four times in the abdomen.
By the next day, excitement was intense. Sadly, tolling church bells for the funeral of Pleas Wynn’s brother accompanied the eloquent counsel as the defense team delivered their closing appeal while the funeral procession for William Wynn passed the courthouse. Regardless of the melancholic courtroom drama, Pleas Wynn and Catlett Tipton were found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging.
The Pleas Wynn and Catlett Tipton defense was only one of the dramatic cases in which George Zirkle participated during an illustrious 60-year law career.
George Luther Zirkle was born in the Shady Grove community of Jefferson County on Oct. 5, 1857. He was one of three sons born to William Zirkle and Mary Ellen Gout Zirkle. His brothers were John and Robert Zirkle. He attended New Market Academy and Grant University in Athens, Tenn.
Mr. Zirkle was admitted to the bar in 1884 after reading law under George W. Pickle, best known as Attorney General of the Tennessee for many years, and Wilbur R. Turner, who later served as a special justice on the Tennessee Supreme Court.Prior to practicing law, George Zirkle taught school in Jefferson County for five years, after which he was elected superintendent of Jefferson County School System.
George Zirkle was the law partner of Miles B. McMahan, who was the fourth mayor of Sevierville and served as cashier and vice president of the Bank of Sevierville. McMahan was a member of the Board of Trustees of Murphy College and, at one time, served as a United States Commissioner.
Cleo Burchfiel was admitted to the bar and practiced law with McMahan and Zirkle for a short time. However, Burchfiel quit the practice and went into the lumber business and was very successful.
On Sept. 1, 1887, George Zirkle married Alice Thomas of Sevierville. Thomas was born Feb. 2, 1867. She was a daughter of McKendree Porter Thomas and Julia Lanning Thomas and a great-granddaughter of Isaac Thomas, who was one of Sevier County’s founding fathers and scout for John Sevier.
George Zirkle’s career with the Sevierville Bar lasted longer than any individual in the county’s history. He served on the Sevierville Board of Aldermen for 12 years and represented Sevier County in the Tennessee House of Representatives for two consecutive terms.
Like his law partner, M.B. McMahan, Zirkle was a United States Commissioner and trustee of Murphy College. He was the attorney of the Bank of Sevierville for many years and an active member of the Methodist church.
M.B. McMahan died in 1914 and Zirkle entered into partnership with Robert Benjamin “Ben” Robertson, who was known throughout Sevier County as Judge Ben, and William Augustus “Gus” Bowers, although he was better known as a businessman who operated the Sevierville Mills, a flour and meal manufacturing company in Sevierville.
Although the Zirkles had no children of their own, they were extremely fond of their nephews: Phillip, T.M. Jr. and George’s namesake, Zirkle Wynn, who were the sons of Thaddeus M. Wynn. Alice’s younger sister, Nettie Thomas Wynn, lived next door. The young boys affectingly called Mr. Zirkle “Uncle Gee Gee.”
Phillip Wynn was admitted to the bar in 1935 after graduating from the University Of Tennessee School Of Law and joined his Uncle George’s law practice.
After almost 59 years of marriage, George Zirkle’s beloved wife, Alice died on July 6, 1946. She was 79. The day after Alice was laid to rest in Shiloh Cemetery, 89-year-old George Zirkle passed away. Many people who attended the funeral service for George Zirkle commented they felt the couple would have wanted it that way.
After Zirkle’s death, Phillip Wynn was joined by his brother T.M. Wynn Jr. in the law firm which became known as Wynn and Wynn. The brothers practiced law together until T.M. Wynn’s untimely death in 1969. He was only 47 years old.
Although many able attorneys have practiced law in Sevier County, few have left a longer or more lasting impact on the judicial culture of Sevierville than George L. Zirkle.
— Carroll McMahan is the special projects facilitator for the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce. The Upland Chronicles series celebrates the heritage and past of Sevier County. If you suggestions for future topics, would like to submit a column or have comments; please contact Carroll McMahan at 453-6411 or email to cmcmahan@scoc.org; or Ron Rader at 604-9161 or email to ron@ronraderproperties.com.
Upland Chronicles: George Zirkle's career in law noteworthy
- [S73] Rawlings Funeral Home, Book 2, 9 Jul 1946.
Zirkle, George L. Oct 5, 1857 Jefferson Co. Tn July 9, 1946
Sposue: Thomas, ?
Father: Zirkle, William Jefferson Co. Tn
Mother: Gaut, ? Jefferson Co, Tn
Cemetery: Shiloh
Brothers: John, Robert
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