The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1870-02-10

From the vicksburg Herald, Feb. /.
The following testimony was given at the
preliminary examination of this affair on
Saturday, the 10Th, before Judge Franklin,
Of the Probate Court, at Iazoo City. The
principal witness was Mr.. Mcdowell, who
testified in substance as follows
"About O'Clock, p. NJ, Wednesday, the
26th inst, witness was with the deceased
and his brother David. on the Good Hope
Plantation, on Wolfe Lake. in Yazoo county
having sat down 70 dinner, deceased helped
David Roach to ham, but without eating,
he (Dayid) left the table and the room
witness and deceased, after dinner, went
into bedroom adjoining and were sitting
-one on each side of the -place-readiDg
newspapers, when David Roach entered
and took a seat between them; Mcdowell is
somewhat deaf and states ii David made
any remark after coming in and sitting
down, he did not hear them. Says he heard
deceased remark that he would put stop
to such conduct moment after, glane-
ing up from his paper, witness saw David
Roach with his pistol presented. aud before
he could make a movement to prevent the
act Benjamin Roach was shot through the
head Witness then seized David and en-
Cleavored to hold him, till in scuftling they
reached the gallery. when witness seeing,
about forty steps OFF, Street, and Cover and
McCorkle called to them to come and assist
him, but they paid no attention to him.
Witness also called to some cOIored men.
but they seemed too much frightened to
render any assistance. David Roach then
looked over to where those white men were
and said, IF you don't befriend me as you
promised, will tell who gave me the pis-
tol. Then n. b. Street came to David and
took him by the collar, saying II want to
talk to this man; David has to take care of
HIMSELF" and took him off. Witness says
all these men had been drinking and were
armed, so he concluded to LET David 60.
McCorkle was on horse, but got off and
Cover got on, and witness hallowed to
Cover to lend him that horse to send for
A doctor and TO take David to town, but
Cover declined, saying the horse belonged to
Mr.. Street. Soon after this witness saw
David on the horse, and Mr.. Street talking
to him from the ground, and in short
time after saw David riding off through the
field.
The pistol was produced in court. 1t is an
ordinary pocket Derringer. Witness states
that after the firing he took the pistol and
put it in his pocket. Witness stated that
he noticed Daviu and Mr.. Street talkin g
more than usually together that day in
private manner. Witness mentioned appre-
tensions or presentiments he had, but such
evidence was ruled out by the court, and
we therefore do not mention it here.
Witness was cross-examined, but no evil
dence particularly conflicting with the
above was elected.
Benjamin Roach, with Mr.. Mcdowell, an
old friend and overseer in the family, ar
rived at the Good Hope Plantation about
the LIST of January, 1870. 1t was Benjamin
Roachs design to get rid of the associates
David had upon the place, and to recover
him from their influence. Street and the
other associates that David had there were
angered at this, and Street is reputed to
have said he ''would have revenge and then
hunt tall TIMBER The general talk among
the people is that Street and others are in
some way implicated in the affair. Street
is in confinement and so is Roach. Roach
looks terribly bad. During the trial he
preserved silence, vet seemed attentive to
the examination, and occasionally wept.
His facells pale and hair disordered, and the
veins in his forehead exhibited great mem
tai suffering. The impression was general
that David was too much under the influence
of liquor and drugs to be conscious of his
action at the time of the killing, and that
he was but tool of others