Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-08-28
THE CLINTON HOMICIDE.
Continuation of the Evidence Before
Hon. M. L. Hall,

Clinton homicide, which is being
heard before Judge M. L. Hall, on ap-
p!ieation for ha6eGs corpus, was con-
tinued yesterday morning. Judge
Temple was present yesterday in the
case for the prosecution, and the coun-
sci for either side is now as follows
For the prosecution, Hon. o. P.
Temple and Messrs. J. N. Ray. III. T.
Cooper, Jas. 8. Boyd, Jr., and Mr..
Lindsay. For the defense, Gen. VIM.
Cullom, of Clinton, and Messrs. II. R.
Gibson, s. E. Young and Price
Thomas, of this city. ea.
GEORGE MORGAN, r.
a shoemaker, was the first witness.
A question was raised by defendants
attorneys as to the witness belief in a
Supreme Being and q state of future
rewards and punishments. After
much questioning and eross-question-
ing, he was adjudged a competent
witness, and was examined by J. n.
Ray for the prosecution. His testi-
mony was in substance as follows:
Had short acquaintance with 81.
M. Bonham, know defendants J. L.
Shipe, Sam. Shipe and A. J. Queener,
though only by sight during and
shop in Clinton the morning of the
difficulty working, when Bonham
came past the window and stopped,
leaning in the window, and was .jok-
ing with John Martin. Bonham
stepped to one side and witness looked
out, saw Sam. Shipe and Queener
beating Bonham with clubs, he Bon
ham) moving back defending himself
with his hands. In a short time the
old man Shipe ran up excitedly,
picked up a couple of rocks or bricks,
each the size of mans two fists, and
motioned as if to throw. Bonham
seemed trying to keep behind one of
the young men. Finally Shipe threw
both the rocks rapidly. One struck
BOnham on the corner of the eye, the
other on the side of his head. Bon
ham staggered, the other two, Jack
and Sam, still beating him with clubs.
About six feet from that Bonham
seemed to get loose and fell. He was
struggling to raise, with his hat off,
they still beating him over the head
He went back about twenty feet still
further and fell again, the three men
following him up all the time. He got
up again and went twenty-five or
thirty feet and think he fell again
When he got to the main street a
crowd gathered around, Bonham got
out Of crowd, went up west towards
BOwling's store. There he put his
hand up and wiped blood off his face.
At that moment noticed old gentle
man make an effort to take club away
from one of young men. At this time
firing began. Next view witness got
of the old gentleman he was to the
left of the others firing his pistol.
Shots were being fired as fast as posi-
BILE. Best impression is that four
pistols We're going. Saw Bonham fire
three times. After Bonham fell two
shots were fired by the old man
Shipe. He went up to Bonham, gave
him first side shot, then stepped just
behind his head and fired again al
him. Saw the examination after Bon
ham was dead. Saw a number Of
bruises on his head, and his arms
were black and blue, bruised badly
Heard no remark by either party after
the killing. When he was dressing
BOnham and laying him out, witness
put his hand on side and back of head
and skull gave way. Seemed to be
quite an indentatiOn.
Judge it was about forty yards Bon
ham went back to where he died from
witnesses window. 1t was just before
Bonham fell the last time he fired hi
first shot. The other parties, as neal
as witness could see, were a
the same time firing at him
Gould not say who free
the first shot. They seemed to be al
simultaneously fired. The fight was
constant all the way till the shooting
commenced. Saw no other stone
which were thrown take effec
except the two spoken o
heretofore. There were no stones
thrown after the firing commenced
One stick or club used was about like
wagon spoke, as large as mans wrist
quite formidable. Can't say which
one OF the young men had this stick
The other stick was a smaller roun(
stick. Didn't see Bonham have any
thing when the fight commenced
Didn't hear a word spoken by any
one during the fight nor before it com
meneed.
Cross-examined by II. r. Gibson
Not acquainted with the Shipes ant
Queener; had seen the old man before
Knew Bonham very we'll. He was a
witness shop quite frequently. Am
shoemaker. Heard that Jack Ship
was also q shoemaker. Don't know
of any rivalry between Shipe and til,
witness. Had been in Clinton abou
six weeks before the shooting. Wa
at Shipe's shop when first went t
Clinton; never there again. Livet
in Knoxville before went to Clinton
about five months; boarded at Lang
ford's, on Depot street. Came Their
from London county, Virginia
where lived quite long time
live now at Winters Gap. 1t wa
about s O'Clock in the evening wher
Bonham came to the shoe shop. Al
Diggs was in shop but Bonham wa
joking with John Martin. Witness
kept his seat when the parties cam,
up; saw them out of the window. Tn,
young men were both striking Bon
ham with clubs at the same time
BOnham had nothing in his hands g.
witness could see. Witness dom
think he, himself, got up from his sea
till after the difficulty. (He was ex
amined at length as to locality, etc.
Witness attention was first attracted
by remark of Mr.. Martin, and Bon
ham stepped away. At the time wit
ness looked out the young men wer
beating Bonham with clubs. The oil,
man came up in a very short time
Tina