Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-10-29
WELDING THELINKs.
Evidence Ofa Brother Against a
Sister.

sister.
The application of Mrs. J. N. Smith
for bail was heard by Judge Horrigan
yesterday afternoon beginning at four
o'clock. Mrs. Smith and her husband
sat at a table with Gen. L. L. Wright
and Mr.. L. Lehman, counsel for the
defense. Mrs. Bette WessOn, daugh-
ter ofthO murdered man, sat near the
Attorney General. The prisoner
preserved a calm and digni6ed de-
meanor.
The first witress called was Mr..
George W. Paine, the prisoners broth
er, who testified, in brief, as follows:
my sister. the prisoner, lived with
me from the time she was four years
of age until she married. / took care
of her and sent her to school. She
married Frank Moore in 1872, and af-
ter a few months returned
to my house where she res
mained for seventeen months.
She told me he treated her badly
and one night about a month before
she left came to my door after l had
retired and said she intended writing
TO Missouri for Joe Hanson, her
nephew, to come and kill Moore. /
tried to persuade her not to do SO, and
told her | did not wish Hanson about
me. About three days afterward she
told me she had written to Hanson.
He arrived two weeks after and came
to my house. The prisoner had not
then left my house, but did so soon
afterward, and told me she was going
to have Moore killed if she had her
neck broken for it. Several months
after she went back to live with Moore
he was killed. Hanson stayed at
Moore's house most Of the time. Just
after Moore was buried she remarked
to me that Joe was "a regular little
soldier, and though she had hard
work to get him started, shesucceeded
at last" and that Joe had tried sew
eral times before to kill Moore, but
never could catch him asleep. She
said JOe's pistol snapped the first time
and Moore got up and walked to the
window. She asked him what he got
up for, and he answered that he
thought somebody snapped a pistol at
him. AS he was in the act of raising
the sash Joe fired and he fell dead at
their feet. She remarked that it was
astonishing how quick Joe got down
stairs and put the pistol away. Pris.
oner never gave any reason for the
murder except that Moore mistreated
her.
Joe told her in his presence that he
hid the pistol under an adjoining
house, and she instructed him to get
| it and put it where nobody would find
it. Hanson got it and left it in my
house, and promised to take it away
the following day, but did not, and
threw it down in my well. Hanson
called for it in a day or two, and when
told it was in the well, tried to dip it
out with the bucket but failed.
then pulled off my clothes, went down
into the water and got the weapon,
which l gave to Hanson. Hans0a
resolved to pitch it into the Missis.
sigpi river, and went down to the foot
Of Beal street, butspeOple were stand
ling about, and he had no opportunity
to throw it in unobserved. Several
other points along the bank were Wis
tied, with like success.
Hanson came to me once before the
killing, and said he was sorry he came
to Memphis, as he was about to be
mixed up in an affair that might
ruin him, told him to go home and
have nothing more to do with it. He
said he couldn't go without some ex-
cuse, and l offered to write a letter
lpurporting to come from his family
and calling on him to return, but never
got any reply,
Cross examined: He said he did
not hate his sister, but she had swins
died him out of about sixteen tbous-
and dollars, the fruits Of thirty or
forty years labor; that he brought suit
against her, and just prior to these
late Developments visited her and told
her if she did not act fair the finger Of
scorn would be pointed at her. You
mean that as a threat, do you? Now
will do nothing, whatever" was her
answer.
The examination Of Mr.. G.. w.
Paine was resumed this forenoon. He
testified in brief as follows:
l went over to see Hanson near
, Fayette, Ark, and got him to write q
; letter to Mrs. Smith on the subject oil
the murder. Hanson put the pistol
in jar and stuffed a rag over it, put.
tine the whole under the side Of the
next house. l went before the grand
; jury because statements were being
made that l was hiding in the wild.
of Arkansaw. l did not instigate the
suit before Esquire Coleman, but sale
2 to G.. w. Moore that George Andrews
was a witness, and to summon him anC
others and let me alone. Andrew
: told me Hanson had asked hin
whether he should mind me or Mrs