Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-12-19
A CONVICT WITNESS
Gives Important. Testimony I'm the
Emma Bond Trial.

HnLsBoRo, LIZ, December 1S.-After
two or three important witnesses testified
this morning in the Emma Bond trial,
Burrell, a convict from the Chester (tli.)
penitentisry, serving a term for burglary,
was put on the stand, and testified that
he was in Jail at Taylorville in the spring,
and got acquainted there With Ment-
gomery, Pettus and Clement. Iii were
in, the cell together. he heard converse
tons between them. Clement said he
had let his toe-nail grow long, and had
lost it shocking corn in June. Mont
gomery say: "You couldn't lose 1t shicking
corn in June" Some rne rcad from a
paper thu. Miss Bonds underclsthes were
torn, when Clement said at was a id
lie; they were not torn," and Montgomery
s@@H smut up; what do you know about
At this point Judge Thornton, of the
defense, said to the attorneys for the pros
ecution: You may Just as well take
him for witness as to take them from the
penitentiary. The introduction of a wit
ness convicted of the highest crimes to
testify against men of good standing is in
famous. Such testimony is wholly in
competent" He moved to exelude the
whole testimony.
After an hour and a half of argument
the court overruled the motion.
On the cross-examination: of the witness
nothing Of Importance was important.
Charles Meyer, a life convict for murder,
from the same prison, was the next wit
ness. He was in the Taylorville Jail four
teen months. He was there when the de-
PENDANTS were brought in. After the Off
GERS left them they had a private CONVEX
sation, part of which l heard. Mont
gomery said: "We must all tell the same
story. We have to understand one another
now" Montgomery laughed over fitting
a piece of COW horn to his toe-nail. Glenn
emit said he had lost his toe pairing. EYES,"
said Montgomery, 81 suppose you lost it
shocking corn in June" Clement read
from a paper about Miss Bonds clothing
being torn, and Pettus said it was a lie.
Cross-examined, witness said he first told
the story "to Judge Vandever, my counsel,
when tried for murder. He did not tell
Joseph Peyton, another prisoner. Judge
Vandever promised me mercy if | learned
something which would fasten the guilt
on the defendants. Judge Vandever did
not promise mercy, but intimated that l
would get it if 1 obtained evidence against
Montgomery and Others"
In the afternoon session the cross-ex-
animation of Meyer was continued.
Judge Vandever had approached him but
once. He then said # he (the witness)
could honorably tell what he heard de-
PENDANTS say it would be of great use to
the prosecution. 1t would do him no
harm, but would do him good. He de-
MED that during his trial he had said the
prosecution was pushing him hard, and
was sorry he and Rurrell had made up the
story on h defendants. He never said
he had put up a job on the defendants.
Jerry Ferguson testified that he was a
member of the grand jury that indicted
the defendants; that before the jury met
he had a conversation with John Mont
gomery, i'll which the latter asked him for
Miss Bonds statement in writing. Cross
examined, witness said he never received
money from Montgomery also that Mont
gomery uses his right hand more than his
left.
o.. Harland testified that he heard
Clement say during the preliminary ex-
animation that he was not guilty, but
knew who was.
Isaac Ward testified that John Mont
gomery told him he was at the school
house the day of the outrage; that he
and his father stood there.
a recess was then taken to allow coun-
sci for the State to consult concerning
further action, after which at 8 o'clock the
prosecution closed the case,