The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1884-05-15
THE WHEELER TRIAL.
Testimony of Eye-witnesses to the
Killing of ]. 2. Matthews.
special to the Times. Democrat.

Special to the Times Democrat:
HA2LEHURsT, May S.--The second dav
Of the trial of f. b. Wheeler for the kill
ing of j. L, Matthews was began at $50
O'Clock this morning. A large crowd was
in attendance. The whole day was con
sumcd IN securing jury. it hring almost
impossible to find men who had not
formed or expressed an opinion of the
guilt or innocence of the prisoner Judge
Wharton ANNOUNCED from the bench that
he was determined to have Il fair and
| impartial jury If the entire term of tho
court was necessary To obtain IT, No
man should go into the jury box, he said,
who had the least bias one way or the
other. He further said that no man who
was in the party of mounted men that
rode into town ON the day before the cleo
tion, Wheeler being of that party. should
go upon the jury. 1t was nearly > o'clock
! when the twelfth man was accepted and
| the panel completed. The jury stands
eleven white aud one cOlured The trial
was continued until $50 o'clock to-mor-
row morning, when the examination of
the States witnesses will begin.
| The names of the jurymcn are. Thos.
/ Pierce, W. W. West :. '. Meyers, j. T..
Marshall, Jno. Collins, l.. +. Nicely, A. G..
Fortrnberry, :. II. Norton, G. Lawson, }.
y. Todd, :. b. Terry, and Arthur Holiday,
/ the last Il nagro.
| HAZLEHURGr. NAY Miss Lila Rob
crts was the first witness who testified
/ for the State. She said she knew Wheel
cr: that ON the morning of the killing she
saw one Scott in an oat field ami orchard
next to the house where the election was
held; that he had "A gun and carried it to
! Il window of the House aud passed II to
/ Wheeler on the inside. whom she saw taxi
lit. The defense here said that they would
/ admit that the gun had been brought to
4 the room hy Whcelrr's Instructions The
/ DISCRIMINATION failed to contradict the
witness.
q. N. EANKsToN,
one OF the managers of the clcc ion, next
/ testified. He said he knew Matthews and
/ knows Wheeler He was at the polls in
/ llaIlrhuiSt the day Matthews was killed.
! Wheeler was at the polls when witness
arrived, Il half hour before they were
/ opened. Matthews arrived shortly after
/ witness and seemed in good spirits and
/ friendly. When the polls We're opened
! Matthews WAS the first ia present himself
to vote. He had an open ballot in his
| hand, and gave it to Mr.. CuNwcll, another
manager of the election, who folded it
and was about to plac" il in the box,
| when Matthews asked for its return that
! he might see if il was the RIGHT ticket.
| The ballot was returned to Matthew's,
who opened il withhoth hands. and. pro
u"unCcd it right, again gave it 10 Cox
| well.
| Witness ii this moment was looking in
! thc registration book where Matthew'S
name VA, recorded. when hr heard the
! report of Il gun, and looking Up and in
the direction of the report, saw Wheeler
] L., 1 -
door with Il gun ia his h3HI. Ike saw
no on" else at that time with gun. From
! Wheeler his eyes Immediately fell upon
/ Matthews, who was IN front of the ballot
/ box staggering aud ahout To fan. y =
LESS started around the counter To rs
SnpPo"t. but was prevented lay pill" of
lumber, 81 he passed to him under the
counter. This was between 9 and 10
O'Clock. He did not hear Wheeler make
any rrlaark and did not know there was
- gun in thu room until it WAS fired. He
saw no pistol in Matthews band and
nothing u'usiai III his action or appear
pearamtc. He saw pistol on the floor
near Matthews hip after he had fallen
Witness lett thereon as soon aS Matthew's
WAS dead. and saw no uuIr Of " Wheeler
that day, Wheeler and Matthew's were
t." Cha,!cn%cr~ of election, and for that
reason WrT" permitted to remain n the
room, Witness examined the wounds Of
thr deceased There seemed to he two in
fhc right upper breast, near the shoulder.
short distance apart. and one Shot III
The right arm III the line and direction of
the other shots. Some of the shot coursrd
a"r"s, the breast and come our al Tie left
side.
TWEN1N-FOTR SHOT
''hlur WhiStIrrs'-cntcred the body. xrXt
day witness saw some of III" shot buried
III the pile of lumber in the room.
CrOS, eXamination-Thcrc were two
G0"rS to the room where the shooting
occurred. II" thinks both were open. 1t
was ahnut thirty feet from he iuGresS
door to the counter where the ballot-hoX
was. Witness was one of the inspectors
of election, and sat on box near the
halIot-hoN and behind the counter, Cox