Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-04-21
THE TRIAL OF CHAMP a1ST
For the Killing Of Sam Winstead
Taken up Monday. Both
Sides Ready Etc.
fGleaner.l

"The case of the Commonwealth
Igainst Champ Gist, charged with
he willful murder of Samuel Win
tead on the 9th OF August last, was
cached Monday morning. Owing
o the fact that Hon. ID. w. VOORHEES,,
who had been employed by the de-
'ense, would not arrive until ii A. NJ,
he case was deferred until the after
noon. Promptly at l o'clock the bell
rang and the court house filled up
very rapidly, there being a large
crowd in town and the Gist case and
Daniel Voorhees, were the only topics
of conversation. Every foot of avail
able space was occupied and the in
terest was intense.
Both sides announced that they
were ready and the work of empan-
cling the Jury began. AS was antici-
pated, it was hard matter to get a
jury. Outeof the twenty-four on
the regular panel, only two were adj
judged competent jurors. All the
rest of the afternoon was taken uD
in getting a jury, and only eleven
were secured. These were turned
over to the custody of the Sheriff
with the charge to let no one have
conversation with any outsider or
among themselves with regard to the
case. The court met at nine Tues
day morning, the jury was complet-
ed aud the work began in earnest.
Wepresume that the general ma
ture of the killing of Sam Winstead
by Champ Gist on the It'll of August
last is tolerably well known to the
public, from previous publication OF
the facts and from the general talk
about the occurance. In February
previous to the killing, Gist and Win
stead entered into a contract to crop
together for the year. Winstead was
to furnish one horse and himself and
Gist was to board Winstead and his
horse until crop was laid by. 1t il
known that they had had some little
dispute about the matter and wert
not on the best of terms. On the
morning referred to, about sun-up
both were at the stable feeding the
horses, ETC., where the dispute was re
newed and hard words passed. Theil
anger was aroused and they went Il
the house taking in loud and threaten
ing tones. This is all that is known
of the movements of the parties pre-
vious to the tragedy. About sun-ul
the attention of several around in tn,
neighborhood was drawn TO guI
shot which was in the the direction
of Gist's and to a weman's scream
almost Immediately after. Gist sen
after a neighbor, who went to tn
father of deceased and told him Gis
had killed Sam, and in about hal
hour quite a number had collected a
the house. Gist was found in tn
yard walking 10 and fro wringing hi
hands and groaning. Deceased wa
found lying on the floor in his room
with the entire left side Of head, fror
the eye up, torn away. Blood am
brains were found all over the room
The prosecution and defense pre-
sent each solution of the killing b
attempting to show by circumstance
attending, where Winstead was !
the room at the time shot was fire.
The prosecution proved by varior
witnesses that the bed was spattere
with blood and brains except in or
place about half way between Il
head and foot, where there was l
indication of either and that an in
preston was left in that spot as if
person had sat down there. On eitl
er side of this spot was boot. Vi
sock was in the boot and one was {
Winstead's foot. The prosecute
claim that Winstead was sitting {
the bed putting on his boots VIII
the shot was fired. The defen
proved by all the witnesses that il
G mediately over the body of the d
: ceased, which lay between the b.
q and the door leading into the pore
d through which the shot was fire
'e was large qusntity of brains a
Ie larger than any other spot in t
room and that the blood on the &c
ing ranged from that spot back
d wards the bed, growing less
n nearer it got to the bead. Also
e the edges of the strips on the ceilil
10 which are about one-half an in
A thick, was observed spots rangi
Ne from this large spot on the ceili
% back towards the bed.
n The defense, therefore, claim Il
he could not nave been sitting on
bed when shot, as the bulk of
blood would have. naturally spatt
e. ed around the bedor on the CELL
as above and on the edges Of the str
la next to the bed instead of next to
a door. Deceased was found lying
a the floor with face up and pistol
at his side, with one chamber Z
charged. Defense claimed that
pistol had been fired on the morn
of the killing, and that the kill
Ell was done in self-defense."
nj The above account is taken fir
IL the Madisonville Cleaner of last /
he day. The case occupied nearly al
u the week. A large array of cour
ny was employed by both sides.