The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1885-11-18
TIE BE1LsGER TRIAL.

TIE BELLINGEE TRIAL.
The Case Beard Before Judge Coshran and
Jury in Charleston-Synopsis OF the
Evidence The Result.
The trial of DR.. A. n. Bellinger for
the killing of Stephney Riley on the
End October last, was had before Judge
Cothran in Charleston last week, COM
mencing on Tuesday. Solicitor Jervey
appeared for the State, while the de-
fence was represented by Messrs.
Mitchell & Smith and the Hon. a. G.
Magrath. After several challenges
jury, composed of twelve white men,
was empaneled and sworn. The first
witness for the State was DR.. hinloch,
who simply described the five wounds
two in the head and three in the
body.
w. W. DeVeaux described the en-
counter-or so much of it as he saw.
He stated that Riley was advancing on
DR.. Bellinger with his head down and
his right arm outStretched, and that
DR.. 3. fred five times rapidly. Riley
fell, and DR.. Bellinger walked Off.
James Wells, colored, stated the cir-
cumstances of the encounter, and swore
that after DR.. Belinger fired twice
Riley fell, and that after he fell DR..
Bellinger shot him three times.
Selma Carter, colored, described the
difficulty of the night before the kill
ing, but her account did not greatly
differ from DR.. Bellinger's, summarize
ed below. She saw only two shots,
being in the house, and then got
Ri!ey's pistol and raised the alarm.
When she got to Riley he was dead.
Alexander Williams, colored, stated
that he saw the morning encounter,
and, after DIR. Bellinger shot Riley
twice be (witness) saw him standing
over Riley's PROSTATE body, and fire
three times,
Joseph Cain testified to the encoun-
ter, and said he saw Dr.. Bellinger
ssstagger back", and fire, and that the
Doctor fired twice into Rilev's pros
trate body, and snapped his pistol after
that.
Joseph Kennedy, colored, brought
out nothing new. He denied that he
said before the coroner that DR.. B. re-
treated from Riley into the middle of
the street, and then fired.
The State here closed its case.
DR.. A. N. .Bellinger, the defendant,
was now sworn. He stated that on
the night before the killing he was in
the streets, attending to his regular
professional business, and that when
he came to point on Bull street, be-
tween Smith and RutleGge, he heard
loud strokes of whip, and cursing.
He said to the man (whom he found
to be Riley, "You ought to be
ashamed of beating that horse in that
manner; why don't you lead him on"'
Riley became angry and abused, cursed
defendant, fourished his whip, and
came on him with knife in his hand.
Defendant went Off, leaving Riley
cursing and threatening.
The morning of the homicide, de-
fendsnt went on his usual rounds, by
no unusual route, and fearing violence
from Riley, put a pistol in his pocket.
He met Riley at the corner of Bull
and Smith streets. He saw RILEY with
his back to the fence, his arms akimbo
and legs stretched apart and glaring at
him in this manner. AS I got opposite
to him he said: 81 took you for
gentleman, but I never made such a
mistake in my life; you are id
white ---." That was pretty GAL
ling. I tnrned and I said: "Rilev,
this thing has ,getito stop here. You
cursed me shamefullv last night and
threatened me. Now you have got to
retract this" I said this in a voice
not louder than I am talking in now.
Preservir*the same position, he said:
81 have got nothing to retract, and |
won't take back anything" and he
said, ssf you want to fight / am
better man than you are and I will
give you hi" I said: ssI don's
want to fight, but you have got to take
these things back" and he said Cd
d-n you, ] Twill give youh-lanyhow,'
and with that he made a rush at me,
and as stepped back, having on low
quartered-s shoes, my foot turned and I
stumbled off the pavement and my hat
fell of. then jumped back couple
of steps into the street, and when |
lookedagain he (Riley) was coming at
me with his knife in his hand, SO.
.(Witness indicated the position thus:
Head bent down, the left arm thrown
up as q shield and the right hand with
the knife in it drawn back.
Q..Was the knife open?
A. Yes, open.
@. In which hand?
A. Right hand.
Q. Had You lost sight Of him when
you stumbled?
A. Yes, my hat fell off and 1 lost
sight OF him for moment. 7 then
backed nearly to the middle Of the
street, and he followed rushing at me
with his knife drawn SO (indicating as
abovc). then pulled out my pistol.
It was selfcocking pistol, and kept
pulling the trigger until he fell to the
ground. / then picked up my hat,
wiped it with the tail of my coat and
walked back to Capt. Dayson's house.
CATER stating that ne started down
town to deliver himself up, but, after
going to Capt. DaWson's house, ne
turned back, went home, and informed
his wife of what had happened, the
prisoner testified as follows:)
@. How far was Riley from you
when you fred the first shot?
Al can't say how Close, but he
was very close. You cannot make
vary scrnrsta calnnlations nn6ar those