Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1886-09-15

Holder mtUhC nave CrleQ 10 Kill Jeueulan
Pratt. Because John Holder and Jedediah
Pratt had quarrel last week, John Holder
might have tried to kill Pratt the next Be-
cause no one could tell how Pratt got his
hurts, why, John Holder might have inflicted
them Because John Holder was seen the
evening Pratt was missed, with blood on his
clothing, it is inferred it was Pratts blood,
drawn in enmity. Because John Holder was
the first to find Pratt on the mountain, it is
inferred that John Holder knew Of the affair
more than he told, and because he knew moro
than he told, it is inferred that he must have
tried to kill Pratt.
|, All these "might-have beens" were ably in
terpreted to the jury as ''must-have-beens"
by the district attorney, who, naturally thirst
ed for my blood, because he desired to make
a brilliant reputation as an able prosecutor
of the innocent or guilty. He dwelt strongly
also on the fact that there were neither
notices nor tools on the ground, and that
claimed the whole mountain" or great deal
more ground than I could legally hold. These
were Pratt's rawlings which had been reported
to him. True, these were not legal evidence,
but he used them as arguments against me,
taking the chances that the jury might be
stupid enough to receive them as such, or
that they might forget, even if reminded,
that Pratt's words, not backed up by proof,
were no more evidence than mine would be.
He pictured me as dogging Pratt day by day.
OF my interfering and meddling in this 'hon-
est, hard-working mans business" and dwelt
on my "skullling ambush" in the bushes, the
''assassn's shot," and the fall of the innocent,
honest victim" Then 1, to cover up the affair
and divert suspicion, assume the guise OF the
Good Samaritan, pretended to find Pratt and
bring him home.
Lastly, he adverted to my habits as "sus-
picious"-working little and loafirg much,
absent frequently, on what business no one
knew, but all the while inferring, by hint
and inuendo, that I might be or must be
(both terms being by him made to mean about
the same thing engaged in some disreputable
business.
1t is the boast of Law that all facts alleged
against person must be proven; yet the law
makes little provision against SANDER by In
ference in open court, by its own ministers,
which cannot be proven.
Setter and Long Mac were summoned as
witnesses-unwilling ones, now, with the
memory of their recent unsuccessful attempts
on me- They testified to seeing blood on my
clothing Setter told the story of my par
ticipation in guiding himself and Hiliyear to
the spot where Pratt lay wounded on the
mountain.
The attorney had the audacity to put Hill
year on the stand, mainly with the view that
he should give Pratt's version of the story as
inferred from his delirious utterances. did
not attempt to stop this hearsay evidence at
all. wanted the lawyer to have his own
way entirely, because I thought in such
case he would all the quicker get through,
and leave the jury with fragment, at least,
of clear mind. If we got into wrangle as to
the admissiblity of evidence it would pro-
long the case, and in law it is often the main
object, on one side, at least, to so confuse and
wear out the jury that it won't know the
difference between right and wrong, sense
and nonsense
Finally he had finished and I remained
with very black character indeed-in short,
the assassin of Pratt, and, by inference, the
author of half the untraced murders in the
county for the last four months. / said to
the Jury that l "should make no plea, but
simply tell my story. First, was the keeper
aud, to an extent, worker Of rich claim-a
very rich claim 1t was mine of sort not
generally known in the state. No laws had
been made to hold claims Of this character;
Twill introduce now," said, "my witnesses
as to the reality and existence Of this claim"
and taking from bag several Of the richest
specimens Of quartz gold, handed them to
the jury.
The specimens were indeed good to look at
from every point of view. The yellow metal
protruded in places from their sides in thin
flakes-in others it was as if solid, heavy
nuggets were embedded in the stone. The
effect on the jury was electric. They had
never seen such rock. Their eyes glis-
tened They passed them from one to
another, yet each seemed loth to part with
the one in hand The clerk of the court, his
deputy, the sheriff and his assistants reached
eagerly forward to handle the coveted
pieces. The judge put on his spectacles and
put one piece after another under rigid in
spection.
Mammon had invaded the court-yeS, cap