The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-02-16
CASSIDYS CASE DRAGS.
THE STATE SLOWLY WEAVING IT'S
NET OF EVIDENCE


His Meeting with Cassidy on the
Night Of the Murder-1he Defense
Takes Measurement of "Barney's'
Shoes-How Barney Accounts for
Wearing the Murdered Mans Shirt
Witness NcGowan's Story Cassidy s
New shoes and How He Got Them
The state Rests.
The attendance upon the trial of Thomas
cassidy for the murder Of George Smith
was greater yesterday than it was the day
before. and hundreds found it impossible to
obtain admittance 10 the court room.
At 9:45 O'Clock Cassidy came into court
and took a seat by the side Of his counsel.
He showed no sign of fatigue from the
first DAVIS ordeal For a few moments he
squeezed his hands until the mariners star
shaped compass on his right wrist and the
, anchor on his left stood out in dark blue
India ink almost in relief on the bloodless
back ground. Cassidy intently watched
the blood coursing through the blanched
veins and did not look up until the arrival
OF Solicitor General duBgnon a few mo-
mentS later.
The State recalled John Wright who
testified to seeing George Smith with money
in his possession the night preceding the
finding of the body. Smith, the wit
ness said, took it from his pocket
while IN company with Cassidy.
They were in the Pavilion bar He repeated
his testimony as to how Smith was dressed
when he came down stairs after ne had got
Barney Reyes quiet. He was cross examined
as to the time Adams went to bed, the
reason for his discharge, and as to the
taking of tie bathing suits TO their rooms
by Cassidy's party.
Mr.. Wright was not favorahly i'm
pressed with the synopsis of his test
lmony given in the MORNING NEWS, and
he went over pretty much the same
ground covered by bis previous testimony,
with this point OF conflict, that McGowan
did not rinse out the bathing suits that
night, for the reason that they had not been
returned by the batherS
= SENSATION.
There was a nutter OF excitement when
Solicitor General du Bignon said call Bar
ney Keyesn
Every eye scanned the witness as he
made his way with difficulty through
the packed court room and took his place
on The stand A man evidently past 80,
clean shaven, well dressed, an honest face
that was Barney Keyes. Every word he
uttered was listened to with breathless 81
lepce. He recounted that on July II last,
by request of the murdered man, he had OBJ
tanned leave of absence from his superior
officer and went with Smith to
Tybee. Smith had more than
once offered him money, which he had
declined, as the witness had provided him
self with $50, in paper and silver for the
trip. Smith had a considerable amount of
money on his person. He described the
several places they visited that day on the
island. He acknowledged his weakA' s in
drinking too much, and of being put to bed
by his friend while under the influence of
liquor
This, the witness thought, was after II
O'Clock at night. He remembered Smith
trying TO quiet him; and then went to sleep.
He knew no more until day was breaking
when he was awakened by some one in his
room. He could see that it was Cassidy.
The latter had the witness pantaloons in his
hands, from the pocket of which his bunch
OF keys had fallen on the pine floor and
aroused him. He called out to Cassidy,
You Yankee drop that
harness. You can't rob me-"
Cassidy replied, I'm in the wrong room, g"
and the witness angrily responded, You
know - well where your room is.
Cassidy then went out and the witness
heard him in Maggie Felrelrs room, heard
the sound as of some one pouring out
water, and heard Maggie tell him, You
went for the wrong old when
you went to Barney keyes' room," or words
20 that effect.
The witness then reached over to where
Smith was supposed to be lying and
said: Partner, did you see that thiev-
ing in our room"
and then for the first time he found
that his friend was not in the room. He
then got up, dressed hurTiedly and started
down stairs, looking in the dancing pavilion
for Smith.
THE WALK TO THE LIGHTHOUSE.
He detailed his walk from thence to the
railroad and 10 the lighthouse, Railing first
at the foot of the Seaside Pavilion stairway
TO see if he could see anything of his friend.
Smith had previously spoken of wanting to
visit the lighthouse and he hoped to find
him there.
At the Lighthouse Barney first inquired
if George Smith had been there and
next he asked Keeper John Riley if he
could save life, meaning that he wanted
drink. He described his return to the
wharf, where he got two or three more
drinks, renewed his inquiries for Smith,
and then took passage for Savannah. On
the way up the river he pointed Cassidy out
70 Mr.. John q. Butler as the man who had
been in his room and tried to rob him. He
described his own arrest and said that at
the time he had remarked to the officer,
There's the man you ought to arrest point
ing to Cassidy for being in my room.n
The officer replied. He is under arrest,
too The witness said he was taken to the
barracks, where he protested against his
arrest, thinking it had been made to sober
him up. The first knowledge he had of the
death of his friend was when Coroner Dixon
visited him. 1t was then he discovered that
by mistake he had put on Smiths shirt
which, being too small for him, would not
button around his neck. His voice was
husky as he described the interview with
the Coroner when that officer told him he
was arrested for completely in the murder
of Smith, and how the Coroner had said to
him: BE calm, and you'll learn something
you don't know
The c1oss-examination did not shake the
witness evidence, but it brought out a cor
roboration in fuller detail. The stiffness in
the court room was profound when he re-
peated the words that he had uttered as he
sat on the side of his bed in the barra ks and
said TO Coroner Dixon, This is GEORGES
shirt. Poor fellow!H
The witness was required TO exhibit the
collar button he wore, and to have his foot
cliagramed. The cross-eXamination was
long and rigid, bringing out the fact that
Reyes had no money when he was awak-
ened by Cassidy, That he bad to get his drinks
on the island that morning on credit, but he
had since paid for them. His watch, which
was under his pillow had not been removed.
He adhered to his testImony-in-chief rs TO
the route taken in going TO the lighthouse