The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-03-08
HE HAMILTON CASE.
bre Work Accomplished Yesterday.
hree Witnesses Examined at
Great Length by the Court
lharles Fitzgerald, A. j. Davis and
j. II. Lewis Testify.
De Testimony of Lewis Is None
Too Good for Defendant.
'ewis Says He Heard the Cry Of ooh,
Don't Do Thatr' Almost at
4 the Same Moment the
Il Firing Began.

VI0Ihl DlsphtVn 10 inc hppthis
BRANDON, Miss, March There was
iocERnge in the number or appearance Of
ho6o connected with the famous trial at
he opening OF the court this morning.
)neither side Of the jury had been placed
one desks, so that they are now penned
nbetwecn the clerks desk behind them,
ho desks referred to and the railing in
lrpnt, with narrow alley in front giving
1cc&ks to the space reserved for the prose-
cu(ipn and the defense, and the reporters.
No court was called to order promptly at
I'd tlock, and the examination OF witnesses
- at once begun.
CHARLES FiTzGERALD.
His home Is Jackson. Is chief clerk Of
u railway mail service for this division.
Vas at his home the night Roderick Gam
brell was killed, which is about 40 or $50
yards from the bridge. Heard the shoot
jpg. Had not gone to bed. II was about
10 o'clock. The weather was warm and
Tie windows were up. There was one
ehot and then cry OF "Oh, God" or
Murder" and then the firing was rapid.
Went to the bridge and when there saw
0ambrell. Asked Gambrell three times
Who shot him lie made no reply, but
when witness asked him the third time
Hamilton, who was there, spoke up andsaid
n shot him. The damned fool.opened fire
o. me in my buggy, and got out and
hot him." Could not say whether the
cry was "Oh, God, or Murder" II vas
az cry Of pain OF anguish. Saw n pistol ly-
b. near Gambrcll's body. II Is not clear
Dow what became Of that pistol. The firing
Mas very rapid; IL sounded like irregular
Iollcy firing. Can't tell how many shots
fcp fired or how longthc firing continued.
There WIS pool Of blood on the footwalk
nd there were rodents near IL. Roderick
rs lying across the approach TO the
brdgc and his head was lying
% the west. Did not recognize
hIhn at flrst. After Gambrcll's body had
IN carried home, Mr.. Alex Hamilton, a
u|IUay postal clerk, and witness, went un-
dcr the bridge. On objection by tho
dclonse 10 further examination rs TO that
.ynatter, the State abandoned il. Gambrell
}ns editor OF the SirOri aud iNiicid, pub
Ibid nj Jackson. Witness here drew q
'@,le map Of the locality Of the killing and
"a blained H. lie further explained the
scfroundings with view 10 show that the
hfidgc was a secluded spot, the court hav-
inc ruled that the answer OF the witness
that II was secluded spot was matter OF
opinion.
Cross-examined- are houses inter
vtning between the room where witness
MAS and the northwest corner post OF the
bridge. Witness located all the houses In
the neighborhood of the bridge. Witness
could not tell certainly what were the
words used by Gambrell. Capitol street
BE- the main thoroughiare between West
HJackson and East Jackson, and was the
most direct route for Col. Hamilton.
1Iainilton's coat was on fire when witness
lot there. Thinks II was some part OF his
toat sleeve.
Il Re-cxamined by the Stnte-0n the way
TO the bridge saw Walter Jones, Mr.. Fig
ures John q. Carmway, city marshal, and,
pcrhaps, Others. Thinks Carrawny put
ont the fire In Hamilton's sleeve. Passed
toward the bridge. Carraway. Walter
Jones, witness brother aud himself wcnl
to the bridge together, though witness wa
little in the lead.
A. .. DAVIS
keeps a livery stable at Jackson. Saw
Hamilton the night Gambrell was killed
y He hal a stick, and said he was going "a
the train or West jackson 10 meet gen
tleman, and got the stick 30 kill dog
Never saw Hamilton with stick before
4 and that attracted witness attention
Hamilton said he picked up the stick N
he was coming through the prison.
Croxs-cxamincd-Know Col. Hamilton
] well and has frequently seen him in Wcsl
- Jackson ut night, and has frequently rid
\ den with him from the depot. His bcs
route home was up. Capitol street ane
across the bridge. II he ever Travelled al!
other route witness does not know u
4" Witness would travel that route hinsel
II he were going from the depot 10 llamil
4 toms house. The remark about the sticl
= made no impression ON witness at the time
Hamilton's manner wns ns usual. "lle !
pretty good humored sort Of fellow.
The most public places In Jackson about
or 10 o'clock nj night last May, leaving on
the beer saloons, was the Edwards hous
and Lawrence house, In West Jackson
Capitol street was the most Travelled siree'
Re.cxamined by the Sta,c-The bndg
wasihe most isolated part Of Capitol street
.. n. LEWIS,
lives In Kosciuslo, Miss, where he va
raised. Il travelling salesman for LaiI
Woodward & Co., Peoria, Ill. Was !
Jackson the night Of the killing, on b
way TO vicksburg. Sells drugs W.
selling drugs III about $50 O'Clock, whe
he went 20 4. B. Comforts house, noril
east Of the capitol. Left Comforts goin
10 the Lawrence house about $50 o'clocl
taking Capitol street and going toward III
bridge. Got pretty near the cast nj
proach 70 the bridge and heard shot an
i'Oh, don't dothai" Don't know which !
heard first, the expression or the sho
Heard more shooting and then the cry
''murder." There were some fifteen sho
fred. Witness rcircatcd, and after u
firing was over went on across the bridI
70 West Jackson Just as the firing cease
- saw two men on tho bridge, who TALK
together and moved about indefinitely !
some time, and seemed TO be hesitaiiI
what 10 do. One Of these men passed
me, and went on aud got into the hac
Tho other got Oh ON the sou
sidc aud was lost sight of
the crowd. The person who 4
into tho hack spoke 10 the driver In !
tone. Witness .id not understand VII
~ nafI The ulrTI.l uraa bFlvlt enough