The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1888-04-12

pert testimony, To act as a cap-stOne
to Hamilton's character witnesses.
lie had known Hamilton over %
years, and his character for peace
had been uniformly good during that
time. Saw him about 3 o'clock the
night of the killing, at Stewards drug
store, but didn't notice the big pistols
or any other weapons about him.
MAMILToN'S STATEMENT.
Hamilton himself took the stand
after Governor Lowry and testified as
follows: Is ffty-thrce years of age.
and man of family. He has two
grown children and four small ones:
the oldest of the small children is
eight and the youngest two years old.
/, He has two grandchildren. He had
the large pistol that night and used it
in the fight. He had the scabbard
bucklcd around him. He had the
ivory handled pistol in his hip pocket.
1t was loaded when the fight was over.
He gave it to Icrger Stewart. He
handed out the large pistol when his
at-slccve was being put out by
Caraway on the bridge, and that was
the last witness saw of it. He identi-
fled portions of the shirt, coat and
vest worn by him during the shooting.
The cartridges shown witness are
similar to those with which the pearl
handle was loaded. The short cart
ridge was put in the pistol to replace
one lie had fired at II flock of par
fri VI n1 hNr Mp
Dick Kerr's dog while they were go
ing to WINS place, in Rankin county.
1t is the only shot that was ever fired
from the pistol.
Witness goes to the depot frequent
ly at night, but went there that night
to see DIR. Craft off. Witness had
promised to meet him that night, and
see him start for Philadelphia. De-
PENDANT left Stewards drug store
about $50 p. IN. with Mr.. Cadwallader
and Minis Eubanks, and went to the
Lawrence House, where he remained
until the Nicksburg and Meridian
train came in and had backed up to the
depot. He then went to the depot,
and looked in the sitting room to see
if DR.. Craft was there, but not finding
depot and saw people getting off the
train, but no one getting on. He
turned back and walked around in
front of the engine to the Lawrence
House, where he saw several persons.
He had Il short conversation with Mr..
Gibson, and then went into a beer
saloon and got a glass of beer, came
out and went back again to look for
Cadwalladcr, but could not find him.
Defendant got into his wagon then,
turned round and drove up town.
Just as the horse was on the bridge
some one fired, and as he turned he
saw Gambrell standing there. De-
PENDANT jumped out of the wagon and
began firing. Defendant advanced
and Gambrell gave back. Gambrcll
fell and was trying to get up, and as
defendant reached out to get hold of
him Gambrell fired the last shot,
which broke defendants arm. De
PENDANT then struck him with his
pistol, and when he saw the pistol fall
from Gambrells hand and the fight
was over he walked back toward the
bridge. There was not "A soul in sight,
and he called Minis Eubanks, who
came down the street on the south
side. Defendant told him to go and
get carriage, tell his wife he was
shot, and to get Il doctor. Gambrell
fired two shots before he fired at all
Did not see Gambrcll that night until
after he had fired on him on the bridge,
and had not seen him before that day
1t was the first shot that struck wit
ness. Witness thinks he landed about
the west end of the bridge and STUN
bled. AS he righted himself he fired
his first shot. He cannot tell the
order of firing, but knows Gambrell
fired the last shot, which broke de-
PENDANTS arm. At that time defend
ant was on the north side of Gam
brell
Bill Hardy, the driver, and d" Little
Minis were in the carriage with de-
PENDANT. Witness at the request of
counsel, put the coat and vest on he
wore the night of the shooting, and
buckled the scabbard on, placing the
large pistol in the left side, and the
pearl handle pistol in his right hip
pocket, and stood before the jury.
His counsel inserted IA pencil in the
holes in the coat sleeve, to show the
theory of the defense that the same
ball that wounded the forearm and
abdomen is probable.
Defendant thinks he had a stick
that night coming out of the penitcn-
tiary; that he picked up little stick,
but dropped it somewhere. He thinks
he must have left it at the drug store.
He recOllects conversation with wit
ness Davis. He told Davis he had
the stick, because he might have to
hit Il dog. Witness recollects testi-
mony of Drummond about his getting
Il pistol from prison on the 9th of May.
Nothing of the kind ever happened.
Witness recollects the occasion when
General Henry showed him the pistol
substantially as testified to by Henry,
but does not recollcct the day. 1t
was some time previous to the 9TH of
May. Defendant did not return and
beat Gambrcll after the fight was over.
He does not know how many times he
struck Gambrell, but when the pistol
| fell out of Gambrell'S hand he quit.
Defendant exhausted all the cham
bers in his pistol in the fight He rec
objects that when he got close to Gam
brell the pistol snapped, and he did
not know then whether it was because
the cartridge failed to explode or had
been already exploded.
On crOss-eXamination he stated he