Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-04-26
THE HAYES TRAGEDY.
SLOW PROGRESS ~ Tas BIGEIgGHAn
MURDER TRIAL.
The Accused and Little May Soon Together
the Night Before Her Body
Was Pound.
IBy telegraph to the Dispaich.l

BRNISGHAN, ALA, April 25.--There II no
abatement OF interest Ia the trial OF Dick
HAYES for the murder OF his little daugh-
ter May.
The prisoner shows more and more int
rest and feeling as witness after witness
goes upon the stand and repeats, without
variation, stories told by the newspapers at
the time Of the tragedy, and which led to the
universal belief In Hawes's guilt.
Characterization 50 far have not shaken
any OF the testimony, though counsel for the
defence are contestipg every inch OF ground
and consuming much time over every fine
point. The leading counsel for Halves IA
Colonel Taliaferro, formerly speaker OF the
Tennessee House OF Represe Diatiyes. As
sociste counsel are Colonel Mcintosh, for
merly OF Meridian, Miss, and Frank Bar
nett. Solicitor Hawkins is assisted by Judge
Donison and Solicitor Charles Ferguson, OF
the Circuit Court. The case is on trial In
the Criminal Court presided over by Judge
Greene.
THE THEORY.
The theory OF the prosecution Il that
Halves murdered NAV on Monday evening
By smothering her and ailerward tossed her
body into the lake, where it was found the
next morning.
The defence is making an effort TO show
that death was clu'ed from drowning and
that the body must have been IN the wsler
several days before it could have risen.
The first witness called this morning WAS
Mr.. Leslie. the undertaken rho embalmed the
body and who also testified YESTERDAY. lie
had punctured the stomach IN emDaimlng,
but no wafer and little gas had escaped.
THE CORONER RECALLED.
Coroner Babbltt WAS recalled snd testified
TO bayiug noticed IN abrasion on tbe nose
and cheek when the body was FIRST dscoy-
cred.
Julia Campbell know TIE HAYES family.
question a. 10 whether she was ct Lake
View when Mrs. Hawes's body was found
was objected to by Colonel Taiaierro. The
jury WIS sent out while the question Of adj
instability was being argued. The defence
insisted that the murder Of Mrs. llawes. II
she wss murdered, had nothing 10 do with
the case, and the prosecution cOntended that
the previous murder u Mrs. Raves, and
the Tact that May knew OF il, was competent
~ showing the motive for the murder OF
May.
Judge Greene ruled II incompetent.
though he said he might admit II later on II
Its relevancy should appear.
TIE LED uEE AWAY.
Sarah Let. (colored) was at IIawcs's house
Monday evening before Mays BODY was
found. HAYES. May, and Fannie Bryant
we're there. Hawes told May to tel lnanie
good-by and come with him. He told Fam
ME he would be back with her next day.
lie then took May by her band and they
went away. She then identified the hat
found on the dead girl ~ the one May bad
on that evening. ca crOss-examination ss
10 whether she knew liaweS, she said she
had seen him two OF three times. She iden-
tilted him positively where be sat among ms
attorneys. 1t was dark, she SAID, before
Halves and May had gone away together on
that Monday evening.
The court here took recess.
ELIJAH WAS TIERS.
The first witness after the recess was
Elijah Gordon. lie lived near Fannie Bry-
ants house at the time Of the HaWes tragedy.
On Monday evening late (the night before
| the body was found he saw Nay iIawes at
Fannles house. shortly after 7 O'Clock he
saw Dick IIawes come into Fannie's house,
get little May, and take her away, going OF
toward the dummy line. Ilawes told May
10 cell Fannie gOod-by, which the child did,
and Fannie told MAY she must be agOOd girl.
! on cross.examination he WA positive 1t was
| I0l q lub 4 lllilf hilfl y 'iVths ilo W.
uncertain about Hawes's clothing.
RIDING or THE DUMMY.
r. VI. Brown, a conductor on the Lake
| View Dummy Line, said one night shortly
| before he heard Of the finding Of the body
! a gentleman aud little girl got on his dun
nv AZ Lake View and rode into town. The
| gentleman held her close to the stove. The
mans Tenderness attracted his attention. He
! thought the defendant was the same man.
lie thought this was on saturday night, but
was not positive. lie had run on the train
FRIDAY, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday
! nights. Lake View was a square ortwo from
Hawes's house. He thought the time OF his
train was between and O'Clock.
SAW THEM on THE DUMMY.
T.B. Lawler came in from Just this side Of
Lake View Oh Monday night before the body
was found. lie noticed when he got on the
dummy that man aud little girl were there
already, and the man wss very careful OF the
little girls comfort. The little girl was
well dressed and had on 4 straw hat, which
be thought was the same as the Que Shown
him and found with the body. lie went aud
viewed the body next day, and his opinion
was that IL was that Of the little girl be had
seen on the dummy. He picked out the
defendant, and thought he was the same
man. II was tue hali-pssl 6 o'clock dunn
my.
JUROR SICK.
At the conclusion OF LAWYERS testimony
Juror Dunlap wss taken sick, and the court
adjourned till Tomorrow. The progress OF
the case Is rather slow. Colonel Talaierro's
cross-examinatiOns are long aud searching.