Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-04-27
INTERESTING TESTIMONY.
Evidence Brought Forth by the Prosecu-
ton in the Halves Case.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala, April 25. = Littl.
progress was made today in the Have.
murder trial. Two hours of the morning
session of the court were taken up by ar
gument on the question of admitting the
testimony showing the probability of May
Halves having been witness of the muir
der of her mother and sister, thus estab.
fishing motive for killing her. Judge
Greene ruled that such evidence was not
competent, at least at this time At :
o'clock in the afternoon one of the jurors
was taken i'll, and court was adjourned
| till tomorrow.
Four important witnesses for the state
were examined today. Srrah Lett, col
| ored woman, was the first. She testified,
in substance, as follows:
81 know Dick Halves; I knew May
Halves. and saw the body at the under
takers shop. and identified it. l saw May
alive the last time on Monday night, De-
cember g. at Fannie Brvants house, be-
tween and 7 o'clock. l was at the house
half an hour before any one came. Halves
| came to the house and said to May:
didn't your" She said: ''No, l knew you
would come" and she Rugged and kissed
him. Halves told Fannie Bryant that he
wanted her to go down town the next
day and fix up his room. She asked
him when he was going away, and said 3
o'clock. Fannie asked him when he would
get back, and he said he would be back
Tuesday or Wednesday. Halves then took
May by the hand and they left the house 4"
Witness then described the dress and
hat worn by May on that night and iden-
! titled the hat when it was shown her.
Cross Observation-Disclosures said that hat
looked very much like the one worn by
Nav WitDaSS Snid she MrS H.vpS
the last time on Thursday before the Mon
day night she saw May at Fannie Bryant's.
Never saw Halves to know him but twice.
"Would you know Halves ifsyou were to
see him?" asked Colonel Tallaferro. Wit
ness thought she would, and Colonel Tai
laferro told her to look around the room
and see if she saw him. Witness looked
about the room for a moment and then,
pointing TO the prisoner, she said: That
looks like Mr.. Halves. [ think it is him"
Witness said she saw Halves in the court
room yesterday.
mo one pointed him out to me-" she
continued II knew him as soon as he
came in. The night | saw Halves at Fan
ME Bryant's he had on mixed pants and
sack coat. The pants had stripe in them.
The coat was blue colored, | think. | did
not notice the coat closely. | am not re-
lated to Fannie Bryant.
Elijah Gordon, colored, who formerly
roomed at the house where Fannie Bryant
lived, testified: II knew Halves two girls.
l saw the body of May at Lockwood g.
Miller's. last saw the child alive Oh
Monday night before l saw the body. |
saw her at Fannie Bryant's ROOM between
and o'clock. ] was standing In the
door when Halves came in and went in
Fannie's room. He went in and got the
girl. and after they were out on the steps
he Said to May, Tell Fannie good-Dy.'
The girl then turned and said, 'Good-by,
Fannie They then turned and went off
together toward the dummy line and L
did not see them any more. Sarah Lett
and Albert Patterson were in Eannie's
room when Halves was there. There was
a porch along in front of the three rooms.
The door Of Fannle's house opened on the
porch"
r. NJ Brown, a conductor on the High
land avenue and Belt railroad, testified:
81 was conductor on the Highland ave-
nue. dummy line last December. l knew
Dick Halves. l saw him on my train one
night. l cannot remember the day of the
week or the month. | heard of the find
ing of the'body of May Halves, or read of
it in the papers. 1t was before that Halves
rode in with me, before | heard of the
finding of the body. Halves came
10 the city on my train and
had little girl with him. He got on at
Lakeview between and o'clock. There
Is a station at the corner or the base Dali
park. | remember the hour Halves got on
my train because | was eating supper, ana
| always get my supper between q and
O'clock. l noticed Halves and the girl be-
cause | had often seen the child playing
about the base bail park, and L did not
know before that Halves was married or
had any children. He took the child on
his lap and moved up near the stove. tie
seemed very fond of her"
IT r Law testified 81 live bpt.vvaaD
AvOndale and Lake View. | am a painter
by trade. l heard of the finding of the
body of a child in East Lake on Wedues-
day, | think. Do not know the defend
anti
Witness then said he might know him
by sight, and, when asked To do so pointed
out the prisoner Continuing. witness
said: "On Monday night before | heard of
the finding of the body, come to the CITY
on a Highland avenue dummy on the
snort route. Brown was the conductor.
got on at Lake View. There was gen
tleman and little girl on the
dummy when l get on. l heard him
ask the girl If she was cold, and he moved
her nearer the stove. The girl was very
well dressed, and | think she had on
straw hat. / am not sure where they got
off. l got off at Twenty-first street, and
my impression is that they got off before |
did, / saw the body at Lockwood & Mil |
ler's. | cannot say positively that il was |
the body of the girl saw on the dummy, |
but it looked very much like it. My best |
judgment is that the defendant there is /
the same man | saw on the dummy"
At this point one of the jurors an |
nounced that he was very i'll, and court |
until tomorrow.