Los Angeles herald., 1890-08-28
The Bentley Tar and Feather
Episode.
None of the Accused Appear to
Have Been in 1t.
Cummins' Movements on the 9Th Ap-
parently Explained.
Every one Connected With the Case Recol-
lects to Minute What He or the
Accused Did on the 9Th.


announced that a telephone message had
been received from w. G. Roberts at
Azusa, saying he was so i'll that he could
not possibly attend the mandate of the
court. Under these circumstances the
people would rest.
The defense moved that considerable
portion of the testimony be stricken out.
The motion was denied. Col. Hender-
shaw then moved that the charge be
dismissed against some of the defend
ants. This was also denied by Justice
Savage. The defense now introduced as
their first witness:
Oliver B. Cummins, one of the defen-
dants, who testified that at 5 o'clock on
the Sth of August, he did his chores, at
& O'Clock ne had his supper and washed
the dishes, at O'Clock he went to Co
vina, met Will Hamlin, Arthur Eccles,
Will Potter and Ismael Norcross, and
went to the postofiice with them, where
they stayed till 8 80 o'clock. Then they
went to Mr.. Keim's house, where they
remained Is minutes. 1t was O'Clock
when he left to go to Mr.. McCormick's
melon patch with Eccles and Hamlin
Stayed there Is minutes and went home.
Near the schoolhouse Will Baldridge
overlook them, and took them home in
his buggy. 1t was Is minutes to 10
when they got home. Did not go out
again that night. Will Hamlin stayed
with the witness.
On cross-examination the witness de-
MED having used the pronoun eve" in
the conversation, at the postoffice, re-
lated by DR.. Hostetter, but he would not
swear that he did not say it. Never was
a pupil of Prof. Frazer. The first he
heard of tarring and feathering was
week after it had occurred. He recol-
lected the occurrence of the Sth so well,
because the Griswolds, where he was
staying, left for the beach on that day.
On that day too, he went swimming with
Eccles at Glendora. After he heard
that he was going to be arrested he
began to think about what he had done
on the Sth. He asked Baldridge ten
days after the occurrence whether he
did not recollect having taken witness
and Hamlin home to Mr.. Griswold's
house in his buggy. Didn't know where
Bentley lives. Would swear positively
that he was not at Azusa on the Sth. 1t
was not on that Friday that May Hance,
the woman barber, cut witness hair and
gave him shave.
A. l.. Keim of Covina'was at home on
the 9Th of August, between 8 and 8
p. M, probably $3.50, when Eccles, Pot
ter, Cummins and Baldridge called. They
remained about fifteen minutes. Ham
lin was not there. Witness had told Mr..
Griswold that the boys were there on the
Sth. Did not recollect if Griswold had
asked him about it. This was on the
day of their arrest. Mr.. Keim after
ward said that he had mentioned the
name of Baldridge instead of Anon by
mistake, as he did not know one from
the other.
Mrs. Isabella Meyers, quaker lady,
remembered that Mr.. Griswold left Oil
yer Cummins in charge of his house the
day he went to the beach. She saw
light in the house on that night between
8 and 10 o'clock. 1t was the StE of
August. She saw the light at half past
8, for that was the time she wound
up her time piece.
I. Norcross, of Glendora, went from
the Covina postoffice to Kleims' on the
evening of the Sth with Cummins,
Eccles, Hamlin and Potter. They re-
manned ten or fifteen minutes. Didn't
recollect the date, but knew it was on a
Friday night. The boys came on foot.
Witness saw no horses. Would not
swear that they carried no package
didn't see any. lBaldridge was not with
the boys.
w. l.. Baldridge, another Covina boy,
went to Eccles' place in a buggy on the
evening of the Sth. Left there at 8 80.
and took them to Cummins' home. Wit
Ia oft n
Overlook the two defendants about one
mile from Eccles and about quarter of
mile from Griswold's. There was no
light there when they arrived. Witness
sister spoke about this matter to him,
and so did Will Hamlin and Cummins
They asked him if he did not recollect
picking them up on the Sth. They said
they were implicated in the tarring and
feathering at Azusa, and it was i'm
portant that he should recollect that
they were in Covina on that night.
Robert Baldridge was placed on the
stand to prove that his son returned
home in his buggy few minutes after
10 O'Clock on the night of the Sth.
F. F. Griswold testified that he left
for the beach on the Sth, leaving Oliver
Cummins in charge of his house to do
the chores. He denied being unfriendly
to Bentley. If he said that he was glad
that Bentley had been tarred and feath-
cred, it was unintentional. 1t was a
slip of the tongue.
Arthur Eccles, defendant, swore that
on the afternoon of the Sth of August he
went swimming at Glendora with Oliver
Cummins, returning to Covina at 4p.
m. After supper he stayed around the
house till O'Clock. Went out for half
an hour with some ladies and returned
home. sSoon after he started for the
postoffice, met Miss Bertha Moxley on
the road and reached the store at twenty
minutes to 8. Here he met a num-
Der of the defendants and 1. Nor
cross Went over to Keim's house with
the boys, remained there fifteen minutes
and walked to the watermelon patch,
,nere he tarried twenty minutes.
Returned home and went to bed about
10 O'Clock. Never heard of the tarring
and feathering of Bentley until week
afterward, at Santa Monica. The wit
ness did not know until after the occur
ence where Bentley lived. He had had
nothing to do with the tarring and
feathering. He denied having requested
Harry Anon to buy pint of tar on the
9th.
J. S. Eccles, father of the preceding
witness, confirmed his sons testimony
nc Gov n q +ho tima of his rptl1rn was con-