The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-07-16

gone 70 dinner, but afterwards said that 1t
/ WAS not taken at that time.
1T. SD!omons. sworn. said:
Lives at Troy; knows all I'll" parties: the day
after Christmas. witness va; fixing a tr'
! at Srce,ier church. Mr.. WidenIan came 10
him and n~., ed him if he waS friend to Mr..
Shert Witness told him he was friend OF
! both Sibert and Wideman me latter asked
me to take q message to Mr.. Sihert and said
! would hut ] wanted him 10 suhstantiate
what he said. and he said he would. He said.
+ you tell Mr.. George SiOert that | nave posi-
tive proof that he stole my money. ana u
! he will put that money under my store door
! by Friday or have it returned to me that
Will not prosecute; and that will publish III
Il raper that il is all right.
On cross examination. the witness SAID he
had zone To Mr.. Widrnai the day after the
money was taken and offered his assistance
in trying to receiver it, and that he, witness,
wrote ioa detective to come there ana nsir ne
thing from Mr.. Sihert about an hour before
the conversation with Wideman., Witness
did MOI send word by bora Jay to Widetnan
to come ttp ser him. Witness went 10 See
Sihert ami S;hsrt told him he did not take
Mr.. Widelnnn'S money and did not know
ANYTHING about II.
Wldpmun is a confidential friend of Mr..
| go and return it, but If he did not To fight it
! for nI that il was worth, l did not tell Mr.:
Widemnn 10 advertise that whoever ra hnu
| taken his money TO put it bncE and there
"OuIu uS iIp hoiN SS'N s''N'' i''
| Otway Henderson. sworn, said:
live ut Mccormick; Mr.. Wideman had
| come to his home, and spoke Us If he Thought
Mr. Sibert had taken his money. and that he
| thought he had sufficient evidence 10 accuse
| him of having taken it,
Cross examination-Wtne had heard OF
! this before Wideman went 10 him-Wideman
| had sufficient circumstantial evidence to
| show it, but he didn't say he had sufficient
proof to convict him. Have known Sihert
thirty years, went to school win MIN. ms
reputation so far as honest dealing was good
uHtl this report. If we believe the report,
| II Is bad. Heard something OF him before the
| commencement of this suit that l would
consider damaging 10 me.
Re-Ilirect-More than a year before this mad
heard reports. Up to short time ago MS
reputation was good, but not up 70 the llnie
of the accusation-not up TO that time.
Capt. John Lyon sworn:
Lives near Troy, is a brother.in law Of Nr.
Sibert on last Christmas day witness went
to Troy on visit. About two O'Clock heard
of the cnarge Mr.. Sibert told me himself
later in the evening l went to Mr.. Widcman
about it as we were intimate friends. My Oh
iect Was to find out his reason for accusing
him. l said to him that had called to see
him in reference to his accusation against
Sibcrt, anL asked him if it was so, and he said
he had accused him of stealing his money,
saying so but said then he had positive proof
that Sibert had stolen his money. The next
morning l asked him for his proof, and he
said he and his brother had consulted about
it, and had decided not to give their proof.
Mr.. Wideman again repeated that he had
taken his money. Mr.. Presley ana my
brother were present, and said If that was
not try to conceal such thing. even in a
brother. You push your case against him bat
better be sure you are right, because you
evidence; and he says, Il am certain" aud
said there will be something hereafter abont
this matter, if you don't prosecute h i'm. He
said my property Is open. know what am
doing.
On cross examination witness said Wide
man was willing 10 leave this thing to aroi.
tration. Wideman said he reeretted such a
thing had happened. 1 told him he had
made q mistake.
w. Lyon lives near Troy, and is brother.
inlaw Of Sibert, Substantially corroborated
the evidence OF Capt. John Lyon, and fnrther
that Mr.: Wideman said he would give Mr.
Sibert until Saturday to bring the money up.
and he didn't comply he would have him
arrested and prosecuted. told him we were
equally positive that Mr.. Sibert did not get
his money, and he need not wait; to go ahead
with the suit.
Mr.. Wideman we were not there hunting up
evidence to make q compromise but that 1t
will have to be settled by jury.
7. NJ. Jay. sworn:
his suspicious, because his son WAS clerk ing
in the store. Mr.. Wideman first declined 10
tell nim who he suspicioned; but insisted, !,
and he tod me he nopEht ne nad b ,nS ms
not to say anything about 1t; that 1t was
strictly confidential.
On cross examination witness said lie had
conversation with Mr.. SololnOns, and Mr..
Soomons told him to tell Mr.. Wideman tosee
him about this thing, and | went on ana met
Mr.. Wideman at r. r. crossing and told him
Mr.. Solomons wanted TO see him.
Mr.. Siberts reputation is not very. good.
I know nothing definitely as to his nom
Re-iirect-I had heard derogatory reports
some six months before.
in. Dendy, was DEPOT agent Mt Troy at
that time: Mr.. Wideman come TO him, ana
bound him over to secrecry, not TO dlvuige
anythiug-;hat was before he had approached
Mr.. Sibert about the matter. He Told me ne
thought Mr.. Sibcrt was the man WHO had the
money. The money was taken on Frlday,
and this was Monday or Tuesday after
ward.
On cross eXamination--I suppose the rea-
son Mr.. Wideman had this conversation with
me was that he regarded me as friend. ana
asked my advice. We went Into car by
ourselves, and we had conversation. He did
not say he had positive evidence.to convict
Mir SiDcri. He told me about the rircum
stance of Mr.. Sibert being In the store ana
that MI. PrcsSly had settled OIL for some cot
ton, and that he, Presley, was in the oitlce,
and that he could not make the change then,
aad lie left Mr.. Sibert In the Office ana went
out in the street TO get some money changeu
and that he left pile OF money on the desk
in the Office, and when he came back Mr..
Sibert had left the office and when Mr.. Press
IS went hack to take up the money he found
some missing. He said that was the grounds
he had for suspecting him. told him while
lie had "A strong chain of circumstances, did
not think he had sufficient evidence TO con-
vict and advised him to wait, and when
he had made up his mind 10 prosecute he had
better 20 to Mr.. Sihcrt personally and see him
himself Mr.. Wdeman's voice did not i'm.
press m- that he had any harshncss toward
Mr.. Sihert.
Plaintiff rests.
Recess.
Mr.. McGowan on the re-convcning of the
court moved for non-Suit ON the
grounds that there was no publication
proved, as alleged in the complaint.
Motion ovcr-ruled.
For the Defense.
II. ID. Presley, sworn:
in, IF l,n I'm I