The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-04-20
The STORY OF A CRIME.
John Gaddis Was Warned to Keep
Away From CorneIPs.
THE TESTIMONY GIVEN TO-DAY.
Elder Greene Says Cornell Was Not
Drunk or Cut About the Face-Otis A.
Reynold for the Defense other Tes-
timony.

EAST GREENwIcH, April oO.-The trial
of Rhodes Cornell for the murder of John
Gaddis was resumed at 10 o'clock this
morning.
The court room was crowded, and well
IL might be, for Rhodes Cornell had never
told anybody, save his counsel, why he
shot and killed John Gaddis. and all were
on the alert to learn the real cause Of the
tragedy.
Col. Stipess, In opening for the defense,
said that it would be admitted that John
Gaddis was killed on October 81 and that
Rhodes Cornell shot him.
The defense would show that Cornell
was at work on Elder Greene's barn i'm
Anthony all that week and left the Elders
at 11:30 A. NJ, and at that time he was
sober and had no cuts on his face.
He went home, prepared dinner and set
the table. His wife and Mrs Reynolds
came home and soon there was an alter
cation growing out of Gaddis' visit to the
Cornell house on the previous Sunday,
when he WAS there from A. M. until 8
Cornell's house all that time.
Mrs. Reynolds had sworn that Gaddis
did not throw Cornell to the floor and did
not hold him there. while in the dying
declaration of John Gaddis there was the
admission that Cornell was thrown to the
floor and held there.
There would be the proof that Cornell
had been injured several years ago and
that he had to lie down because of that
injury; that he was on the bed when Cad
dis came In and that by reason of some-
thing which had been told him he had
warned Gaddis to keep away from his
house; that Cornell left his bed. ordered
Goddis to leave, attempted to take from
10 Ia. nf xxyhi ich
Gaddis had brought there and that Gaddis
then assaulted Cornell, threw him down.
pounded him and threatened to Kill him
with a stove implement; that Cornell got
to his feet, ran for his gun, and standing
in his own bedroom. fired the fatal shot.
Elder J. Harris Greene swore that Cor
nell worked on his barn on the day of the
shooting, and was engaged in shingling
il. At IL o'clock that day work was left
off and at 11:30 Cornell went home. Cor
nell did not have any signs Of liquor on
him all that morning, and so far as he
knew Cornell was peaceable man. Cor
nell had no cuts on his face that day In
cross-examination he said that he was
pastor of the eSix-Principle Baptist Church
at North KinRstown.
lydia Greene, wife of Elder Greene,
corroborated her husband, and added that
she had formerly been a near neighbor OF
Rhodes Cornell, and had never heard or
seen anything detrimental to his good
character as a peaceable man.
Otis A. Reynolds, superintendent of the
weave rooms in the Anthony mill, wher e
the Cornell aud Reynolds women worked,
swore that he had known Rhodes Cornell
for twenty-five years, and had lived in the
house opposite to the one owned by the
Cornells.
Last September Gaddis came to the wit
nesses house aud asked him to come to the
yard. There he saw Cornell. Gatidis
said, "Have you ever heard anybody
speak about my calling at Cornell's
house ?"
II have"
81 was told this by Cornell" said Cad
dis, "and would not believe him. He told
me to ask you and have done so. "
Then Cornell said to Gaddis, Hence
forth, Gaddis, l want you TO keep away
from my house. have kept house OF
ill-fame for you just long enough. Keep
away or I'll hurt YOU"
Gaddis replied "And / want you, Cor
NELL to keep away from my place."
The witness said that Gaddis came to
Cornells three times a week and every
Sunday, and that on the Sunday before
the shooting Gaddis drove up ats A. NJ,
hitched horse the fence and that 1t was
hltched there when the witness went to
bed at 10 T.. NJ.
Cornell, because of this, slept in the
basement all summer, and ate meals at
the witness house.
The witness said that he was brother
of Mrs. Elizabeth Reynolds paralytic
husband, and that with about fifty more
he had contributed to fund to pay the
counsel assigned to defend Cornell One
of the contributors was known to be an
enemy of Rhodes Cornell.
Mrs. Ellen Y. Reynolds, wife of the last
witness, corroborated her husband as to
Gaddis' visit to the Cornell house before
the shooting.
CONTINUED on PAGE Z.