The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-03-04
DEFENDED HIS HOME.
Park Robinson Tells the Story
OF the Shooting.
STRIKERS AFTER INDIAN HELP.
Evidence Of Conspiracy Exciuded-Ben
stretch Found Morris With a Gun
What . Negro Heard.

The testimony for the defense was taken up an
hour before noon and was continued until
nearly $3.50 O'Clock. The most important wit
ness OF the day was the defendant himself, and
the evidence OF several other witnesses for the
y &tense was OF very material nature At the
present. rate OF taking testimony IL will probabiy
occupy all oil today and may run into tomorrow
Upon the opening OF court the motion of the
y defense to compel the state to produce Deputy
Sheriff Ben Stretch witness was taken up.
Nj Burleigh made an argument OF some length
in behalf oil his position, but without hearing
from the attorneys for the prosecution Judge
Humes denied the motion, then caused a rub
pnna TO be issued for Stretch as a witness for
the defense.
In his statement of his case to the jury Mr..
Burleigh said that It would be shown that at the
time OF the killing of Williams and Morris there
had for some time been a combination among
the miners to drive out the negroes by force
ambassadors had been sent to John Curtis the
chief of the Mukilshoot Indian reservation. with
an offer OF 1900 If he would furnish fifty
braves to help clean out the camp There were
two legal reasons why Park Robinson should be
acquitted Ono was that riot was going on at
the time of the shooting and that it was the
duty OF every private citizen to kill the rioters
II need be. to suppress the outbreak. Again he
was justified on the ground of self-defense-in
defending his wife and children when his home
had been fred upon. 1t would be shown that
shortly after the shooting, the dead body of
Morris had been found with Winchester rife
underneath it, with two empty Shells one in
4 the barrel and the other on the ground.
twas IL O'Clock when the taking of testimony
was resumed
The first witness for the defense was Henry
Hawkins mining engineer in the employ OF
the Oregon Improvement Company. He had
made q rough crayon sketch of the topography
OF the country In and around the town of
Franklin, which was put in evidence. He was
called in order to explain the map to the jury
and to testify to its approximate correctness.
Deputy Sheriff Benjamin Stretch. whom the
defense unnecessarily attempted to compel the
prosecution to place on the stand, was called by
the defense a. a witness. After preliminary
q questions and answers to explain the condition
Of shairs at Franklin and explain his presence
there in an official capacity, Stretch told sub
siantiaily the following story:
: 1t was about 7:40 that a general fusilade
started. There must have been 1000 or 1900
shots. About an hour afterward Park Robinson
came to the company's store, where was, aud
said he had killed one man and wounded an
other. got together posse OF men and went
up behind Robinsons house to where the man
was shot. Morris was lying on his right side,
with his face down and his body quartering
down the hill toward the south There was
winchester rifle under him. removed the gun
and took il to the company's store and locked it
up In the safe. There was an empty cartridge
which had fallen of The body lay about
seventy or eighty feet from Park Robinson's
house. The hill there is very steep-about an
angle of forty degrees. sent the gun with the
shells to the sheriff
bailih was dispatched to the sherif's office,
and came back with Winchester rifle, which
the witness, after making a careful examins-
ton and referring to the number of the gun, do
elared was the one found under Morris body.
BE swore that when he found the gun the muz-
~ If fr4rv ~ fhar l1nAf <r ttuS
or three inches down the barrel. The gun,
!, when he found IT, had been fred recently.
. After considerable questioning by the attor-
neys OF both sides as to the condition of the gun
the witness continued his testimony:
When Park Robinson came into the store
was writing dispatch to Seattle for the militia.
He had his rife with him. 1t was a Marlin
gun. am not certain about the csiibre was
In the company's store when the firing began.
1t lasted about ten minutes. was inside about
one-haf the time When / went out the miners
were shooting everything from 3Scaiibre pts:
toll to q carbine. The firing was not all i'll one
I, spot. Some was on the fats and some on tho
hillside. Most OF IL was near the bunkers.
There were shots on the hillside that came from
acluster OF timber back of Robinson's house.
"what was the condition of the community as
to feeling against the negrocs? asked Mr.. Bur
leigh
The question was promptly objected to by tho
! state, on the ground that it was immaterial, as
having no bearing on the killing OF Williams.
Mr. Burleigh argued that he proposed TO show.
: II allowed to do so, that there was a combina-
tioa among the white miners to drive out the
negroes. The court, however, would not allow
the question unless 1t could be shown that the
two men killed were members OF the conspiracy.
= The eross-examinstion of Stretch by Mr..
q Hughes was a long and rigid one. He began
with the question:
We're you on June 2s last in the employ of
King county or of the Oregon improvement
Company? King county.
Did you ever receive anything from the Ore.
gon Improvement Company for your services?
received only my pay as deputy sheriff
From whom did YOU receive instructions2
From the sheriff OF King county.
Did the officers of the Oregon Improvement
Company direct you? No. sir; l acted inde-
peldsntly.
Did YOU consult with them? At times did.
Where were you on the evening OF June 49,
when the shooting began? In the companys
store
Z Where were you during the afternoonT In
and about the store.
What were you doing? I was viewing the
situation
What do you mean? There was considerable
excitement over the shooting of Ben CASTOR,
ooored miner, in the morning.
We're there any weapons stored In the bullc-
= ing? There might have been q few. Most OF
the snare weapons had bcen taken to Newcastle
that morning
Did you ever distribute any weapons theref
How long were you in there after the shoot
ing commenced? About five minutes
What were you doing2 l was guarding the
arms and ammunition. The colored men came
Did they get any, 1 believe two guns were
taken.
We're not the black men firing out in front of
the sIore9 Yes, sir.
Where did they direct their shots? AT the
fats.
Was there any shooting except between the
store and the bunkers9 Yes, sir; on the hillside,
near Park Robiuson's house.
Did you see the shotsG No; heard them.
How many did you hear in that directionf
Ten or twelve
How came you to locate the shots on the hill
tlde? II was reported there were men IN the
How long after the shooting did Park Robin
son come TO the storsr About an hour.
y Who went up to the body with you? Frank
carmichael, W. A. Fisher, Z. ii. Barker, J. /.
" Foley, p. D. Mckay and ID. Diamond
Row many OF these were white menE All Dut
T. We're they Sullivan men? part OF them.
who took you to the dead bodyT PARK kooin-
son directed US.
Here Mr. Hughe, desired the witness to make
practical demonstration of the position in
which he found the dead man. Prosecuting
Attorney Miller offered his body for the pur-
pose and stretched out at full length on the
eoor IN front Of the jury, with the dead man
rife under him. Stretch arranged his limbs IS
he said these OF the dead man had lain when ne
found them. In this position the gun lay AZ
right angles TO the body with the butt under
meath 1t. The barrel rested in the left hand ana
the fingers of the right hand were on the trigger
guard
y Mr. Stretch then resumed the stand. while
Mr.. Miller arose snd busted OF his clothes.
How DO YOU account for the blood on the
gum thiak il got on there before Morris ie'L
Was there any blood on the ground les;