The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-08-18
MILLEN DENIES CONSENT.
BE SAYS He NEVER SAW a Re
QUEST TO SELL THE LAND.

| QOhoI ~ BELL TEN AANOs
The Witness on the Stand Nearly Two
Hours-He Denies Every Statement
Made by Grief Linch's Children
About Admissions on His Part-Cer-
tain Questions Evaded-He Claims
to Have Refused to Sign a Receipt
Releasing Inch as Trustee in 1871.
The Millen land suit trial was a little
more interesting yesterday than 1t has been
any day since the commencement, except
that on which the attorneys had a slight
Misunderstanding.
| On the cross-examination Of Col. Preston
as 10 what papers had been turned over to
him, the witness could not state the nature
OF the papers. Rffort was made by defend
ants TO show that the plaintiffs knew of their
rights In 1886, because they brought suit
against Mcdowell in jasper county, which
suit was based upon the same rights and
titles involved In this case but every Ques-
ton was met by an objection from
the plaintiffs. In the course Of the GROSS
| examination of COL Preston by Maj. Mel
| drim, Col. Preston wished TO make an ex-
PLANTATION, and Col Anderson interrupted
him by saying: "You had better answer the
questions; you are the witness and We are
the lawyers now" Counsel for the plaintiffs
did not seem anxious to have Col Preston
make explanations.
Following Col Preston's testimony lot
OF unimportant interrogatories, taking up
considerable time, were produced.
A. G. Milien, the principal plaintiff, went
on the stand at 80 o'clock. He entered a
general denial to all the statements made
BY Grief Linohs children, and stated that
Harmon Linoh had told him he twas for
sale In this NATTER He said he had never
signed request 10 the trustee 70 sell the
property in litigation, and had neither seen
nor heard Of the Edwards petition.
REFUSED To SION LINCH's RECEIPT.
In 1871, when he was d years Of age, Mr..
| Millen said receipt disoharging Grief
Linch as trustee was presented to him by
his mother for his signature. He took the
paper to Judge Bartlstt OF Monticsllo to ask
him what he should do about it, and he
was advised not to sign it, and he did not
sign 1t. Mr. Millen said he had never re-
celved any papers from Grief Linch in his
life, and never bothered about the property
until 1881, when his mother gave him all the
papers in che case.
Maj. Meldrim subjected Mr.. MilIen to an
unusually severe REORGANIZATION. At
times the witness would not answer certain
questions. After a great deal Of interroRa-
LlOu, no aulDibkeu Luhb hiluOtKu ne never
saw a request to sell he had heard OF 1t.
Mr. Millen denied that he ever told Harmon
| Linch that he wanted to find a paper of
| request to sell, or that he said IL the paper
| was found the suit would end at once as far
| as he was concerned.
Maj. Meldrim asked the witness that In
case an absolute deed TO Mir. Prendergass,
signed by all the heirs, had bean found IL
the suit would have ended, and Mr.. Millen
| replied he guessed not.
At O'clock the witness was pss on the
rack again by Mai. Meldrim. He said be
knew nothing about the affairs of his father
and kHew nothing about his debts except
that piece of land in Jasper county had
been sold for debt, and the notes he heard
read IN court.
DENIED LINCH's STATEMENT.
"And you deny that you ever told
Harmon Llnch in a conversation that you
knew your father had been in debts" said
| Maj Meldrim.
Mr.. Millen hesitated quite awhile. and
| finally said: ~ think have answered that
question four times"
"Well, answer 1t Ave times" said Maj
| Meldrim.
| "Well, no" answered the witness.
Mr.. Millen also denied that he had ever
told Harmon Linoh that he knew the heirs
had derived benefit from the sale of the Sa-
vannah lands. The word benefit he
said, had not been used directly or in
| directly during the conversation about the
papers of the case. He stopped talking
about the matter when hnch said q certain
| paper was dead and would be resurrected
at the proper time. The witness never
knew OF his mother getting anything from
Grief Linch, trustee, In the shape OF neces-
| saries Of life or anything else.
Mr. Milen denied ever having said he
would give Harmon Linch q house and lot
| IL ne won the suit in Savannah, or that only
| Savannah people would be hurt by the re-
| suit of the trial. He said it would be "kind
| Of natural" for him to want to get Harmon
Linch to testify as favorably as possible to
| the Millen heirs, but be never asked him
to make his testimony as favorable as he
could ia his interrogatories He did not re-
member, either, to have at one time sold
Grief Linch, Jr., eight bushels of corn and
told him there we're ten bushels.
| The cross-examination of Mr.. Millen
closed at 5:l5 O'Clock, and Mr. Richards then
asked his witness il he was a member Of the
church, to which he replied In the afflrma-
| tive.
Mr.. Richards then introduced the accounT
between Grief Linch, trustee aud Mrs
| Mary S. Hillen in the matter of the trust
estate, together with lot Of vouchers,
which occupied the remainder Of the time
till adjournment.
AL the evidence on both sides will proba-
bly, be finished to-day, and tomorrow the
hardest part OF the battle, the arguments,
Will begin.
ALL ABOUT a CANNON.