Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-01-23
HUGGANS ON TRIAL
FOR The MURDER OF FRIEND GARNER,
NEAR NEW MARIINSVlLLE.
The Widow Of the Vicim Tells the Story Of the
Crims-Oher Witness for the STATE Who Were
Present When the Murder lOOk PlaCs.
SreoGlto fhs Recisss-.

Sre1Glto fas Rectsss-.
New MARTINsvILLE. w. VA, jan
uary 22.-The trial of Harrison Hug
gaas for the murder Of Friend Garner,
was resumed this morning. Virginia
B Garner, widow OF the murdered maa,
was the first witness. She is %
years old, OF prepossesing appearance,
and was cool and collected on the wit
ness stand. She stated that on
July 20, 1894, her husband. Lin
coin Evans and Joseph Parsons were
cutting grass In the evening they
came from the field and passed the
house and went in the direction OF the
bars leading TO the field into which
Huggans had turned his horses. She
heard loud talk, went out and heard
George HuggAns say: 81 will turn the
horses In or die" | ran out and when |
got there my husband was lying against
the fence and Harrison Huggans was
standing over him with club In his
left hand. The club was raised. l
said don't strike him any more aud ne
said. &C d. him, let me at him; |
will show him that yhe field is mine"
Evans and | raised my husband up and
he went about twelve feet when be cried
out, 20, my head" and sank down
on his knees. We raised him
up and he sank down again and became
unconscious. Dr. Yeater came In about
thirty minutes. We carried my hus-
band to the house, about 800 yards
away, aud he died at IL o'clock that
night. The fight took place between
aud o'clock. saw Harrison Huggans,
| George Huggans. Henry Huggans and
| w. T. Huggaps there. There were
others whom / did not know. / saw
George Huggans standing across by the
| fence with rock in his hand. My
| husband said that Henry Nelson had
struck MIN over the head with club
! and had about killed him. This was
! the last be said.
Henry Garner, eighty-tNo years old,
| father OF the murdered man, testified
assto contracts with Huggans, who was
! his tenant, but gave no evidence bearing
on the murder.
DR.. T. V. Cox described the wounds
on Garner as follows.
lone acerated wound on top OF the
head, one confused wound extending
| downward over the right temporal re-
| gion, one confused wound extending
upward and forward across the left
tenn poral region, with fracture ef the
| left temporal bone, a slight contusian
| on back Of head. The base Of the brain
was found 20 contain blood clot. Sew
eral bruises were found on the body to
| the right OF the spine, and one brulse
on the right arm between the elbow
and shoulder No trace OF disease was
found. The immediate cause OF death
was the blood-cot."
Mrs. j. Parsons, wife Of Joseph Par
sons. was at Friend Gamers on the
evening he was killed. She was talk
ing and started down the road. Geo.
Huggans and Harrison were on ber hus-
band pounding him. She told them not
! TO strike him any more. Her husband
was badly hurt about the head, in three
or four places. Friend Garner was ly-
ing near the fence, but he could not
speak. There was club thrown past
her while she was bending over her bus
band. She paid but little attention to
any one but her husband.
Joseph Parsons was working for
Friend Garner the day he was Killed.
After we Quit work we went out to the
field to see if any horses had been
turned 10. We found two colts in, and
turned them out and started home,
when we met George Evans and Minnie
Kirk They had a horse, and went to
the barn and stopped. Friend
aud Lincoln Evans went back
to the barn, aud soon HuRgans
came with more horses, and | heard
Friend say. Don't turn the horses in
on the young grass" heard some one
say. II will be Cd id II don't turn
them in or die." Then the fighting be
gan, and when l got there Lincoln
Evans and Friend Garner were both
down. | got of my horse and was
Knocked down by a lick on the head.
got up and was knocked down again.
George Huggans was on me pounding
me. don't know who fought Friend
Garner | saw him, after the fight was
over, lying by the fence. Harrison
Huggans lad CLUB about three feet
long.
Lincoln Evans, employed by Garner,
saw Harrison Huggans grappIe with
Friend Garner when the trouble began,
but did pot see who struck Garner
After brief evidence concerning the
arrest of Hugzans, aud the finding OF
the clubs, the State rested and court
adjourned till tomorrow.