The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-01-23
He Denies Everything Told BY
Creole in His Confession.
ON THE STAND ALL DAY
Tries to Account For His We're
abouts at Time of Murder.
A SEVERE cROss-ExAMINArIoN
But the Witness Stuck to His Story
Well and There Were Few if
Any Contradictions

''F SO''h' NANA'@hOfS
In 1t.
Washington, n. c., Jan. 22.-(Spe-
cial. .)-After two witnesses had been
put on the stand this morning and had
testified as to the good character of
Adam Holmes and the bad character
of David Watson, Uriah Bell, one of the
defendants, took the stand to testify
in his own behalf. He said he was 10
years old, was born in Hyde county
and had been in Beaufort county ten
years. He denied each and every point
which the State brought out against
him and explained them in an intelli-
gent and cool manner. The witness
is a cool and collected young man of
rather pleasant address. He denied
any knowledge Of who broke open the
Thompson and Hudnell stores. He
stated that he worked in timber and
housed his fathers crops during last
fall on Thursday night week before
the murder. He said he went to his
brother Hugh's, tried on his slippers,
took them off, carried them to Lee
Thompson's store under the dance
hall and put them on. (Hugh's wife
stated that he put the slippers on at
their home and Thompson stated he
put them on at his store.) Witness
said he then went to the dance. He
said he did not go to Brantley's that
night. lie said if he went out of the
hall till the dance ended he did not re-
member it; that it ended about /
o'clock Bell said that everything Gre
die told against him is an absolute lie.
He told in detail what he
did and where he went each
day aud night up to the Wednesday
night ON which he went hunting with
the Jenkins boys He denied going
TO Cherry's rs stated by Credle, and
said that on Friday night he wers to
a dance at Oregon. took lady and
while going he got Fred. Alfred's whip.
Said he carried the whip to his broth
er IIugh's and got it Saturday night of
the murder and carried it TO Lee
Thompson's store and later to VIII
Thompson's and later still he carried
IL to Alfred at Cher1y's He said
Brantley came to Best's Saturday of
the murder and one other day that
week.
He explained fully the conversation
on the log and the one in the barn with
Brantley. Said that on Saturday af-
ternoon he went with Brantley to ex-
anime the fence, and they shot rifle
and pistol few times. He said he
and Sheriff. went to Aurora on that
night Immediately after supper, and
went into details as to where he was
all the while.
He declared he did not see Bonner
that night at all: that he, Matthews
and Sparrow went to the country
about 9 o'clock: that they
drank great deal of wine:
he went off in the yard, lay
down and woke up about four o'clock,
went in 10 warm, came out, got his
coat and went home to Best's
and went to bed; that he was very
drunk next day. He said he did
not eat breakfast or dinner;
that about midday he got up and he
and Sheriff. went into the woods; he
lay down and went to sleep and that
Brantley came in the woods; he woke
up and spoke to him and went to sleep
again. About ? o'clock nc GOT up and
they all went to the house; he lay
down again and that Brantley went i'll
his room and wanted his pistol to kill
some hogs with, and he gave it to him.
W iltItSo Sttitt IbCSl lOiU MN IIhI
morning that Bonner had been killed,
but he was too drunk and sick to go.
Said he did not talk with Brantley and
he did not know what Sheriff. and
Jrantley talked about. After supper
the night after the murder he eat sup
per and started to Aurora with Nat
Guilford and Henry Bonner. (His
statement here was about the same as
l..
that night.) He said he did not see
Credle or give him the key as stated
by Credle and that he was not alone at
any time that night.
He then stated what he did until
just before he was arrested. Said Lee
told him what Credle had
said, and for him to tell Sheriff.; that
he told Sheriff., and soon they were ar
rested. He denied making the state
ment, as testified to by David Watson,
in regard to not telling anything
about it.
He said he had read the Jesse James
book, but denied what McCaffery said
about the threat in Bonner's store, and
said it was lie. lie said that on one
occasion he spoke some short words
to Bonner, but he had never made any
bargain to kill, or break open stores,
or anything of the kind.
The cross-eXamination was severe
and lasted half of the day, but the wit
ness made but few, if any, contradic-
tions, and held his own well. There
were some points in it that did not
show up so well, but, as a whole, he
stuck to his story, He was a little
nervous at times, especially when the
oath in the Jesse James book was be
ing read to him.
The end of this trial is not in sight
yet. The large number of spectators
continues