The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1896-01-23

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The court said the witness could make !.
the statement ana If it was found later
that it was not competent 1t would be
stricken. So the witness was allowed
to proceed He had seen Uriah Bell
reading the Jesse James book.
"Was there an oath in it ~ the States
counsel asked. Witness SAID there was.
Here counsel for defense objected to
the witness saying what was in the
book. let them bring the book,
said Mr.. Beckwlth Of counsel for de-
Tense He thought copy OF the book
could be had-perhaps III Washington.
Counsel for State said they had tried to
secure a copy Of the book but had fail
ed. The court thought it would be
much better to have the book, but If it
could not be had it was proper to pro
ceed without it, Witness said he
thought Uriah Bell owned the book
with some one else. Had seen Brant-
lev reading the book. He had seen
Brantley and Uriah Bell together occa-
sionallv. When counsel for State ask
ed if Uriah Bell and Brantley were par
ticular friends, witness answered that
they s'were right chummy."
! On the cross examination Mr.. Beck
with for the defense asked witness if
he had not read the book also. He
said he had read parts of the book, but
had not read it all,
did reading the Jesse James book
make you feel like killing anybody ?"
asked Mr. Beckwith "No,' said the
witness. Mr.. BeckWith then asked if
the result IN the story Of Jesse James
would not hayc a tendency rather to
deter any one from killing, as the most
OF those mentioned IL the book lost
their lives. Here counsel on other
side pleasantly twitted Mr. Beck with
with being familiar with the details Of
the book. lie replied in the same YEN
that he had read the book himself.
| Witness saw Brantlcy reading the
book at VIII Thompson store while
his (Brantlev's) leg was broken some
! three or four months before Mr.. Bon
ner was murdered
Witness was turned over to counsel
for Hrantley and the cross examination
continued Asked Mr.. Simmons,
Haven't most Of the young people
in Aurora read the Jesse James
| book ?" Didn't you know that
even the ladies there have read the
book?" The witness said no. When
asked to give parts of the oath in the
book witness said he had not remem-
berel all parts of It, bnt the oath was
in effect, that all should stick to one
another, and to disclose anything
meant death.
Mr.. Simmons asked witness if he had
ever seen Brantley read other books.
He SAID he had and he had loaned
Brantley books himself.
The next witness Tor the State was
Mr.. Fred Alfred, another clerk in
Chery's store on Saturday. He was
in Mr. Chel1y's store on Nov 23rd, the
day Mr.. Bonner was killed at night.
Did not see Mr.. Bonner that night,
but saw Urian Bell, who brought him
a buggy which he had loaned him.
His testimony was short aud inmate
raj. On cross examination he was
asked whether or not he saw anything
10 Uriah Bell that night which would
cause him to suspect any crime had
he not been arrested. He said he did
not.
MIR. Simmons, Brantley's counsel
asked HIM no questions.
The twenty-iifth witness was Mr.. IT.
wing Bonner. Ills testimony was
about following the tracks from The
place where the body was found. One
OF the tracks was peculiar, he said
. turning in the toes Of the left foot
Counsel for the Bell boys asked him
no questions on cross examination
Brantley's counsel, Mr.. Simmons. asked
, whether the persons who made the
, tracks were running or walking. Wit
moss did not know
Mr.. F. F. Cherry was the next wit
ness. Mr Small conducted the exam.
nation. Air. Cherry's testimony was
looked forward to with interest, and
t good attention was paid to it. He is
a merchant in Aurora, and has had
considerable observation and experience
, in handling shoes lie corroborated
what had been testified pv other Wit
| nesses about the track from the BODY
5 He thought one of the same tracks h ad
been IN his back yard some time be
fore.
, Counsel for defense objected to the
testimony about tracks in the back
yard OF witness prior to the murder
f States counse! said they expected t.
f connect it IN showing conspiracy. Cour
t ruled out that part OF the evidence anc