The herald., 1896-11-22
BIG jim CASE AGAIN
A Scorching Affidavit by
Miss Tillman
HER PREVIOUS AFFIDAVIT A FRAUD
She Gets the Straight Tip From
GhOStIand
COL. DUNCAN'S LIBEL SUIT
Against the Times Results in an Adverse
Verdict
The Smith Divorce Case Still Drags Cut in
Department Four
Superintendent Coffin Arraigned in the
Township Court-A Supreme Court
Ruling in a Case Carried Up
Twice on Appeal.

Twice on Appeal
New interest has been injected into
the Chew Wing Cow case.
That which is odd, curious and ap-
parently ineXplicable has always ap-
pealed forcibly to the human un-
derstanding. In the trial OF Big
Jim" those who followed the details
were confronted by veritable Chinese
puzzle. for the lying on one, or both,
sides was of such symmetrical charac-
ter as to make accurate determination
almost an impossibility. True jury of
twelve good men and true found the
bulky Chinaman, known as Big jim
to his English speaking acquaintances,
guilty of murder. and very possibly
they were perfectly correct in so finding
But if the preponderance of testimony
taken at the trial did incline to the pros
ecution, and apart from any inference
that may be drawn from the finding Of
the jury that must be altogether mat
ter of individual opinion, different
complexion was given to the case shortly
afterward when affidavits were filed.
The most noted of these documents,
perhaps, was the affidavit made by Miss
Cordelia Tillman. the young lady who
was seated in the buggy with Mr.. and
Mrs. Haight, and who. with them, wit
messed the shooting of Wong Chee
This little lady's deposition was taken
during the trial of Big Jim" while she
was lying on sick bed. Her testimony
was in conflict with that given by her
friends, the Haights, and helped ma
terially to establish the contentious of
the prosecution that Percy Hammond
Bell, the young Englishman, was the
first person that reached the side of s>e
wounded man as he lay upon the
ground. The stablishment of that fact
was vital to the case of the prosecution
But when the matter came up in court
again, on the motion of counsel for the
defense for new trial, a batch of aili-
davits were filed, including one made
by Miss Cordelia Tillman, which pre-
sented some startling features. Miss
Tillman repudiated her former state
ments and switched her testimony with
in the lines of the defense. Truth to
tell. there was strong shadow of reason
in her argument that when her depo-
sition was taken she was i'll and excited,
and consequently not so able to give
lucid and true narration of what she
actually saw on Alameda street upon
the night of the shooting.
When that batch of aftidaVits was
filed Messrs. Appel and Phibbs, special
counsel for the prosecution, pleaded
surprise and asked for time. They
got it.
RED HOT AFFIDAVIT
Yesterday was the time set by Judge
Smith for the matter again to be taken
up, and the motion for new trial ar
gued. The motion was argued all the
same, for it was the turn of counsel for
the defense to be surprised, and they
were by batch of counter afiidaVits
filed by the prosecution. While each
of these is interesting enough in its
way, the one sworn to by Miss Cordelia
Tilman, who again bobs up serenely,
is a "corker'' The term is not polite,
but it is expressive. and describes the
affidavit made and sworr to by her. The
document is quite lengthy, but denud-
ed of its excess OF Verbiage, without
any fact however being omitted, it reads
practically as follows:
"On Thursday morning. Nov. 18th
Mrs. Carrie HaiZlip came to my fathers
house, 715 East Ninth street. and asked
me to go on a car ride with her in the
afternoon of that day. l went with her
on the Maple avenue line, and trans
ferred to the Temple line, returning
about 80 to the courthouse. Mrs. Haiz-
lip said it wasn't late and we'd get off
and walk. We went around by the Jail,
and she said she wanted a drink of
water and said "all right" and she re-
piled that she would go around to the
typewriters' room and get a drink, and
I, thinking it was the typewriter in the
jail paid no attention; so we went
around and kept on going. l asked,
Where are you going?'' She replied,
Il am going to the typewriter's room and
get drink" I paid no attention and
she hurried up, and we walked fast.
as l wished to go home. We went on
and came to some place next to the Jail
and stepped in door. There is a little
hall there, and she got herself drink
of water. there was a typewriter in the
room. She opened a door and went in.
and said she was going to see if Billie,
her husband. was there, and she took
me by the hand: l. of course. did not
know the room as l was never there be-
fore.
"Billie was not there. but Mr.. Davis,
one of the counsel for the defense, was.
When I saw him / stood there aston
ished and surprised. and was so excited
did not know where I was. The first
thing that entered my mind was that I
wished my sister. Mary, was there with
me. Mr.. Davis shook hands and invited
me to sit down. die so and said I was
tired. and after little while remarked
to Carrie (Mrs Haizlip>, ITS late; let
us go home" Mr.. Davis and shG kept
on talking, and then Mr.. Davis said
Miss Tillman, I would like to ask you
few questions I said: I do not think
will have time He said he wanted to
ask me in regard to Hammond Bell. and
I replied that I did not wish to talk
about the subject. I was standing, in
the act of leaving the room, and he said
| he only wished me to tell him whether
or not If either, was ex-
| cited or confused on my sick
! bed. and did not know that 7 was
! testifying that Hammond Bell was the
| first man that arrived at Wong Chee's
body after he was shot. I said that ]
might have been excited. but that
! knew he was the first one there Then
said to Carrie: We must go home; it is
| late
"Mr. Davis said he wanted to ask me
one or two questions, but I said: No
1 cannot; we must go home. Carrie
was then called out of the room by Mr.
Rush. Mr.. Davis said then: Come and
| take this seat I said: I cannot: I will
wait for Carrie a few moments ]
waited. but she didn't return. and ther
| I said to Mr. Davis that would have tc
| go. but he replied: Just a few more