The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-01-19
BONNER MURDER TRIAL
The Net Slowly Being Woven Around the
Men Accused Of This Dastardly Crime.
TWEA1y-sK WITNESSES EXAMINED
Whose Testimony Hears Ont that of
CrcdIc, the states Chief Witness =
Mrs.E1oudmctIG Gives Her Testimony
interest its the Trial tlnnbatett
Destined victims Testify.

Washington, N. c.. jan. 1S.-(speciaD
The Bonner trial has held up In in
torcs- throughout the day although
there has not been such u crowd in the
court house. Constantly at times the
crowd has been packed, and at times
not so many. There have been only
eight witnesses on the stand.
The evidence given by Wyatt Best
and Robert Best rorroboratcd the les
ttnony of Mrs. Best, wife OF Wyatt
Best, which testimony was given last
night about 6 o'clock. There was some
slight discrepancy between the direct
and cross examination of John Flowers.
lr, as to who ii was carried the de
lendant Crctlc from Flowers home to
Aurora OH certain days. The chief Wit
ness for the day WAS MIR. John Flowers.
Chief of Police OF The town OF Wushine-
,pn and u general detective.
He has done good deal In getting
up the evidence in the case and his
testimony was looked for with Interest
by everybody. His evidence uprrobo-
rated the testimony of Crctllc as To
what confession he had made 10 Fow-
Ter and was substantially the same on
cfoss-cNaminatlon that ii was on the di-
rect. Counsel FOR Brantlcy, Mr. L. S
simmons was very severe in his cross
examination of Detective Fowler.
mere We're some sharp passes between
them. but the witness did not lose his
self-contOl as some of the witnesses
seemed 10 do under Mr.. Simmons sharp
firing yesterday.
Mr.. Simmons is blind and that fac,
adis interest 10 his examination of the
Witnesses There are still many Wit
ncsseS for the state yet to be examined
ana although the trial has been i'm pro-
Eiess one weary week there is no possi-
Die guess as TO when ii will close.
cstcrdaH morning there was II rush
10 me Courthouse. when the bell rang
al 3'Iu. In len minutes the court room
was filed ana soon there was no snare
room. Several hundred people were
soon packed together as close as sar-
uihes, ana the court had to order TINT
no one be allowed near the bar except
those who were intcrstcd I'm The ,,s.
Reporters were allowed places AM, min
lStcrS of HE gospel were also allowed
seats nearby.
The prisoners were in their places.
iheir rrlat tivcS still with them Brant-
ieE locked frcshcr than he did on the
preceding morning. and there was no1h
ing especially striking about Tho ry-
prrssion on the faces Of the IcIl bovs
Nelthef OF the prisoners smiled all ,Iay
or very family. If at all. Before the
crosse OF the examination of the wit
iiesseH ,i,,s ior me day Brantley looked cs-
becia!iy tired, and the others looked
detected, perhaps from fatigue. as well
hS Il" peril of their situation
me llfSl witness for the day was Mrs
q. liudncll. Being brought into n court
room packed with 400 or coo people wa $
quite trying to lady of delicate feel
lngs. Dut her sclf-control was marked
ana beyond The mnmentary Hush I'm her
ihce one would scarcely have noticed
mat sh" was ut all disconnected There.
was not even trcmur i'm her voice
Her evidence was very strong ond
If n -i,.in
oi the murder very clearly She lives
IN Aurora. on the same street with The |
Bonner residence. and on the same side |
oi Inc street. ON the night of the muir |
ger she was alone I'm her house. her
husband being in his store and as she |
started on her porch she heard q pistol
shot and heard some one cxclaim:
ON! twice. About a minute after she
hraid another pisto! shot. She became
frightened and went back into tho
nous" and looked at the clock 1t was
elt hcr Il lew minutes before or after S
o'clock. Mr. Rodman. of counsel for
state. asked her to give the direction.
ana she said IL was I'm front OF Mr.. Chan
ms or towards Mr.. iSonner's. Chaplin
ana Bonner lived on adjoining lots.
Mrs. lluinell was turned over to conn
sci for defense and was cross-examin-
ed first by Mr.. Nicholson. of counsel for
the Bell boys. Her ross-cxanination
correspondent almost verbatim In her
di!s"ciS Win lhc direct, and Mr.. Mich
o!sin diI not protract his examination
MI. Simmons. Branticy's counsel
asked very few questions of Mrs. Hud-
nell Thc most important was whether
II was more than minute between the
two pistol shots. and she said ii might
nave been more than minute, she
couiu not tell exactly. Mrs. Hudncll
was thcn excused from further cxami
nation, and she left the witness chair
ftcf husband led her from the court
room. she showing very plainly that she
appreciated an opportunity to get out.
Mr.. G.. S. Dixon, who was on tho
stand Wednesday morning MS the twen
ty.second witness in the case. was re-
called and placed on the stand again.
lie had been to Aurora since his first
examination and had gone over the
from the place where the body
was found to Brantley's house lie
ran through the field 10 wire fence over
tne same place, where the tracks seem
cd to have been made by one running.
ana then walked where the tracks seem |
cd 10 indicate the persons who made |
them We're walking. and he made the |
dlStncc In Just four minutes. Witness !
SAID that had he run all the way he |
could have made the distance to Brant- |
lty's house in much less time.
Here the witness was turned over to /
counsel for the defense, and as the tes-
timony did not bear against the Bell |
boys. their counsel did not ask any
questions.
Mr.. Simmons, counsel for Brantley.
took the witness and made his examina
ton lively. Said he to the witness:
Continued on Eighth P02e.1