The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-01-21
BONNER MURDER TRIAL
The State Counsel In This Absorbing Trial
Surprises Everybody by Resting their Case.
THE DEFENCE PUT OIL THEIR WITNESSES
The First witnesses Are t,ut o, to
Prove nm Atibi sor Ti;e NcIl Hoys
Establish T'iis Fact, Roth Sides
Sccm Co Feel E1eNciui.

Washington, n. G.. Jan. 2o.-Cspccial.)
When Judge liohe instructed states
counsel in the Bonner trial this morn
ing to call their next witness for the
State they surprised the court, the de-
Tense II the spectators by saying that
the State would rest. They has exam
incd iifty-two witnesses. besides those
they hud recalled. Counsel for License
were not prepared for it. and asked n
few mute to consult. They retired
and consulted about twenty minutes.
and returned, saying they were ready.
Several adicS had lcgn summoned
nom Aurora and they were soon called
and sworn with the OTHER witnesses.
The defendants, Uriah ana Sheriff. Boll.
were also sworn. 1t was learned that
the defense have quite as MANY Wit
ncsscs as the State has put on. The
first witness was Mrs. Ben. wife of
the Bell boys brothet. Her testimony
was in the line of proving an nlihi for
the Bell boys on the nights az The
weeks previous to the killing of Bonner.
The second witness was Mrs. Ida
Thompson. Her evidsnce was for The
G. Guilford, w. ~. THOMPSON and Lee
II. Thompson were the unlv other wit
nesses on the stand during the day.
Mrs. Bell was recalled aftsr some other
witness had been examined. The
court room was crowded almost All day.
Some OF the evidence seemed to va.ab-
fish 2n al!bi for certain times rarity
for the night of the killing, and some
of it did not. 1t looks now like 10Th
sides feel hopeful.
SATURDAY morning the courtroom waa
not so badly crowded. but the attcn-
dance was such as to $how that the in
torcst in the trial vas not at all flag
ging. Mir. Hugh Bell. brother OF the de-
PENDANTS, was still with them. Sheriff.
Bcll looked thoughtful as he took his
seat. but Iriah looked rather Indifferent.
ETantlcy looked very tired and his ai-
%pcarance indicated that he had not slept
well. His wife was still with him. She
had the appearance of trying to look
cheerful. hut she bad evidently spent
II reStle.S night. RrantltY was evident
ly feeling very much detected. He al
most leaned against his wife when They
were first seated. His father and moth
CT We're stu with him. The aged father
of the murdered man was ais In hi..
seat. and heard avdry word of the
days proceedings. The old man is IS
years old and is feehle.o Attorneys ana
officers all seemed tired to begin the
dav with.
The first witness for the day was Mr..
w. II. Bryan. Mr.. Redmun led in the
examination for the state. He lives in
Aurora and helped find the body Of
the man on that sad Sunday
morning. lie WAS the third man to
see ire BODY i'm the field He did not
20 to the body. but Immediately inform
ed the family Of the matter. No one
ma! gone across tho fence To the body
before he conducted the family to it.
This witness was cross cxnmincd very
briefly and allowed to stand aside.
The next Witness was John w. Flow
ers. Ir. Tie IS the son Of Flowers, with
whom Creole and Brnnilev were work
ing at the time Of The murder. lie tcs-
I iffaI tlr.t ",.,.H, ,,,,l -
working for his father at the time of
Bonncr's death. His testimony corrobo-
rated Crcilc's about Biantlcv's going
To the woods where Flowers and son ana
CREOLE were at work. and that Rrantlcy
went with Crcdl" into the woods to cut
n pole with which 10 raft logs. the Time
Creole said I:rantley first mentioned
the matter Ia him. Brantlcy's first
work Was on Friday. the week before
the Bonner murri,r. and young Flowers
testimony about the movements Of
iuAntlcy ana Creole from then to the
Thursday before Bonncr's murder. cor
roborated CrCdi-'s evidence. 1t was the
bargain with ~iSranticy when Flowers
hired hin to send for him at Aurora
every morning and carry him IaCl; at
light. In yuing Flowers cross exami-
nation he IOEhc some discrepancies in
the days he carried BIantlcy to town
during In" week of the murder. VIII
- 80 va t''I''s ~ = VI = l'INilil'llAN
about carrying Eirantlev from Aurora
to his home SUNDAY evening, after The
murder. He overlook Brantlef and wife
walking thai n asked them to go. and
they went. He said Braniley and his
wife slept up stairs that ninht. in the
room that hn and Creole were nccus-
toned Ia sleep in.
Witness went 10 Edwards Mills on
sunday and returned Rome in time TO
find Credir there for dinner, Int Creole
said very little about the murder. Gre
not have his brother John 10 know that
Mir. Bonner was murdered for anything.
for his brother would think he was in
il.
Monday morning Rranticv said while
washing his face: We'll. boys. If they
get any blood hounds here I'd not he
afraid of them after the rain, eve If
! had one anything
Witness heard neither Brantlcy nor
Credle make any statement about MIR.
Bonner on Monday. He saw them to-
Ecthcr several times.
In the afternoon Ben. Thompson and
Luke Stephens came to Flowers house.
What did Brantlcy ana Creole do
while Thompson wAs there" asked MIR.
Small, who was conducting the cXami-
nation.
They went up stairs" answered the
witness.
Then what did Thompson dor
lie listened in the passage and heard
Creole and Brantlcy whispering."
Witness said he carried Creole to An
rora that afternoon and Thomson cnr-
ricd Brantlcy. When they got To An
rora Brantlcy and Credic were arrested
On cross examination counsel for tho
Bell boys asked very few questions.