The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-01-24
Surlah Bell on the Stand and Endeavors to
Prove His Innocence of Completely,
1 SEARCHING CROSS EXAMINATION
Tells OF His Whereabouts nj Differ.
ent Times Proceeding nnd AT The
Time OF The Crime-IIis Testimony
Given Clcarly--A acknowledges HHF.
ing Been Turned Gut OF Church.

S-TheBonner trial has made more
2 progress to-day than any day since IL
4 opened There were several character
witnesses on the stand to prove the
cha.ra otter of the Bell boys. Every one
.:who knew Sheriff. Bell said his char-
} acter was good, but some said OF urlah
that he had been wild since his father
left Aurora and went to Hyde county.
& One witness said that Uriah had been
wild two years. Sheriff. Bell took the
3 stand in the forenoon and testified In
y his own defense. He did not give as
clear n statement OF his movements
and whereabouts for the time Creule
implicated him as did uriah on yes
terday. Sheriff. was not as clear anu
{ positive every time as was Uriah. The
GROSS examination was rigidly conduct
!; ed by Mr.. Rodman. The last witness
I on the stand to prove the alibi for Sher-
rll was Mrs. Jones. at whose house
Sheriff. slept that night. Her tcsti-
5mony was not at ali clear ana ~ was
generally thought, when she left the
stand, that she had not helped the de
Tense. The defense for the Bell boys
rested at o'clock, after having eXam-
lined more than forty witnesses.
4 Mr.. Simmons, counsel for Brantley.
& asked Judge Hoke that inasmuch as 1t
was then after 8 o'clock he would give
him time TO consult with his client by
adjourning court until tomorrow.
Is Court was adjourned and Brantley was
sent back to Jail, accompanied by his
mother and wife. Soon his counsel fol-
! lowed for consultation and there was
:. some excitement with surmise TINT
= Brantley would probably confess. All
at this hour Ia uncertainty. If he con-
fesses and corroborates Credle's state
ment 1t will be q surprise to the Bell
/, boys counsel.
Y Court was opened promptly yester-
& day morning. Uriah Bell. one of the
rs defendants nS.atlN Irp good u md
looked fresh and ready to tell his story.
d The States counsel asked To recall
4 one OF the defense's witness who was
on the stand the night before. Defense
also called one or two witnesses back
7 for some questions about the chara cter
Eof two coiored men, who had been on
the stand-Dave Watson, who had tes-
/ tilted for the States, and Adam Holmes,
who had testified for the defense.
S. b. Guilford was called as first
) regular witness for the day and testi-
fled that Adam Holmes character was
good.
On cross examination Mr.. Small asked:
Did not Adam Holmes desert and
abandon his wife?"
Yes" answered the witness.
You feel interested in this case, don't
81 do"
Done all YOU could In it?"
Perhaps l could have done more"
Have you stated that under no cir
eum.stances would you believe the Bell
boys guilty."
u have not"
w. j. Boyd was recalled by States
counsel and asked some questions touch
ing his character.
uRIAlI BELL ON THE STAND.
Inc defense called Uriah Bell to the
suand. He was a little nervous at first.
put seemed clear,headed in all his state
mems. lie said he was 10 years old,
was born In Hyde county and has lived
at Aurora ten years.
! ne remembered the night that Thomp-
sons store was broken open. He then
detailed his movements that nirbt
mat night about O'Clock he and VIII
iEr went to place IN the county
known as Gross Reads" returned after
IL o'clock and went TO his brothers.
lad no knowledge of the breaking of
S!hoTnpson's store until next morning.
a1d not remember the night when Mr.
Hudnells store was said to have hem
psoken into. He heard of it sometime
afterwards did not know where no
was. for he did not know the night.
last TALL his work was gat hcring in a
crop or corn and potatoes of his fathers
near Aurora. Sheriff. Bell came from
fIyde county, where their father lives.
,l, weeks before mir Bonner was
Killed, and was in Hyde county when
s. He said that Credle's story about seq
.lIW him Thursday night OF the week
PRIOR to the week of Mr.. Bonner's muir
DER was not true.
sS On Wednesday night OF the week prlo,
TO the week of the murder he and
Wyatt Best, with two darliies. went tf
the Indian Island hunting. THURSDAY
night OF the same week he went to tn,
sdanHe He went from his boarding
P.stEf9e 10 aurora; went to Will Thomp
sons; got mis- slippers; went to hi.
4brother's and put them on. He founc
g nat 1t was muddy, SO he stopped at IN,
stairway, took them off and put hi
j5noes BACK on, and went back [,
tLifolnpsons to change. and then Wen
90 the hall. He stayed at the dane,
until o'clock and did not remembe
going out of hall all the evening.
q His counsel asked did Won hea
VIII Thompson lstata that you an,
gome one else vent to his store to bu.
Ri He answered, eff I went I do no
rsmember it. / had gone there othe
night from dances to get cigarettes. II,
may have the time wrong or / may.
invent from the hall with some youn.
sndles; returned to the hall: came dnwl
with VIII Boyd and went to my broth
eris and spent the night.
us there any truth" asked his coup
col, lin Credle's statement about goint
70 Brantley's that night to consult abou
Sscbberies ?"
fgs.ft Is all an absolute lie."
He gave as his movements Of Friday
night that he and Boyd went to ed
wards mills; Saturday went hunting
and Went to Aurora at night: was a
Bonner's store when it closed. and II,
then went home with Hugh Bell anf
stayed all Right; Monday and Tuesday