The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-09-19
'RYDER'S TERRIBLE REVENGE.
TAKING OF TESTIMONY BEGUN IN
HIS TRIAL.

nesNeS-SeVerAl saw n Man Rum
ming After the ShoOtinW, Hut Did
Not Positively Identify Him as DIR.
Ryder-The Prisoner Sick.
Talbotton, Ca, Sept. 1S.-The hearing
of evidence in the Ryder case was be-
gun to-day. Hon. A. p. Persons was first
sworn He knew DR.. W. l.. Ryder and
Miss Sallie Emma owen, He had seen
DIR. Ryder at Miss Owens home He
knew him as a visitor there, and that
he admired the young lady. on the even
ing of the murder Matthews Mccoy sent
Marion Mccoy to tell him that Miss Ow-
ems was in the city. He called after tea
to see her. She was at McCoy's resi-
dence. About o'clock Miss Lizzie May
owen, Miss Matthews and Miss Mccoy
returned from church. They came in the
parlor for few moments. DR.. Ryder
called for a few moments and left. He
seemed in a good humor About twenty
minutes later there was a terrific ex-
plosion. Mr.. Persons looked toward the
door. 1t was full of smoke. A second ex-
plosion came at once and slightly wound
ed his right cheek. He looked at the
young lady. She was dead and half her
face shot away. After the second shot
he saw in the smoke at the door the form
of man turn away and so toward the
front door
Miss Matthews was sworn. She had
been out Of the parlor about twenty min
utes when the shots were heard.
Miss j. B. Mccoy swore that DIR. Ryder
had complained to her of Miss owens
treatment of him, especially because she
had refused TO let him visit her alone.
Several parties swore hearing the re-
verberating shots, and to seeing man
running from towards McCoys residence
to DIR. Ryders dental office. They took
him to be DIR. Ryder.
West Freeman (colored), was sure the
man was DR.. Ryder He knew him well.
He saw him run into the office and fol-
lowed him. He saw him run out again
and heard him fall down the steps in the
street.
Rafe Kimbrough said: II was sitting in
front Of my store on the night of the
homicide. DIR. Ryder came from McCoys
residence. He went into his office above
the store. 1 followed him to have a chat
found him sitting at his desk and re-
marked that ] would not disturb him. He
said he was not going TO write and that
1 ne WOuiu 20 upWu with me. ne duueu.
\ I've been out to Mrs Owens and had a
very pleasant day When we parted he
went In the direction of the Weston House.
/ heard gun shots in the direction Of the
| Mccoy residence five minutes later and
| soon saw some one running from Thorn
| tons store towards DIR. Ryder's office. 1
| heard VIII Thornton call out Hello, Doc,
what's the matter?' but did not recog-
| nize the man. / thought he was DR..
| 4ydp htTf dfd rO knOU VIII Thornton
went into the office. / remained at the
| foot of the stairs Some one fell down the
stairs at my feet. / thought 1t was VIII
| Thornton but found 1t was not. The man
| got up and ran down the street towards
| Persons pond"
Wllloughby Mcclellan was at Mr.. Nc
| Coy's on the night of the homicide. He
| recently fired. The shells were warm and
smelled like burnt powder.
Matthew Mccoy swore he was at home
before and after the killing. He saw the
| gun and 1t belonged to DR.. Ryder. Mccoy
| had hunted with the gun himself. The
| gun was In the yard about fifteen feet
| from the sidewalk. 1t had been recently
fired. He unbreached the gun and the
/ shells had smoke dn them. "Dr. Ryder
| talked to me a great deal about Miss
| Owens. We often visited together. When
| she sighted him he was furious. On
nearly every occasion we were together he
| talked incessahtly Of her. Whenever he
referred to how she slighted him he would
| invariably declare in these words, or
words similar: Matthews, whenever she
treats me that way get so - -
mad. 1 am afraid / will kill
| her. Yes, he often used that expression
In referring to her. How did she slight
him? For instance, when he would ask
her to go with him TO get some water,
4 .I,o al ~
know where IT is and can get It without
me- He protested to love her very much"
| Matthew McCoys evidence carried great
| weight and created sensation as he
was known TO be very intimate with all
the parties concerned. The gun which
was found in the yard was shown Matthew
| Mccoy. He said: II saw this gun pick
ed up in my fathers yard the night Of
| the homicide"
Nose Hollis swore he knew Dr. Ryder.
He saw him on the night Of the homicide,
/ and went in search of him that night.
| We went to Persons pond and heard a
man groan. We found DR.. Ryder on the
side OF the pond. He was wet, muddy
| and bloody on his clothes and neck We
saw he had been in the water, and found
| blood on the timber of little house in
/ the center of the pond. He seemed stupe-
| fed He was brought to the Weston
house. and doctors began 20 pump his
/ stomach In search Of drugs, they said"
Judge J. NJ. Matthews swore: Eyes, I
remember when Miss Owens was killed.
| 1 heard gun fired and went to McCoy's.
] saw the murdered young lady, with her
face partially shot away. / searched the
premises and found a gun inside the
yard, near the corner, on the west side.
| One of those helping me picked up the
/ gun. II had been recently fired"
VIII Thornton met man under the
| awning in front OF his store on the night
| OF the homicide. He heard a gun-shot a
| few minutes before. He took the man to
be DR.. Ryder, who he saw running in the
| direction of DR.. Ryder's office. He yelled
| TO Raj Kimbrough and Night Watchman
| Webster to follow DR.. Ryder and that he
| was in trouble. He ran into his office and
saw a man dimly by the light OF a match.
'"The man run by me and fell down the
/ steps. The next time / saw him they
were bringing him from the pond. He
was wet and bloody, and appeared TO be
| unconscious"
c. c. Grant being sworn, said DR.. Dyder
/ on the night Of the homicide, came into
/ the office at the Weston house, took a
| drink OF water and went TO his room.
heard some one in his room, and heard
some one come out Of his room and run