The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-01-24
Sheriff. Bell Corroborates His
Brothers Story.
IN BONNER MURDER TRIAL
Was on the Stand Four and a
Half Hours.
8RANTLEY OFFERS NO DEFENSE
The Testimony for the Defendants is
Now Clossd, and the State Will
To-day Offer Evidence
in Rebuttal
in Rebuttal

in Rebuttal.
Washington r. C.. Jan. 23.-(Spe-
ciaD-The first witness i'm the Bonner
murder trial this morning was w. Il.
| Redditt, Deputy Sheriff lie said: Il
asked D. II. Thompson to help me ar
rest defendants Bell. We found them
behind Bonner's store. near an ice
house. If anyone else was near / did
not see them. / had Credle, after he
was arrested. in my charge, until he
was put in jail. We were in the hall
after he had confessed to Fowler and
others, and he stated to me that when
Brantley fired the first shot in Bon
ner's forehead, he and Brantley left
the body and ran, and that they left
Uriah and Sheriff. Bell atthe body, and
when they We're some distance away
he heard the second shot Credle sta
ted that Uriah Bell did not come near
er than to give the signal. When the
Bells were arrested Uriah said he had
been warned and prepared for the
shock
w. ii. Hooker stated that on the
night that w. A. Thompson's store was
broken open, he was with Uriah Bell
from 4 to 1880 o'clock
II. u. Bell said that Uriah went TO his
house that night about 1915 o'clock
and went to bed.
Sheriff. Bell. one Of the defendants.
was then put on the stand He was
rather nervous during the whole ex-
animation, which lasted four and a
half hours
He said: II am II years old; was
born in Hyde county; came to Beau
fort county when six monthg old:
lived near Washington seven wears.
and then went to live near Aurora.
where ] lived until last August.
then went to Hyde county and came
back on the 9Th Of November to help
house my fathers crop. was i'm HYDE
when Thompson's and Hudnells stores
were broken open. I lived at John
Lewis and went to taking my meals
al Bests on Thursday before the muir
der, but still slept at Lewis. Ben
Jones and wife lived in the same house,
| slept up stairs. / did not attend the
ball. / went to Aurora on SATURDAY.
nights and about one other night i'm
the week. Thursday before the killing
| and Uriah went hunting birds and
stayed home that night. We STAYED i'm
aurora with Hugh Saturday and Sun
day nights, and were at home until
Friday night, when we went to A11ora
and returned about o'clock Saturday
night of the murder While in Aurora
we went to Bonner's, HudnelFs and
other stores, and then went home and
to bed
Witness said he met Ben Jones on
the road when on his way to Aurora.
lie was going to take medicine that
night, and that was why he did not
stay in Aurora with Hugh as usual:
said he had never been TO Brantley's
house that he could remember, and
made general denial Of Credle's state
ment, saying that he had never
spoken to- Credle more than to saw
good morning. He admitted being in
the woods on Sunday after the murder
with Brantley and Uriah about two
hours. Said that he staid at Best's
that night, and went to Aurora Mon
day afternoon after the burial; that
he went to his brother Hugh's, and
did not go down the street that after
noon or night. Next day he came
down the street and waited for Brant-
ley and Creole to have hearing, and
stayed until he was arrested.
"When arrested / said, why do you
suppose he wanted to bring us into
it" II. IT. Thompson said he sup
posed Creole wanted to put it off on
some one else"
On being cross-eXamined he said he
had a pistol, would carry it with him
hunting, and practice shooting with it.
Said he carried it to Hugh's Saturday
week before the murder and left it,
and had not seen it since; said he had
been with Uriah to get wine once.
Said that Brantley was out to see them
Saturday of the murder, and one other
day of that week He did not remem-
ber buying pistol cartridges at Cher
rvs Thursday before the murder.
Said Uriah went o'possum hunting one
night the week of the murder with the
Jenkins boys. Admitted that Brant-
ley said in the woods on Sunday af-
ter the murder that he had seen Bon
ner, and that he was nearly black in
the face, and that there was a large
crowd in Aurora.
"We talked about the case in jail last
night, but / do not remember what
was said"
Several witnesses testified to Sher-
rill's very good character, and to
Uriahs up to last summer when his
father left; only he was a little wild,
got drunk, and went to negro festi-
walls.
Ben Jones said he met the Bells go
ing to Aurora the night of the murder.
Sheriff. said he was coming back,
and / left the door unlocked" He de-
MED saying he would swear to lie to
save Sherrill's neck. Mrs. Ben Jones