The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-11-20
ZEIGLER CASE WITH THE JURY.
STRONG CLOSING SPEECHES MADE
ON BOTH SIDES.

Brooker-Denies That lie and Cor
RE killed BrOOker For Revenge
But Because They Were in Mortal
Terror of Him-COunSeI Williams
Argues That the killing of Brook
er was an Act of the Almighty
Through ZeiGIer.
Sylvania, Ca, Nov. Observation-Disclosures
the fact that the Screven county court
house is considered unsafe it has been
packed and jammed for the past two days
with larger crowd than was ever pressed
and squeezed into it before.
Whether it be a fact or not and unfortu-
nate as may seem the conditions that
would make it so. it has been freely sad
by those who have discussed the Zeigler
case on the streets and in the court house
that the real issue in the trial was the
selection of the jury This is the talk,
hut 1t may be unjust. There are no doubt
men on the jury who will do their duty, re-
CARELESS of any question of politics or
other outside consideration. Every man
on the jury is a populist.
Every point in the case where there is
the slightest opening for an objection, is
holly contested. and results in much en-
pertaining argument between Mr.. Watson
and Judge Twiggs.
AS the state demanded severance and
only Solomon Zeigler is now being tried, IL
is thought that it may be a hard matter
to get jury when Corrie is put on trial.
from the fact that so many will have
then heard the evidence and will perhaps
be disqualified on that account.
Court met this morning at o'clock. The
defendant, Solomon Zeigler was put on
the stand to make his statement He did
this in a cool and collected manner. but
towards the close was visiby affected and
tears came into his eyes. This is what
the defendant said in substance:
. Il was not present at the first difficulty
between BROKER and my father. My
father told me on his death-bed that he
and BROKER had a difficulty on the train.
He said he heard a negro make a remark
that offended him. He went to the negro
and told him that he had insulted him
and he had it to take back. BROKER got
up and told him if he had anything to say
no the negro to say it to him. My father
said to him to go on, that he didn't want
any trouble. Brooker cussed him and he
hit BROKER. Mr.. West and Mr. Heard
caught Brooker, and my father went out
with Mr.. Heard. My father had intended
coming out to Sylvania, but Mr.. Heard
asked him to get off at Zeigler's station,
and he did So / spoke to my father and
asked him why he wasn't going to Sylvia
mia BROKER stuck his head out of the
window and said, Come go to Sylvania,
you third party - My father said,
BROKER, that's too much to take He
started to get on the car and saw Brooker
oh - h.,
into the car and BROKER shot at me and
the bullet burned my neck. l went on
to him, took his pistol from him, and shot
him with it. Mr.. West came up and asked
me to go out of the car. When got off
my father was at the steps. He was
staggering and said he was hurt bad His
throat was cut, and he said Conner Will
hanson cut it. Two or three days after
that my father died.
THE same day, when the train came
back, | got on the car to see Mr. West
about some freight When l went in the
car l saw a man with a gun leVeled on
me. 1t was Williamson. l caught the
gun to prevent his shooting and asked
him to take his hand off the trigger. He
hred and ran out. l followed and beat
him with my fist. Mr.. West and Mr.
Hughes took me off from him, and Will
Hanson got back on the train
After my fathers DEATH l went before
Justice d. T. jenkins and had a warrant
sworn out, and he was arrested, and al
lowed to give bail At the next term of
the superior court l went before the
grand jury and tried to get a true bill. 1
failed to get a bill, but the jury found a
true bill against me and my brother for
assault and battery on Williamson
After court l heard several threats
that Brooker had made. Mr.. Hurst told
me that Mr.. BROKER said he would kill
me the first time he met me. That was
before Brokers wound got we'll. Hurst
told me he said to Brooker: They bunged
you up pretty bad BROKER said, Yes,
and I'll have revenge for it, if it takes ten
years. Sol. Zeigler came near killing me,
and I'll kill him if it takes ten years
MIR. Watts and Mr.. Balton, Mr.. Arnett
and Preacher Thompson also told me of
threats that BROKER had made against
my brother and myself. l told Mr.. Arnett
wish BROKER would go on; that didn't
want to kill anybody.
MY brother and l went to the BAPTIST
Association at Goliod and carried our
guns with us, as we usually did after
we had heard of Brokers threat. After
we were there short while l saw Brooker
come up behind Billie Walkers carriage,
where my brother and myself and one or
two friends were sitting. We made an
excuse to get out, and went away. When
:,
my brother said, There's Brooker yet
We turned away and went to the front
of the church. Directly after we got
there BROKER came up into the crowd.
Every crowd we would get in he would
come into IL, and whenever he would see
as away from a crowd he would look at
as with an unfriendly look as II he had
something on his mind.
''Mr. John Hughes came to me that day
and told me he heard BROKER say on the
grounds that he expected to kill me and
my brother before he left there. He told
me that BROKER said he was going TO be
the last man to leave there, IL he had to
run every other man off. He said TO
Brooker, Suppose the boys have got ri
Hes and BROKER answered, Well, I've
got rifles too Mr. Hughes saw Brooker
and another man take a drink out of a
buggy; he looked in the buggy and saw
two rifles and large pistol.
That was just before the killing OF
Brooker. We We're preparing to leave the
grounds and go down to Mr.. John Wal
ker's, and were hitching up the carriage
There were two or three men near us
BROKER and another man came up tc
them and talked in a low tone. / under
stood BROKER to say: Boys, now is our
lac Oh