The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-07-20

Bette Cook, Berry Cooks daughter,
was the next witness. She corrOborated
her mother as to Berry's coming home,
and going to the store. After going to
bed she heard nothing more OF her moth
er or father until next morning.
Dempsey Cook swore that Lucy Sim
ons, who staid all night at Berry's
house, said Berry was at home when she
went to bed and he was there when she
got up, and that's all she knew about it.
Alfred Bryant and Simon O'Neal testi-
fled to the same effect. George Adams
saw Berry Cook at the store between
s and . o'clock and left him there.
Ben Price swore that he heard Har-
riet Pace, say, three weeks before the
murder that she was going to Rosa
Morgan's house, take n cowhide and mob
her near bout to death"
! On cross-eXamination the witness said
he was no relation to the defendant
"cept dat he Jest raised him"
Narcissa Price heard another version
off it. She testified that Harriet had
said IF Rosa didn't quit fooling with
her she'd go there, blow out the lights
and beat her to death"
Mr.. Glib O'Neal. from whom Ches Pace
rents farm, said that Ches and Robt
White went to Noah PAGES the night
Rosa was murdered; that both of them
changed their shirts that night. Later
he arrested Robt. White. He did not
know whether he had ever before seen
the shirt which White claimed to have
pulled off the week before the murder.
At this point the defendant was put
on the stand, greatly to his own hurt.
He said he went to Rosa's early in the
night. knocked at the door, went in and
sat down on the pallet.
Niger she said. why don't you lie
down, what you settin' up for?
Il laid down and directly she said
she was feeling bad and j got up and sat
in the door, She came and sat down
by me, and nursed her baby After
awhile | got up and left, and as | was
going away she called to me and asked
me to tell Lucy Simons to come over
there. / went home and told her"
On cross-eXamination the defendant
said that on Friday he was blowing a
bout a quarter of a mile from his home
From the field he went home to take
his horse. Then he went to the store
and got something to eat, took it back
home, had it cooked and ate it, After
this he sat down on the steps and talked
to Lucy Simons and his daughter.
when did you go to Rosa Morgan's?' q
the Solicitor now asked.
The witnessed smiled. twisted and
grew nervous evading the question in
a dozen different ways, and asking al
sorts of questions.
Finally he said it was after he went tc
the store and before supper that he went
to Rosa 's-while his wife was cooking
supper. 1t was evident that the man
was lying and had been caught, and he
knew it. He acknowledged that it was
Il mile or more to Rosa's house and that
he stayed at her house a quarter of an
hour; that he had carnal knowledge OF
her while there; that after that she com
plained Of feeling badly. Then he forgot
what he had just stated and said he tolG
his wife about Rosa being sick, as soor
as he got back: that his wife was in
bed when he told her about it, Then
he said he first went to the kitchen
found nobody there, ate by himself, went
to the house, sat in the door awhile anG
then told his wife.
Cook said he had been keeping" Rosa
for about two years, but he had never
had any trouble with her about any
thing; he would not have hurt her, be
said. any quicker than he would his own
child.
AS he left the stand 1T was apparent
that the man had, by his demeanor and
contradictions, done more to secure his
own conviction than all the rest Of the
witnesses put together.
Several character witnesses-Millard
Mial, Mr.. Jones and III. II. Goodson-
were now introduced. Mr.. Mial had not
known Cook for several years. Mr.
Jones did not know his character. Good
son had always thought Cook a man OF
good character, but had not heard before
of his living with a woman.
This concluded the testimony for the
defense and the court took recess until
this morning at $50 o'clock, when pos
sibly one or two other witnesses will be
examined, arguments made and the case
given to the jury.