Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1897-12-12
THE TR|AL WILL SOONBE OVER
The Defense in the Eastman Case,
Practically Closed Yesterday.
A Few More Unimportant Wit
nesses and Some Dispositions are
About all That Remain to be Pre-
scented - Arrangements Making
for the Arguments-All Interest
ed in the Trial Glad That 1t ID
Nearly Done.

Special to the Register.
Parsons, W. Va, December 1.-THE
Eastman trial is almost over so far as
evidence is concerned. The defense
practically closed its case this evening,
except for the formal rendering OF some
depositions, although a witness or two
may be introduced on Monday.
Then the State, it is expected, Will
offer a few witnesses in rebuttal and
the case will likely be ready for argu-
ment on Tuesday unless the prepare
lions of instructions to the jury should
consume more time than is probable.
The prisoner, it is said. will not be
sput upon the stand, nor will
Mrs. Eastman be called to testify in
aer husbands behalf, as was hereto
-teH-4dtimated. This, eaurse, it is I'M
derstood. was decided on to-day after
| conference of counsel for the de-
PENDANT.
No one connected with the case re-
grets that the end is in sight, for every
body is tired. From all appearances
the Court has stood the strain with less
fatigue than all the others.
The details of the argument have not
yet been fully decided upon, but it is
possible that at least three of the
States attorneys will discuss the case
and perhaps six of the lawyers for The
defense.
To-day's proceedings were>uhattend-
ed by any incidents Wsfthy OF especial
mention, unless tnat the fact that the
two brothers@ef' the defendant, Charles
and Philip Eastman, of Rappafannock,
Va, gave evidence in his behalf,
should be regarded as SUCH
Their evidence was unimportant,
however.
The cross-examinatic1 of the law
yer-witness, J. Wagner, was resumed
by Mr.. Howard this morning, and
concluded without eliciting any addl-
tional facts from those already report
ed in the Register.
Max Bliss testified that he was sit
ting in the car in front OF the seat in
which Thompson sat, and heard East
ham apply the epithet to Thompson
that has been referred to by nearly
all the witnesses in this case. Witness
did not look around, however, until
he heard a shot; then he jumped up
and turned just in time to see the
fash and hear the report OF another
shot Frank Thompson fired that sec
ond shot, but witness could not say
who fired the first.
This witness was a good-natured
German, and Mr.. Howard created lots
of amusement with him in the cross
examination, but he stuck to his story
we'll.
Charles Blackwood sWore he was
standing up in the front end of the car
by the door He heard loud talking
and looked down the aisle and saw
Thompson standing by his seat with a
revolver in his hand. Thomson
walked down ehe aisle with the pistol
by his side pulled up and fired two shots
at Eastman and witness left the car.
This witness proved an easy victim on
cross examinat and went all to
pieces in the first round. He admitted
among other things, of having told one
or two persons since the shooting that
he did not see it and did not know
anything about it.
Charles Tahaney, the next witness,
testified that he stood on the platform
outside the car, and heard two shots
then a pause and three or four more
shots in rapid succession. He saw the
fire flash from the first two shots, and
it flashed from the direction in which
Thompson s. God toward the place where
Eastman is said to have been. Tahaney
in the croSs-examination, confessed that
he had told several persons that he
knew nothing about the case
D. A. Edwards, the railroad agent
and telegraph operator at Parsons,
testified to the location of the car and
the grounds generally about the sta
ton on the day of the tragedy, and
was the last witness examined this
evening.
A few other witnesses were exam
ineG during the day as to minor mat
tors. not bearing directly.
J. A. G. Allen, the general manager
Of the Beaver Creek Lumber Company,
denies the matter developed in the trial
yesterday in regard to rumors of rival
nv between his company and the
Blackwater Lumber Company, and
especially that his company cherishes
any bitterness toward the other COM
rany. Mr.. Allen has the appearance
of a very credible gentleman. was one
CT the fairest witnesses on the stand,
and as he denies the rumor there can
be no doubt that his statement is true.