Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1897-09-21
HUNTER ON TRIAL.
HUNG JURY OR AceUITTAL EXPECTED
TO-DAY.
Some TAN Lying Done by Witnesses
Speeches Made Yesterday.

4
The case Of DR.. Hunter, charged
with conspiracy to bride members Of
the Legislature during the recent sen.
sational contest. is now in the hands
Of jury in the Circuit Court at
Frankfort. With Hunter, there were
also indicted his lieutenants, John
Henry Wilson, ex congressman from
the Eleventh district, and e. T.
Franks, ex candidate for Congress
from the Second district; and Hun
ter's accusers, Capt. Noel Gaines and
Thomas F. Tanner, of Frankfort,
The latter, who are Democrats,
charged that Hunter, Wilson and
Franks endeavored to get them to
buy the votes of Representatives
Gossom, Johns and Merge Clark.
Gaines claimed that he was trying to
catch Hunter in an attempt at brib
cry, and Wilson and Franks, who ad-
mitted that they negotiated with
Gaines for three unknowns, claimed
that they were trying to discover a
plot to ruin Hunter and in which
they hoped to involve Gov Bradley,
Hunter denied the charge that he had
ever visited Gaines house, or that he
was out of the hotel at any time dur
ing the evening of April LIST, the
night he was accused Of going to
Gaines house.
As heretofore explained in the Cap
ital, there is not much probability of
a conviction Of any of those indicted
because there is no indication that
either side was in good faith in the
bad business. Wilson gave it as his
opinion on the stand, that the candi-
date for senator who would not gather
in votes that could be influenced had
better withdraw. The testimony of
Gaines and Tanner was that Hunter
came to the formers house; Prof.
Baumes saw Hunter and Tanner in
South Frankfort about the evening
Of April LIST, and on cross examination
admitted that he thought Hunter had
visited a sick member at the Baumes'
College that night, Assistant Libra
rian Charles b. Willis testified that
he saw Hunter IN South Frankfort
about the evening of April list, and
that he was on Second street, beyond
the proper route to Baumes' College.
Mr.. John Stewart, the newspaper
correspondent, swOre that he saw
Hunter pull his hat down and go out
Of the hotel on the evening Of April
| lst, and that he recalled the date be-
cause somebody remarked that Hun
ter was going TO April fool some
body. State Senator Clark testified
that he saw Hunter walking along
the street behind Tanner and going
towards South Frankfort
In Tebuttal Hunter had a large
number Of witnesses to testify to his
presence in his room Gu the evening
in question. The defense abandoned
any attempt TO drag Gov. Bradley or
Senator Blackburn into the alleged
conspiracy" to ruin Hunter, and the
case resolved itself into about this.
Gaines and Hunter were shown to
have been trying to play foxy; Hun
ter was accused by the positive state
mepts Of numerous witnesses of hav-
ing been out of the hotel OH the even
ing of April LIST, which he positively,
and some Of his witnesses vaguely,
denied; it was made pretty clear that
Hunter and his friends were pursuing
their usual gum shoe" methods of
trying to fool somebody, and to get
votes most any old way; and that the
game of deception ended in "dog
fall"
Judge Cdntrill instructed the jury
that if there was not bona iide eff
fort at bribery all shall be acquitted,
and if there was a real conspiracy to
bride, all should be convicted. That
lets all of them out and relegates the
case TO the Legislature. Such trans
actions should be investigated, along
with others Of like nature which
will afford "Lexow Committee"
some interesting work next January.
The jury will decide the case TO NOR
ow.-Capital.