Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-12-14

ana OSSQ the t1rSI VlOionC bdu-
guage- The Direct Examination
Of the Witness Not Completed.
Special to the Register.
Parsons, w. Va, December 13.-The
proceedings to-day in the Eastman
trial were without special incident,
outside of spats among counsel over
contradictory testimony until Col.
Robert W. Eastman, the defendant,
came on the stand this afternoon.
The attendance was small until it
became known through town that Col.
Eastman was to go on the stand,
whereupon the court room immedi-
ately filled.
Contrary to all expectation, at ex-
actly ten minutes past three this
afternoon, Mr. Daley, of the defense,
said: Swear Mr.. Eastman" and i'm
mediately hush fell over the whole
court room, as the stalwart form of
the prisoner lowered above the clerks
desk while the oath was administered.
Col. Eastman, in answer to the in
terrogations propounded to him by
Mr.. Mccormick, one of his counsel,
took up one by one the threats that it
was testified. he had made against the
Thompsons, denying some entirely and
giving mitigating versions of the 9TH
erS. -,r
After preliminary questions as to his
life and interests in this section, he
told Of the trouble in the car. He said
in substance:
When | approached the car there was
a considerable crowd on the platform.
| entered the car with Mr.. Howard
Wagner just ahead of me. l had
my umbrella under my right arm,
and walked down the aisle, passing
my hands from one seat to the other.
AS I got opposite toe seat in whith
Thompson was sitting, I heard him
utter: You d. S. b.. I tapped MIN
on the cheek and called him a d - s.
b, or perjured s. b., don't know
which. Thinking that affair was over,
l went on down the aisle until
heard some one say: Look out. Uncle
Bob" 1 turned around land just as I
did so Thompson's pistol was against
my left breast. l showed it from M
left side with my left hand, and then
ThnmnCNn'c &c
ing me in the right side. | PIT NV
light hand in my right coat pocket to
saw my revolver, but it had causbt
= the lining, and While ate nptiny to
lee it, he shot me in the head.
hen shot through my ro,keJ a.
Thompson. l hal never shot tao, ely
my pocket before. and had to shoot
tlat way or get killed. My first shot
went wild and entered the floor iiist
as his second struck me in the head.
Then I fired again.
Mr. Eastman showed the wounds on
his breast and head to the Jury. and
the holes in the clothing he wore on
that day. Col. Eastman explained the
statements made by witnesses on the
stand for the prosecution that he had
said there would be hell on the train
that night, by saying that some of his
crowd were drinking and he feared
they would give annoyance. A SINH
lar expression, used by him on the plat
form, was because some boys had said
that they intended to tear off the car
toOn that Col. Eastman had put on the
car. Col Eastman was emphatic that
he did see Thompson at the plat
form, and that when he slapped
Thompson in the car he intended that
20 be the end of it.
Col Eastman put on the blood
stained and bullet pierced clothes he
wore On that day, including the per-
forated hat, and taking his bullet-torn
umbrella under his arm and his re-
Volver in his hand, he stood before
the jury and graphically described how
the tragedy was enacted.
Col. Eastham's evidence was clear
and connected
The examination in chief has not
been concluded. Mr.. Mccormick asked
for a postponement until morning for
a conference with counsel
The instructions to the jury are in
course of preparation.
The court to-day refused to admit
evidence of threats made by Thomp-
son against Eastman.