The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-09-11

as the general opinion of the man in the
community. The old English law put the
question: "Will you believe the man on
his oath?" Your deputy lodged all this
and asked, Haven't you heard so and
500" Gentlemen, he went on a very
unworthy hunt. He went even to the
grave and dug up men, to the Advocate
office of the South Carolina Conference
and dragged out a man who has nothing
TO do with this and brought them here
and charged them as manipulators. If
Dr John O. Wilson were here he could
answer for himself, and had you put the
testimony of Mr.. Beckwith before the
court twenty-four hours ago he should
have been here to answer for himself
Mr. Beckwith says that he knows of Il
great many in the conference. Mr.. Lyon
saws. II can't say" Mr.. Ligon was ask
ed positively, How many did you talk
with. two dozen, three dozen| ''Yes;
possibly more" -Four dozen?' ''Well,
now" he said Il can't say about that;
maybe | did, but if so they We're not all
preachers" Out of seventy-three thou
sand Meth0dists in South Carolina, this
man talked with possibly four dozen, and
saws that they are men who have hard
feelings against the defendant because
Oh the defeat of their little plans at the
I.nurens Conference. That Mr.. Dargdn
and President Kilgo had had falling
out and that it would be unpleasant for
them to stay together is utterly untrue.
Mr.. Dargan and President Kilgo rode
from that district conference on the same
seat and talked together till they sep
arated in Columbia, s. G.
xXvr,o, I[iluo aCIynJ Mr.
gon, us that my reputation in South
CaroIina?" and pressed it, he said mo,
sir" And when asked Are these
things mere suspicions? Mr.. Ligon an
swered Yes. sir"
This. gentlemen, is the substance of
Mr.. Ligon's testimony. The defendant
could risk his life ON such evidence be-
fore Il just jury.
We come to the testimony of Mr.. Jen-
ningS: president l\ilgo is not Il MI
nipulator. He is a hustler, and Che
Board of Trustees of Wofford College
passed resolutions concerning his sue
cessful work for the college. His alma
mater honored him with the degree of
ID. D., and did it enthusiastically" The
prosecution did not wish to present this
evidence, and you remember the defense
had TO say: 'Well, il he will not stand
by his witness put him down to our ac-
count; we will take him. After going
nearly $50 miles for him the prosecution
did not want him. Yet your deputy said
he was seeking for the truth and was as
cold-blooded as Il frog, and when he got
the facts the prosecutor said: I'VE
don't want to publish them" Mr..
Reckwith il Il frog without blood. Mr..
Jennings also said. president Kilgo
doubled the students at Wofford." This,
of course. does not suit the prosecution
These are your two South Carolina wit
nesses, and Mr.. Beckwith could not get
any others.
last North Carolina witnesses are
called to testify about a mans char
acter that began the day after the bat.
tie of Manassas. The report from the
defendants native State does not SUIT
the prosecution, SO North Carolina wit
nesses are called on. The first of these
is Mr.. Beckwith, Of Raleigh, and he
saws He DID NOT KNOW A MAN
IN SOUTH CAROLINA WHEN HE
DOWN THERE AUGUST
10Th Now, think about that. He says
furthermore that he was i'll South Caro-
lima ONLY EIGHT DAYS. He touch
ed SEVEN TOWNS. He did not
KNOW A MAN IN ONE OF - q 81
had to hunt them all and in
troduce himself and had no one to assist
him. That was lightning work Yet
he is a witness for Judge Clark. On
v,-l,>4 did he base his conclusions? on
hearsay evidence. Was President KilgoI
present with those witnesses whom lie
carried behind the door? He was not
Mr.. Beckwith heard eleven witnesses
examined for the defense who said under
oath that was not the defendants :e-
putation. ne hear. his two witnesses
say that it was not He lodged Gov
ernor Ellerbee and Senator McLaurin.
He did not make up his opinion from
what he heard from those sworn witness
es, but comes here and states, Il made
mp my opinion from what | heard folks
say" Who We're those folks? THEY
WERE MEN WHO DID NOT GO ON
THE STAND and who, according to his
testimony, HE COULD NOT GET ON
THE STAND. Will you make up your
verdict from that sort of testimony?
That's searching for truth as cold as
n frog, but, sir, it's jumping off of the
tussock too soon, and is jumping into
n very muddy pond. Hearsay evidence
from men who will not go ON the stand n
You cannot believe any man who will
not back his words. You cannot be-
leye any man who will talk in the dark
and not in the light. If that is the class
of men the prosecution has been dealing
with, then / say that they have com
menced with a set of base towards. Mr..
Beckwith is lawyer, or a sort of one,
and knows that hearsay evidence will not
do. and if he had case in court to-
day, with a poor fellows life involved,
he would fight against such law methods;
but the defendant has no life, but u
character, and then he as lawyer comes
here and says, ''In eight days | made
up my mind on testimony that is hear
say, which / got behind the back of the
defendant. / did not make up my mind.
on what was said under oath in open
court" Why did he not form his
opinion from what Maj. Duncan, BishopI
Duncan, Governor Ellerbee. Senator Me
Laurin and others Said? When the de-
PENDANT was about to tell Mr. Beckwith
goodbye in Columbia and said to him,
Il will not go to Sumter, but | shall COL
home" Mr.. Beckwith said: Il have got
nothing" The defendant said to him
'You have as much as | expected Won
would get" But now Mr.. Beckwithl