The age-herald., 1898-08-20
MURDERERS BOUND OVER WITHOUT BAIL Men Who Killed ". A. Thompson in
 Tallade6a County. TAYLOR MAKES CONFESSION Gives All the GrueSOme Details of the
 Tragedy. THEY WAITED IN AMBUSH Thompson Testified Against Them in Whiskey Case Banded Together
 and Shot Him While He
 Was Going Home.
THEY WAITED IN AMBUSH

enship and Bob Taylor, on trial before United States Commissioner H. A. Wilson, charged with intimidating and subsequently, murdering W. A. Thompson. a government witness, near his home in Talladega county, on March IA, last.
 When the hearing was resumed yesterday morning the first sensation was sprung when Walter Notes and Jasper Robinson, two of the witnesses for the defense, were | arrested on a charge of being implicated in the crime which the other defendants were | charged with having commi tted. The arrests caused much excitement and the hearing was temporarily suspended. Both the prosecution and defense held lengthy consultations with their witnesses and it was evident that something out of the ordinary was on tap.
 The Second Sensati n The second sensation was sprung when William R Taylor, one of the defendants, took the stand and voluntarily made a clean breast of the whole affair, giving in detail the manner in which Thompson was killed and duplicating theother defendants in the brutal deed
 When Taylor took the stand he was told by Commissioner Wilson that he need not testify if he did not wish to, but the witness said that he wanted to make a statement and was allowed to proceed
 The witness was comparatively cool under the stress of the anxiety and suppressed excitement. He made prompt answers to the questions propounded by District At torney Vaughn and testified as follows:
 q am one of the defendants in this case I live in Talladega county, about ten miles from Sylacauga, near the line of Coosa conuty I am about 33 years of age and have known Chess Notes, John Littlejohn and Dodge Blankenship nearly all my life knew Doc Thompson about eight or ten years before his death, which occurred on March IA, 1898. Thompson had been to Syl- acauga on the morning of the day that he was killed, and was going towards his home. He was about one and three-quarter miles from home when he was killed.
 Witness Saw Him Killed
 ''I saw him killed. Chess Notes and Wal ter Notes killed him. Three shots were fred the first by Chess Notes with squir- rel rifle, the ball striking him in the stom- ach."
 A rifle which was introduced as evidence was here shown the witness, who identified it as the one used by Chess Notes on the occasion.
 . Continuing, the witness said: '"rhe gun belongs to Chess Notes. The second and third shots were fired by Walter Notes with a pistol After the first shot struck Thompson he walked a few steps and fell.
 Thompson got up after he fell and Wal ter Notes fired the bullet, striking him In the neck While Thompson was getting up he got some rocks, which he threw, hitting Dodge Blankenship in the back. After he threw the rocks he fell over the second time and as he lay on his back Walter Notes shot him again, the ball striking him over one of his eyes. The pistol was about one foot from Thompson's head when wal ter fired it. Thompson never moved or said anything after the last shot was fired.
 They Stood in Ambush
 "At the time of the killing there were present, myself Chess Notes, Walter Notes. Dodge Blankenship, John Littel- john and Jasper Robinson. We were standing behind trees only a few feet from the path when Chess Notes fired the first
  son to shoot him. We had been there about one hour before Thompson came along. Chess Notes said he had gone to sylacauga and we knew the path he would take in going back home.
 After the first shot was fired we all went towards him. Walter Notes got to him first.
 "After he was killed his body was moved about 10 or 15 feet and put in the trail. He was laid out straight up and down the trail His hands were placed across his breast Chess Notes crossed his hands over his breast. I don't remember who straightened out his feet. We did not all help to move his body. I think myself, Chess and Walter Notes moved the body. I went to the place with Jasper Robinson from my home. Chess and myself had talked about this matter before Jasper Robinson and myself knew what we were going there for.
 Reason for Killing Him
 'We killed Thompson because he had re. ported illicit distillers in the neig'hborhood. We went to that place to kill him for that and nothing else The men he had reported were myself Chess Notes, Walter Notes, Jasper Robinson, Ben Morris and Dodge Blankenship. We all knew that he had re- ported us, and for that reason we went there to kill him, and he was killed" On cross-examination. the witness testi- fled as follows: 'I have been in jail about fourteen days. have had no conversation with the government officers since have been in jail. did not tell them what would testify while I was in jail have not at any time told any of the government officers what I would swear to. I took 1t upon myself to testify, and did not know that I was going to do it until came into the court house this morning. I had not been asked to testify and had not told any