The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-09-13
THE FARMER AND MECHANIC, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 49, 1898.

called to testify about Il 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
says HE DID NOT KNOW \ MAN
IN SOUTH CAROLINA WHEN HE
STARTED DOWN THERE AUGUST
10Th. Now, think about that. He says
furthermore that he was in South Caro-
lima ONLY EIGHT DAYS. He touch
cd SEVEN TOWNS. He did not
KNOW \ MAN IN ONE OF THOSE
TOWNS: 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
who+ did he base his conclusions! On
, hearsay evidence. Was President kilso
present with those witnesses whom he
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 20
nutation. ne hear. his two witnesses
say that it was not. He lodged Gov
! prnor Ellerbee and Senator McLaurin.
He did not make up his opinion from
what he heard from those sworn witness
, cS. but comes here and states. 4 made
up my opinion from what | heard folks
say Who were those folks? THEY
WE'RE 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
L frog. but, sir. it's jumping off of The
tuSSock too soon, and is jumping into
4 very muddy pond. Hearsay evidence
from men who will not go on the stand
You cannot believe any man who will
not back his words. You cannot be-
licve any man who will talk in the dark
and not in the light. If that is the class
of men the prosecution has been dealin.
with. then ] say that they have com
menced with Il set of base cowarNS. Mr..
Bcckwith is a lawyer, or Il sort of one.
and knows that hearsay evidence will not
do. and if he had Il case in court TO
day, with Il poor fellows life involved.
he would fight against such law methods:
but the defendant has no life. but Il
character, and then he as Il 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 i'll open
court Why did he not form his
opinion from what Maj. Duncan. Bishop
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 80
home" Mr.. Beckwith said: Il have got
nothing The defendant said to him:
You have as much as / expected YOU
would get" But now Mr.. Bcckwiih
says: I've got the fact that his rcputa-
ton is bad and is much more positive
about it than Mr.. Iigon is. Mr.. Ligon
said: His character is good But NJ.
Beckwith A TER EIGHT DAYS. an,
after talking with Il few men behind
Prof. Kilgo's back. comes here and says:
Il KNOW IT" Gentlemen. if th,t
will hang the defendant let him die. |
would not to-day, after travelling with
Mr.. Beckwith. go on the stand and say
Wnat his character is, and | live here IN
the State with him. His testimony viii
be beautiful reading for the public. In
seven days Mr.. Beckwith found ont
more about the character of Prof. Kilgo
than Bishop Duncan, the Presiding Ell
ders. the preachers. Governor Ellerbe,
tWhO went to college with him and was
his class-mate) and all South Carolina
knows. Let the public have it. Let
them understand what the defendant is
contending against.
But there is another side to this mat
ter. Why did he examine those back
biting towards at all? He had no au-
thorlty to do it. The court gave him
authority to examine only those witness
cS, whose names YOU sent to the de
| PENDANT. After President Kil~o left him
in Columbia. he went on and examined
men whom the defendant never heard Of
and was never advised of. Justice may
hc very scarce in the world. but lying is
voluminouS. DO you believe him?
Mr.. Boone did not know anythin.
about this matter till he went to South
Carolina. He went to South Carolina
since the first of August. He went to
Spartanburg and in Il few days comes
Lack and states that the defendant :
reputation Is that of il wire-pullrr.
!'lshop Duncan, Maj. Duncan. Prof.
Hembert Brown. Mr.. Meadows. Gov
"rnor Elierbe. Senator McLaurin, Or.
Wilson, DR.. Crcitzberg and others say
rs character is good. his reputation
/ first-claSs. But. gentlemen. Mr.. Boon,
says 1t lsnt. Let the public judge be
tween these men.
The last witness for the prosecution
I is one Rev. II. J. Gattis who breaches
sometimes and sells books in South
Carolina and in Il part of North Caro-
ina. He has been attending district
conferences in South Carolina for the
past three years, and knows more about
the defendants reputation than the
leading men of the church and State
who have known the defendant through
out his whole life. Mr.. Gattis is very
wise, it is Il pity that he was not less
of Il talker.
1t has been shown that this witness
is the original mali@ncr in this case and
most likely he furnished Judge Clark
with the names of those from whom
testimony WAS taken i'll South Carolina
The testimony of DR.. Peacock shows
that four years ago this Mr.. Gattis was
telling that the South Carolina confer
ence nearly worShipped the defendant
and that he was the pet Of South Caro-
lima. yet he goes to Judge Clark and
tells just the contrary. Mr.. Gattis
=, IL 80 49, -.la{ -4 N. - 1n--