Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-06-17
EASTMAN-F|NCH SUIT.
Three Witnesses Examined
for the Plaintiff Yesterday.
DENIES THE STATEMENT
startling Testimony Given by a Colored
Witness, Whose Name Was Signed
to "a Paper. But Declares Con-
tents Are Untrue.

1
| Yesterdays session of the cornor,
ton Court was occupied bv connsa' -.
me PLAINTIFF in the suit Of waltar -
EaStHans administrator vs:sT =
| ana Martha A. Finch for the recover,
VI Slo,ooO, IN the taking Of testimonv
NJ: NJ. j.. Eastman. father of the
;;ouus man VINO died from the effects of
INJURIES sustained by the falling of a
scanold while at work laying brick for
the defendants on their brick h,,i,a;n =,
on washington avenue. was the prin7
cipal witness. He testified to the char
acter of the scaffolding on which: his
son was at work. stating that he Wal
ter Eastman) complained Of the strnc-
lure as not being secure. The decaas-
ed putt part of the scaffolding. prob
ap1y as much as one section of 1t. but
It was completed by Mr.. Finch.
me next witness was Mr. J. e. Bjbb
brlcklayer. who was at work on the
building the day of the accident. The
witness was working on the inside of
the building backing up" while Mr.
eastman and Mr.. Crawford were on
the outside laying pressed brick. wit
ness was talking to the deceased three
minutes before the scafroldine COL
lansed about the scarcity of bricks,
ana mortar on the scaffold Suddenly
ne heard noise. and when he locked
down he saw the scaffolding giving
away and the men going down with It
rnshed down to the ground and as
sisted in taking Eastman home. Amono
other things the witness stated that
curing the day he saw Mr.. Finch ana
Two negroes at work building a section
OF the scaffolding: that Mr.. Finch was
posslnE the work as il he knew all
and Finch quarreiling one day about
scafold on the rear Of the b1i1dinp
The last witness examined was a
negro named Phil n. Robinson Who
was employed as a painter by Mr.,
Flnch- He was at work on the build
that he did not know who built the
scaffolding; that to him the building
NJ the structure was a mystery. as he
saw no one working on it while he was
there. and he was the first man to 90
to work in the morning and the last
person to leave the building In the
evenlng: that the scaffolding mus
have been built during "odd.' hours
ana that he did not think Mr.. East
nan helped to build it.
On cross examination Robinson was
H fsae fe efile t Ia he had not. Then the
attorneys exhibited a paper with Rob
witness acknowledged the signature,
,ut declared that he did not make all
II the statements contained In the pa
Der. and in giving an explanation he
;A10 Mr.. flnCn asked MIN IL he WOulu
make answer. and he replied that he
would. Witness went to Mr.. Finch's
,ffice one day and Mr.. Finch handed
1im a sheet Of blank paper and asked
MIN to sign his name at the bottom
which he did. Witness further said
hat Mr.. Finch then said he had better
make his statement first and then sign
t; that Mr. Finch then laid that sheet |
If paper aside; that he made state
nent and signed his name to It. but |
lid not say that Mr.. Walter Eastman |
built the scaffolding.
The witness did not become dramatic.
but on the other hand he was simple
and natural and holding up his right |
hand and addressing the jury. he said
Gentlemen, before God in heaven I
say never made that statement, but I |
did sign a blank sheet of paper"
This testimony created stir in the |
court room and occasioned no little |
surprise. Robinson is an intelligent
negro and can read and write.
There were several friendly "spats
during the day between the counsel
over legal points. The taking of tcs-
timorny will be resumed when court |
conyenes at 10 o'clock this morning.
and 1t is probable that the plaintiff
and it is probable that the. evidence
FOR the plaintiff will be concluded be-
fora court adio11rns this evening.