The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-05-03
md Jobn DunIap came to his house and ask.


ed him to 90 to the store: told them he
was afraid to go.
MIR. Johnstone objected that the fact Of con-
spiracy must be proved before any of the acts
or declarations of the accused could be de-
scribed. Overruled. -
Tolbert continued tnat Sturkey insisted be
should 60 to the store; Sturkey and Duniap n,sg
Sturkey said he wanted three witnesses.
Henry Martin. Thomas Bentley and Wade
Cothran came in. Witness got Mrs. Palmer,
who occupied the same house with him, and
his wife and child TO zee what was done: Mr.;
Sturkey and his friends sat on the one side OF
the room; witness and the women on the
other. MIR. Sturkey pulled paper from DIS
pocket and said he Was chairman of COM
mittee and had painful duty to perform.
Witness told him to go ahead. Mr. Sturkey
said the witness had been obnoxious u the
community for years; had been teaching tne
negroes how to vote and that he must leave
town in thirty-six hours or be dead man.
Sturkey then pulled his watch and told The
time, saying 1t was about ten o,clncks WI.
ness told them he had TO do what they SAID
that he could not resist mob. Sturkey sald
II witness stayed there he might cause their
women and children to be Killed. SturKey
refused to give witness copy 9l Inc rgsort. noni
ley Dunlap, and Cothran were read from Lne
paper None OF them denied having signed 1t
or repudiated It.
walked down the streets of Mccormick In
broad daylight after Sturkey visited him.
Much amusement was caused by the aggres.
sive answers OF Toloert ana MS insisIlns
and pursued. Mr.. Sturkey was pollte-al-
ways was-Mr. Cothran said nothing. Saw no
| arms then. Later saw Mr.; Cothran on tne
street with Winchester rifle; did not know
whether 1t was loaded. When Witness LETT
the town his wife was crying; Sturkey said !;
"Good bye, Mrs. Tolbert. We have respect
been for you and the little child we would
have killed your husband last night" WIZ
ness did not believe Sturkey had any respect
| for his wife or him either. Thought his po
! Iiten ess deceit. Denied that he wrole Sturke
q friendly letter from Washington, Wrote
| that letter asking Sturkey TO help him get
position In Washington. His purpose was
WAS the letter a iie?" asked Mr.. John.
| stone.
II don't tell lies," answered Tolbert hotIy.
my NANNY didn't raise me that way.
| Ibid you intend to deceive Mr.. Sturkey?
asked Mr. Johnstode over and over again.
~ cared nothing about Sturkey; the resolu.
tions were what was after was the lnVari-
The witness den led that he had received the
resolutions by mail in Washing ton. Asked
| where they were, he said "Sturkey's go EN- In
! his pocket, l reckon, unless he's burntem
No. Didn't remember asking Dunlap II Il!
| wouldn't be safe for him TO remain several
days longer, Denied positively that surrey
said hair ofhis head shouldn't be hurt II II
| could be prevented. Sturkey offered witness
protection he would go down TO the store !;
did not believe in him. There were forty
| men or more at the store.
Continuing. the witness said IN an exclteo e
way: "There's not man around there VINO
| would dare touch me-"
"Then why are you afraid 10 go back
there?" Mr.. Johnstone demanded. 49,,
be shot II went back there" the witness shot
OLA aAnd 1devoutly believe it." SAID Mr.. John;
stone, as he turned away. Then be wheeled
about suddenly and said :"Didn't tell you at
| the same time that not one of these defen'
dants would hurt hair Of your head?
-Yes, you told me so, but what did you
| know about 1t ?" was the defiant response.
"Didn't you invite me into your room ana
| pledge your solemn honor that nothing was
said would be divulged? ?" stormed Mr.. John.
ayes. believe did, know did," answer.
ed Toloert "but forgot about that"
"And you are the man on whose oath reput'
able citizens are indicted?'
The witness said he had included Major
fuckers name In the indictment because IL
was read out in the resolutions never did be-
| lieve he had signed them.
Major Tucker, who Ia venerable LOOKING
"Do YOU know he is 63 years old ?"
II don't care II he's l03. want my rights.
"Dld you tell Mr.. Carpenter at Greenwood Cd
| dIctment because he bad money!"
mo; didn't care what he had. wanted
| TO get my rights the constitution OF tne UNI.
ed States promises man VINO pays hls
| taxes"
Cross.examined further, the witness denied
that Sturkey had advised him IN friendly
way to leave Denied that Dunlap said "Tol'
bert, If we'd wanted to Kill you 1t would have
| been the easiest thing in the world; but we
didn't want to hurt you.' ~
Knew nothing OF the excitement In Abbe-
VILE and Greenwood knew three OF his kins'
men had been shot in their own homes.
| Heard 1t over the telephone In Sturkey's
store and that telephone caused all MS
| trouble.
| postmater at Mccormick. Had never told 2.
| f. Sturkey he wanted help 10 get goood
place in Charleston. Had never had any
deal ngs with Major Tucker. Had had deal.
| ter. Had never received q letter from her de
| manding money he owed her and II was not
| in consequence of such letter that he put
Major TIckeIs name ~ h, tne edin SanE dena
of the alleged conversation with Mr.. Carpen.
The next witness was Mrs. j. w. Tolbert.
who Is slender and somewhat pale. she was
| neatly dressed in black aud WAS evidently in.
tensely nervous. Her voice was SO weak and
| tremulous that 1t was almost inaudible few
feet away. She confirmed the account OF the
visit of Sturkey and Coihran and the others
TO her house two days after the election given
| by her husband. She repeated much more Oh
| the resolutions than Tolbert had, plait ting her
| black DOrQereQ lRDUR6rCulel III utC zap auo
| keeping her eyes on 1t as she reclted her
hands were encased in black Kid. There was
| no cross. examination. Mr.. tombstone, after
brief consultation with his associates, bowed
| profoundly and said in his most conciliatory
| and soothing tones. 1--WE are very much In
debted to you, Mrs. Tolbert," and the witness
| retired. ,,
Mrs. E. NJ. Palmer is young, well dressed
| woman with q defiant expression. She also
| was nervous and her voice was faint. Her ac-
count of the visit ofthe defendants TO the Toi-
bert house agreed with that of the Tolberts IN
all Its main features, except, that she could
not remember anything OF the resolutions
read in the parlor.
nothing unkindly was said or done. The
con versation was quiet and polite.
Mr.. Lathrop here said he had reached
| point In the case where he was at sea. He
knew nothing of his other witnesses but
their names. Some OF them he UNDERSTOOD
| had been ummoned to be used In rebuttal,
but he did not know which they were. CIR
cumstances had forced him 10 60 into the
case blindfolded.
1t being then Toclock. the court was ad.
journed until this morning. The jurors were
allowed to 60 at large but were warned oy
Judge Brawley not 10 discuss the case or TO al
low anybody to mention 1t to them or In
their presence.
The next morning the case was submitted
to the Jury without argument In nineteen
minutes verdict of not guilty was rendered.
| NFTTTTT A