The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-12-19
HUMPHREYS LYNCHlNG TRIAL
WITNESSES EvADING PROCESS ARE
BEING CHASED ny sHERIFF.
Attorneys Are Ill aud Might Sessions
Have Hccm Postponed for II Time.
Mrs. George Humphrics Ill.

Palestine. Texas, Decemnof ls'--MoiV
witnesses in the HUMPHREYS lynohing case
are arriving daily when the trial opened
there were some 600 witnesses present and
every day adds to the list. Sheriff Rich
ardson of Henderson county brought in
several attached Witnesses yesterday
Today Deputy Sheriff Henderson brought
two from Kaufman county. Deputies
| and state Rangers are riding day aud
night for men evadinE process In Naul-
man. Navarro and Henderson counties
Sheriff Richardson has returned 10 MS
county for one or two men and is deter
mined to bring them here TO testify, using
/ bloodhounds % run them down If needed
State counsel and counsel ior defend
ants endeavored 10 rest mp YESTERDAY but
all day long they were sought by foreign
witnesses who had excuses OF every IA
ture begging to be permitted to return
TO their farms. Each applicant was hrn-
Inv denied and even doctors certificates
failed 10 release them. 70 each was eN-
planned that the little he knew OF itself
was worthless, but il was the link nee 'ei
TO complete the chain of evidedce ne es-
sary to make out a strong case
Judge Russell and Judge Fanlk, Leading
counsel for defendants, were III yester-
day. the former having a physician to AZ
fond him. The court had decided to ho'o
n night session tonight. but In deiereheo
TO the above gentlemen put 1t OIL uhtl'
tomorrow. ,,,,
Mrs. George Humphries Is quite III with
fever aud It les doubtful IL she Will ne aoie
10 attend court tomorrow.
only ore session was held today me
court opened al 80 aud eNcellent progress
was made. eleven Witnesses being exam
med The state up TO the present time
has introduced evidence that Il toaspira
CIV existed; that he men under rest
were the principals to tho crime OF nan g.
ing Jim HUMPHREYS and his Two sons ne
nature of the testimony was to SNOW tha'
ed Cain now on trial Is an aceompl.ca
to the murder T. j. Horton tesli lel 10
a midnight meeting at whleh bu WI
was present about one month Dsio'e rus
Humphries were lynched. Cain endeav-
ored nj that time 10 persuade witness to
20 10 the Humphries homes for the pni-
, nose of hanging them. Witness replied
he would 20 II they needed to be nuns,
hut as there was nothing In II stopped
right there.
Mrs. Chambers OF Kaufman county, ai
wears of age and mother law OF cah
testified that last spring, previous 70 tpe
, murder her son-in-law was away iron
home at night, returning about ahyur,
, next morning, One time on a snnu"s
night he went on horseback borrowing d
, saddle from Walter Lightfoot; after re-
turning said he was az crap game An
, other night borrowed saddle from som
one and returning said he was az JON
Arnold's sitting up with sick. rms was
, previous to the hanging OF the Hnmphries'
| some time In March or April. THIS year.
Jnhn Arnold. the next witness, stated nc
! knew Ed Cain; had known him ssV'Ia'
! years; never had any sickness IN me- Va M
) nold's) family in seven years never nou
cain AZ his house with SICK and dil ho'
/ sand him for a Doctor Arnold Is a tiaef
smith did all of Gains work, ana CLOSED
J his testimony with the remark ! ulh az,
hig matchmaking and always received hiS
money =,
, Horton and one of the defendants ndIts
, Brooks; william Byers TO meeiihs
Horton and Joe Wilkerson at Trinity IVei'
a. Johnson testified that horton ans
John Thomas we're at his house for break
fast. %, u. Smith, distantly related To ~
Cain by marriage. tesfshed thsl on
wednesday of last March or the hrst
April Ed Cain approached MIN fni ashs'
, John and George HUMPHREYS; replied ina
he did not; II he did go into one, wan'es
: 10 know who composed the mob; Cain
mentioned several names among tiem Jn'
Q and Walter wikerson. John Greeni'aw
. John Thomas and others, incllding him
self
. Here counsel for the defense ana STAT
Il had a crossbar combat. the dcfon,e on
o iecting to witness mentioning names glteI
i. him by Cain as parties In the mob. WI
4 ness stated that Cain also told him the!
: we're going to meet that night. md that
! witness ever gave the conversation awal
o the mob would hang him; hrst told MI
, brother after the Humphrles were hanged
I This was on Friday following the Tues
a cav on which the murder was committed
n the reason he did iot tell Il sooner wa
a that he did not believe the men would
e hang them.
{, The last witness before the Adjournment
r. of court was Mrs. Eli Sparks who test
: ned that ON two occasions Joe WilkersoI
: and her husband. who Is now dead, ha'
Is some conversation al the Sparks home
u stated her husband was out after snppe
: on several nights before the Huniphrse
z were hung; sometimes he returned earl'
! and sometimes late.