The leader., 1901-05-22
GUILTY, As CHARGED.
Continued from ard page9

Wueu lney SJdTJtu W Ncooou' ahu ohiy
left him once and that was
for few minutes at the depot just be-
fore the train came.
Luther Harvey, already mentioned
as State witness, passed by the scene
of the killing few minutes before he
heard the shots. When he passed,
three men In dark clothes, we're stand
ing close together in the street talking
in a low tone. A fourth man, with
light -colored hat and overcoat on,
stood about - feet away from the
other three. He had his hat pulled
down over his face. Witness did not
recognize any of the men except Tom
Lard. He was one of the three men
standing close together in dark clothes,
and he recognized him because the
moon shone full on Lard's face as wit
ness passed. One of these three was
tall, the other little lower and Lard
was the lowest of the three. When
witness first saw the men, Lard had
bottle in his hand, which witness sup
posed was whisky. Witness passed on
and when about two blocks away
heard the shots.
J. w. Billups and Romeo Rhodes,
colored, passed John Sasser and Tom
Pritchard standing against Eph. Bow
mans fence between Forest church
and Charley Moses. They we're going
in the direction of Charley Moses
themselves. Billups clearly recognized
Sasser and Pritchard, whom he knew,
and spoke to them, but made no re-
ply. Had no trouble recognizing them
in the bright moonlight. When they
got down to Charley Moses gate they
met Tom Lard coming out of Moses
yard. Lard had two bottles in his
pockets. He went on in the direction
of Sasser and Pritchard and joined
them, and all three went on back by
the church in the direction of the coal
chute. Romeo Rhodes did not know
Sasser, but recognized the prisoner at
the bar as one of the men standing by
the fence near the church that night.
Witnesses went on about two or three
blocks to the east of Charley Moses
when they heard the pistol shots.
Geo. Mole came down from Wesson
on the cannon ball the Sunday after
noon of the killing, to hunt job with
the Pearl River Lumber Co. Had seen
John Sasser once or twice before to
know him, and when he left Wesson
that afternoon, Sasser was standing on
the depot platform. After the local
passenger train came down from Yves
son that evening, witness saw Sasser,
| Pritchard and Lard at Smollen's res
taurant together. AS near as witness
could tell it Was little before o'clock.
After that he started to the Pearl
River Mills and got as far as the com
press when he decided to turn back
and not go out there until morning, as
he feared the boarding house would be
crowded. On his way back, near the
coal chute, he encountered Sasser,
Pritchard and Lard, whom he had left
at Smolleu's, and distinctly recognized
all three. Pritchard was rapping like
a negro, Sasser was dancing and Lard
standing near by, as Pritchard had de-
scribed in his own testimony. Witness
passed on, turned east by Bedford
Phillips residence, but finding no one
at home, then came on down in town
and when near the depot, heard two
shots in the direction he had seen the
three men. After hearing Lard had
been shot, he went to the scene and
helped move the body to the court
house.
Andrew Nelson, colored, was on his
way from home to meeting at Forest
church. Saw three men standing to-
gether on the bridge near corner of
Mr.. Hurst's fence. Couldn't hear
them say anything. | stopped, and
the next thing | heard a pistol fire.
There were two shots. The tallest
man did the shooting. One fell and
the other two left and went up the
street from me by Mr. Hurst's fence.
| They didn't run but walked. | was
standing in the street toward the oil
tank about 80 yards from the three
men on the bridge when the pistol fired.
| The tallest man shot the lowest one.
| They were right close together de
scribing their POSITIONS and the third
man stood just a little to one side.
Am sure there we're but three men
there at the time of the shooting one
fell and the other two walked away. |
then walked up and looked il the face
of the man @ho was shot. Just then |
saw three women icolOred) coming
down the street to where | was, and
one of them said she would go and call
Mr. Hurst.
Jennie Haywood, colored, aud two
other women were going north on First
street, just before the shooting. When
opposite Mr.. Daniels on the sidewalk,
she noticed three men huldled togeth-
er on the bridge in the street near the
north corner of Mr.. Hurst's fence
ahead of her. She and her compan-
ions were walking slowly, and when
opposite huckelberry bush by Mr..
Hurst's fence the pistol fired. The
three men were huddled together, one
little off from the other two, but
they scattered as soon as the shooting
occurred. Two of them came on up
the street and passed her and the other
disappeared and she thought he had
lodged behind post. Didn't see
Andrew Nelson until after shooting.
If there had been four men there to-
l..