The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1902-04-23
MORGAN RETRACTS
FIRST TESTIMONY
Now Says He Did Not See the
Train Wrecked
ONE WITNESS SENSATIONAL
Claims That He Was offered $50 to
Memorlze Statement Against
Morgan and Testify
To It.
ONE WITNESS SENSATIONAL

| Central railroad last Octoper, WdS Oh Iidi
yesterday in the Criminal Court The
evidence was all introduced and the argu-
ment begun. This will be concluded to-
day.
Morgan is charged with loosening one
of the timbers in a bent by means OF
jack screw whereby the trestle fell IN
while a double header freight train
was passing over it, resulting in the death
of Engineer whitsey Webster. Morgan
was offended at something said to him by
the foreman who had charge OF repairs
being made on this trestle and revenge is
supposed to be the motive for the alleged
crime. The defense sought to prove that
the timber In the bridge was rotten and
| that it fell In.
q. q. Elliott of Leeds was the first wit
ness Yesterday and testified that he saw
the trestle the day before the wreck and
that 1t appeared in good condition.
Oscar Vaughan, the engineer on the Sec
ond engine of the double header" testi-
fed as to falling through the trestle He
| said that AZ minutes before the wreck
occurred he passed over the trestle with
a heavy freight train going west. This
| also was a double header" and the
| train stopped at Leeds where the witness
changed engines and got on the second en-
| CINE of the train going east and which
| fell through the trestle 1t was going at
a speed of FIVE or six miles hour and
the sensation when they fell through was
like going down an elevator, only they hit
the ground pretty hard. The two engines
on the train going west were about as
heavy as those on the train going east,
probably heavier. He knew nothing as to
the condition of the treetie. In crossing
the trestle going east 1t was on an up
grade The train which passed safely
over the trestle going west was made
up chiefly of empty cars.
Denied Working on Central.
Mr.. L. A. Grogan testified that he was
the officer who arrested Morgan near
Holins. The prisoner stated he had been
hauling dirt on the Louisville and Nash
| Vile Railroad, and had never worked ON
the Central. When I told him he was
charged with the wreck he denied 1t at
first but later admitted he had worked
for the Central and said he had been
present and seen another man, whose
name he did not give, wreck the trestle
with a jack. -7
On cross-examination the witness said
he had been employed by the Central
Railroad to work up the case. He denied
that they had given him 500 to convict
VIII Morgan.
D. K Baker a track supervisor of the
Central said that the evening before the
wreck the trestle was In good condition
He had passed over 1t on an engine at
tached to a working train.
Mr. Charles ]. Martin, a justice OF the
peace, testified that he had given Will
Morgan a preliminary trial in which his
testimony was reduced to writing.
Mr. L. A. Keen. a stenographer, then
testified that he took Morgan's testimony
in short hand, and he read the tran
scribed copy to the jury. In this Morgan
had stated that he was nearby and had
watched another man wreck the bridge.
Mr.. w. j. D. williams testified that he
saw the trestle the day before the acci-
dent and that it appeared to be IN good
| condition. The part which fell In was
mostly made of new timbers. He had
seen many heavy trains go over It.
Testimony for Defense.
Mr.. lack McCord of Goodwater was the
first witness for the defense. He testi-
| fed to the bad character of Ben Meadows,
a. state witness, and said he would not
believe him on oath
Mr.. B. A. McCord of Goodwater, also
/ testified to Meadows bad character. Mr..
| A. s. McNeal testified to the same effect.
Mr.. F. w. Moseley testified that on
Tuesday before the accident, which hap
pened on Friday he. with Mr.. W s. Mo
Kenzie, walked by this trestle. which was
being repaired at the time He discover
ed a bent which he considered danger
ously leaning This was on the part of
the trestle which fell in.
Mr.. w. g. Mckenzie corroborated Mr.
Moseley's statement and testified that
he was with him on the day in question
and called his attention to the leaning
| bent.
Mt James Tinney testified that he was
under the trestle Tuesday before II fell
He drove under It in a wagon and noticed
that the trestle was in very bad oondi-
ton, and that trains ran over 1t very
slowly. He saw the timbsrs In the
| bridge after It fell. There were some
new timbers but the old ones were In
bad condition.
Here the witness was shown some frag-
ments of rotten timber and identified them
as pieces from the old timbers which he
had picked UP after the wreck.
Mr.. Frank Darrough, a state witness,
introduced by consent. testified that he
saw the old timbers taken out and that
they were left lying under the bridge.
This was on Friday evening. The object
of this testimony was to show that the
rotton timber spoken Of by Mr.. Tinney
may have been taken out of tho trestie,
thrown on the ground and that this was
what Mr. Tinney found
Mr., w. H. Harding who lives near
Leeds was the next witness for the de-
PENDANT, He testified to seeing Mr., Tin
ney get rotten pieces of timber out Of
the wreck.
Put Words In His Mouth.
J. B. Bradshaw, a negro, testified that
Mr.. Ben Grogan. who said he was the
officer employed by the Central railroad.
had prepared a statement which he want
ed the witness TO learn by heart 30 he
could be witness and swear to 1t, Wit
| ,asa oiaa aatd that ha had baen told nv