Mexico weekly ledger., 1902-07-17
THE N INQUEST.
Ths Preliminary Trial Win Be Held
Before Squire L. N. Bass.

= ~N"eH "a huOueS Clay met
9 Monday morning at $50 O'Clock f.. r.
9 jesse and George Robertson, ATTORNEYS
were present and demanded that tbe
inquiry be held in public.
MI. Jesse said that they were pres.
ent IN the interest Of their clients
rights. He stated that he was sure
that he had q right to remain as at.
torney for O. A. Barnes.
George Robertson also stated that
! IN his opinion the Coroner had no
right to conduct the inquest In secre-
! cy. Hestated that anyone had a right
70 remain In the session. He also sub.
mltted a list Of witnesses which be
asked to be subpened to testify.
Coroner Bridgford stated that he
mad made his ruling in regard to the
matter that he had a right TO exclude
or admit whom he chose. After some
further parley the attorneys with
drew and the Coroner agreed to call
]. M. Kelso and T. J .Kelso as wit
nesses.
JAMES Riley Green 81 am a team
ster. | know Rhodes Clay and Clar-
ence Barnes. l saw these parties en-
gagged in an alteration Thursday. NY
attention was first attracted by two
pistol shots while my back was to
them. l turned as quick as | could
land faced them. As l turned / saw
Clay pull his gun from his right hip
pocket. Then shooting went in a
clash, all at once. When Clay drew
bis revolver he was standing from 4 to
6 feet west Of the main entrance OF
the post Office. He was on the walk. /
was about a half a block west on the
same walk. Clay's back vas partly
turned toward me, he faced the
northeast. Barnes was standing on
the crossing just at north edge Of the
CRATE, he va facing southwest with
right arm extending a revolver in
front Of him. AS the firing ceased
Barnes fell neal where he was when /
first saw him. Clay was also about in
the same place as when / first saw him.
Clay stood and looked at Barnes a
moment when the latter fell, then
turned south around the corner Of the
post Office. Barnes got up and a deputy
sheriff laid hands on him and started
north. l did not hear a word spoken.
| saw Clay that day before the trou-
bic. l went to the post Office about
sos and as | went in Clay came across
from the I~assliysscer office and follow
ed me In. He went to his box. 1
mailed a letter and came out Of the
east door and went north TO front OF
Office. Rhodes was standing there on
the west side Of the stone pillar. I
spoke to him. This was not over 81
minutes before the shooting. 1 did
not see Barnes before trouble"
A question by juror Mat Nelson as to
wheather Clay wasdrlnklng was ruled
out.
j.. NJ. Kelso: ~ knew Clay when /
saw him; | do not know Barnes. / saw
an alteration near post Office Thurs
day. | was standing near Curry s. La
Fon's real estate office. l heard two
shots; there was a slight pause and
they were firing so fast that no man
could have counted them. Barnes
was stepping backward. As he step
ped from the sidewalk he fell back
ward. Mr.. Clay went around the cor
ner. Before | got up there Barnes
was up and had picked up the pistol.
When l first saw the parties they
were about 10 or u feet west Of the
main entrance to the post ofice. The
c0mbatants we're 4 or 5 feet apart.
Barnes had face toward the south
west; his right arm was extended fir
ing. Clay, when | first say him, had
his arm extended, firing. Clay was
advancing, Barnes was stepping back.
After Barnes fell Clay pointed his
pistol at Barnes and then turned and
walked away. / could not tell who
fired first or last
T. ]. Kelso: 81 know Clarence
Barnes and Rhodes Clay. / saw Clay
and Barnes engaged in an alteration.
l was in front of Curry s. LaFon's
office. My attention was attracted by
shooting. There were several shots
fired. l saw a man fall and a man
standing over him with a revolver
pointed at him. | ran toward them.
l saw that the man who had fallen
was G. A. Barnes, who got up with his
pistol in his left hand and walked
north. The mar who l suppose was
Clay was standing, / think, about half
way between the two north doors. !
think Barnes was walking backward"
DR.. w. w. Macfarlane (recalled) 81
have, since testifying Friday, examin-
ed the body OF Rhodes Clay. The ex-
animation was made Saturday night
at the Cemetery. Among those pres
| emit were Coroner Brldgford, M. Il.
Crawford, @. Il. varnon, J. r. Frltts,
J.. Il. Hutton, Q. r. Lupton, II. ID.
Rodgers, Col. Green Clay, Robert
Crawford and others.
aIn my examination Friday | describ-
ed 2 wounds. lnmy second examination
l found ; wounds. DR.. Hutton con-
Quoted the autopsy. The third
wound, In addition to the ones ! have
described, was a superficial wound on
the right side Of his back, 3 inches
from the spine, l2l inches below the
shoulder, II inches long and very
superficial, not entirely through the
skin; Just enough TO take of the skin.
The wound was as wide as my finger
and was o~yal-shaped at the ends
From my personal knowledge and the
appearance Of the wound ! could not
tell from what direction 1t vas tired.
| think that 1t was a gunshot
/ wound
William L. Bryarly: al own a lunch
room northeast from the ~post-ouice,
about $50 feet. l saw part OF the
trouble between Clay and Barnes. l
was seated at the outer edge oil the
walk in front Of my place of busl-
ness. At the first sound Of shooting l
cast my eyes in the direction OF the
shootinr. / could not tell VINO
, cred first or last shot. l did not
notice any pause between shots
When / looked up Barnes was stand