Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1902-07-24
BARNES PRELIMINARY.
The Case Attracting Wide
Attention.

"a i'di htS ,'hbi SCN Ni'h 'h~ n'''hB
of Rhodes Clay, began at the court
house before Judge Il. n. Bass
last Monday Morning. Large
crowds attend the hearing and
among them many ladies'.
Mr.. Barnes was brought into
court attended by his father, A. c.
Barnes. His attorneys are p. II.
Cullen, +. K. Jesse and George
Robertson. The State is represen-
ted by Prosecuting Attorney II. l..
Buckley, w. w. Fry, X. ID. Rod
gers and }. ID. Orear.
A plea of not guilty was entered,
reading of the indictment being
waived. The charge against Bar
mes is murder in the first degree.
Dr.. j. +. Hutton was called. He
said:
FL am IA physician. | knew
Rhodes Clay. don't remember
to have seen Clay before the trag-
edy. Saw him after death at Lup-
toms undertaking establishment.
| didn't make Il careful examina-
ton. My first careful examination
was made Saturday night after he
was buried. found three wounds.
The most serious was in the left
chest on line with the nipples,
| inch to the left of the middle line.
The exit was slightly lower. This
was the fatal wound. 1t perforated
border of the lung. The next most
serious wound was in the left arm,
midway between elbow and shout
der. Mr. Clay must have stood
with his side toward the revolver
firing the shot. The third was in
the back to the right of the back
bone. 1t was superficial and cut
through the skin; it was 3 inches
to right of the spine. The wound
dropped from the left to the right.
| think Mr.. Clay was standing with
left side advanced so far that the
bullet missed it and struck on
right side. | think the chest
wound was the first, the arm was
second or the back wound third,
or the reverse. think the back
wound was the first one inflicted.
Under cross examination DR..
Hutton said: 1.-THE careful exami-
nation at the graveside was short
ly after dark. We had two Ian
terms. | took charge of the autOp-
sy and the other men gathered a
round me. The wound of the back
was the width of my little fin ger
and slightly effected the inner lay
ers of the skin. | examined Clay's
clothing after the inquest"
DR.. CT. VarnOn was called He
said: ri am a physician. | knew
Rhodes Clay and saw him after he
was shot. | saw two pistol wounds.
one in his chest about three
fourths of an inch to the left of
the median line; it ranged down
and to the right. was present
at the autopsy. The lungs must
have been inflated to have received
such wound. The next most
serious wound was in left arm and
side; they appeared to be opposite
each other. The wound ranged Il
little down. | saw the grazing
wound in the back and would Judge
that the ball was fired from the
left"
Under cross examination DR..
Narnon said further; ri saw all
three wounds in DR.. Crawford's
office. saw Barnes after the
trouble; he had two wounds; one
in knuckle of lijtle finger on his
right hand and the other on the
inside of the forearm, following
the bone to the bend of the elbow.
The bullet was greatly hattened.
| was in Mexico June 3, 1902,
when Clay and Barnes had diff
Guilty in front of Sannebeck s."
Here a point was raised regard
ing a past trouble between Barnes
and Clay and DR.. Varnon did not
testify further.
DR.. w. w. Macfarlane testified:
0I am Il physician and surgeon, !