The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-04-17
THE TRIAL Of ED BATSON
Coroner Testified as 10 The Wounds
on The Bodies.
DEFENDANT RETAINS HIS cONPOSuRE.
Does Not Move a Muscle When the
Talk Turns on Hsnoira--Probsnlc
Line OF Defense.
Especial to Tho rostl


Deputy sheriff Richard and preparations
for the hearing Of testimony began
number Of witnesses who were absent
yesterday we're called nnd duly cautioned
not TO talk with anybody about their ties
/ timony,
BatSon was In his seat early. Miss
Maudc. Earl came forward with her aunt
Mrs. j W. Earl. and they took seats Just
in the rear OF the states attorneys
After all the prcnmlnaIics had been set.
fled. the hrst witness. Dr r. II. Watkins,
was called and the grind began.
Or watkins testified: Am coroner Of
Colcasieu parish; was called some time In
Februnry last to hold an inquest over some
dend bodies. and held the inquest. there
were six bodies; five were In Que room In
house west Of Welsh, near the Southern
paciac railway and the other was found
In ditch near barn three'luarters OF
"A mile further west.
Here witness drew rough diagram ON
tho floor Of the premises and pointed oul
the position of the bodies the largest hol
law IN Tho he'd others were ON the door;
thev had been dead for ten days OF two
weeks he said. The young man ON the
he'd had been shot In the eye, destroy
INC the hall and fracturihs the skull; death
WIS Immediate The little hoy skull
ma been crushed and throat cut ON boih
II
! .Idr Of his face and his throat had bceN
Ell on one side. Tho next oldest was
! shot In the back Of the mock and the wound
was powder burned. The mothers entire
| fnrc was hiowp away. lie gathered some
Of the shot lying rouud ana iHdGei J .
wounds aud II was between aud IN
! Size The inquest was held February 10
The other body was found about three
quarters of n mile away, u was tnli Oh
an elderly man. The body lnI IN a ' 5',ot
In the breast with hpc shot; the mead
was disngured by being In the water
The room where the hve bodies We're
found was blood stained ana the hru
/ was bloody shot had lodged In the west
side Of the room, No blood was tohhI
outside Of the house except on piece OF
iron found near the hoNte.
Samuel Blackford was the next witness,
lie testified he knew the Eurls for twelve
years and last saw them alive IN t?e earl'
part Of February. Saw the dead bodies
in the house near Welsh and described how
/ the bodies were found he also gave a de-
Scription Of the clothes worn 10y deceased.
cross examination he said he never saw
the Earl boys out hunting much. kne ~
nothing of Ward EHrl's habits. pid not
know that a child was found dead 10 tue
same house ten years ago. Couldn't say
that the Earls did not get AlunS VITA
their neighhors
would admit that Ward Earl raised a good
crop Of rice and, in fact was generally
/ known in the neighhorhood.
X 7. VIZ nI3 was t.u ny, NI i!,r,.' s,,,
resides nl Weish knew WH'u XIV fs",n
MN awe anpul u tn ~ "4u ~ ,,t
/ ms mousse rchrudIN X N"'u'"T "a
about his manner. Next saw him dc a
at ms residence on me GAE o' ,"s o'9 l,,,,',
, i"tte was very Htllc "luu" III TUE '"''''
/ conldn I swear ne saw any; .,,,..
Cross examination Developed nothing
ana court Hulonrheu unlH grlouh. ,,.,.
was first on the witness stand. I'm Feb
( ruarN he hcld position MS deputy snrrH-
Was summoned 10 Welsh morui e OF 2ftn
/ because OF the nndlng OF ucnd n"0l'> ~
! Earls house. n" went 20 INC mouse iWo
! and onohalf miles south OF Nrl~h, ana
FOUND hIo 9end pc2P,r IN one nous ~,
| described their positions ana condition ht
| found trunk In the room az upset touhu
1 empty l2-horc shells IN the room ANA
p clcd Up i've empty shells near the stove
/ carried them to Lake Charles and turned
them over to Deputy Shuiu h,cla.
gloves also. Was not at the house yuni
inc coroner came ANA was not there al
inquest.
Oss examination: Dimension Of Tho
room T. by II; saw good many SMELL
In the west room When shown fcH
shells taken from the room he said hr Al
not see any Ike that Shown a piece al
paper found ia the room said IL was III,
same ns he had picked up.
At 3 D. m. Deputy Sheriff l. Fontrno
took tho stand and told of the finding nj
the bodies. their condition and wher
found
Court then adjourned tn tomorrow
Batson tx stiiI cheerful and seems I,
have no fear Of being convicted hi,
mother kecps with him during CONT
No line ~ dpfnnse viii In. ,o mako fin,
state cstnhIish a motive. ANY testimony
concerning the sale of the mules or rp,
alleged manifestations I'm the ipils nj New
Orleans and Lake Charles Will no obiartrt
TO On he Ground thai these ,ron4a'.tiop,
cnnstitute no mart of the crime and nd
hitting that Rnt.on brought the mur,
| here Zoos MOI nrovc thst RStso, Lu.5 IN,
Earl family nor wouId II he indicative ~
! tho feolino bctwee Dotson ana nc EarIy
Ii may be that somebody ese killed nm
when Pntsou r@furned ana fo,nd a,bat H.
hcen done he thought he might as wcl
take the mules as 10 have somebody ,l-
riet thnm There is a ErovInr foaiinS btr
that more than one man Ne imniiriIci I,
tho slaughter Of Inc Earis Sincr mo n,ur
der tv,o mon have nvstcrIo,,st,, di.,n
peared fro,n IN" vrrv ne,gbbo,hooI
, | which the crime was ronlmifted ma a. T.
believed that one of tho men know snn,c