Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-10-09
TILLMAN ON STAND.
Relations With Gonzales Were
Of Very Strained Nature.
Latter Had Threatened Violence--So
Say Several Other Witnesses.
They Also Say That TiIIman Threat
ened Gonzales.

Lexington, S. c., Oct. 8.-James Davis
of Edgefield, was on the stand when the
trial of ]. H. Tillman was resumed,
today. He said he did not hear the de-
fendent make any threats IN the pres
ence Of o. d. Black while riding on d
train from Johnson to Columbia. IN
cross-examination he said he lid not
know Black.
Colonel l.. r. Blease was asked to
state what was said in the defendants
room at the hotel in Columbia at rhe
time DR.. Adams was present. He said
he was reading editorials from the
State either on the night of August 20
or q of last year. He said DR.. Adams
advised the defendant to go down to-
the State office and whip Gonzales and
that Mr.. Tillman replied that would no.
do as he was Acknowledgements ana
would be impeached. Asked as to
statement made on the stand by DR..
Adams the witness said that Mr.. Till
man said: "You boys need not worry:
If he attacks me I'll snuff his life out
with this
Continuing the witness said that Till
mans response to something Gonzales
was stated to have said about mock
theatricals was that if he attempted
to carry out one of his threats I'll make
it the d tragedy that ever occurred
in South Carolina The witness said
the rruiarfs were made by the defend
ant la Sc, Sppnse to statements as to
threats mHte to him.
asked neither he knew of the rea-
lions between Mr.. Gonzales and the
defendant, he said he heard Gonzales
say he did not want to be in the same
room with Tillman. He said he mad
heard Tillman say on several occa-
sions that he wanted to avoid any
difficulty with Gonzales. Mr.. Tlllman
had a pistol on the night of the CAM
paign meeting in Columbia, the wit
ness said, because trouble at the Opera
house was anticipated and witness fur
Their said it was expected that Illlman
would be attacked by Gonzales.
J. NJ. Mahaffey, a member OF the
state Legislature at the last session,
said he saw a bottle neck sticking out
of the defendants pocket at the state
house as the defendant was about to
leave there on the day before the shoot
ing.
7. A. White and Richard Holsonbach
testified that Gonzales told the former
in the presence of the latter that he
had made Tillman show the White
feather and would do so again. The
latter witness gave his version OF the
shooting.
!. H. Tillman then took the stand in
his own behalf and was asked by MI.
Croft to explain various incidents to
hoo hnn q during
the trial.
After giving his explanation OF the
South Carolina Club incident he was
asked with regard to any messages ne
may have sent to Gonzales. He replied
that he had sent a verbal message 10
him by George S. Legare asking Inn
(GonZales) to meet him in Georgia. lie
said Gonzales wanted the invitation put
in writing but he was afraid it was IL
trap. He said also that he did not
want to violate any of the dueling laws
of his state.
Answering further questions the wit
ness said that when he was correSpon-
dent in Washington for a Southern pa
per. Gonzales was applicant for the po-
sition of consul general to Shanghai
and that he wrote to his paper that
Gonzales would not be appointed ana
said he had some hot words with nm
in a hotel lobby in Washington. ASKED
as to Gonzales attitude toward his MIL
itary career. he said: 1T has always
been bitter toward me since | was Il
years old.
The question of his military career
and the comments of the State were
then taken up. Tillman stating, among
other things that Gonzales wanted to
have him courtmartaled because of an
incident which he related.
Asked how he was treated by Gonza-
les in his campaign for governor. the
defendant replied: Il think those edl-
torials are fair samples of it,
He denied that he had ever been a
traitor to his uncle and said he had
not Intentionally been discourteous 10
the Senate. He was asked next what
had been the attitude of Gonzales to-
ward him prior to 1902, to which he re-
piled: II think the paper has been
pretty we'll devoted to me since 1880,
and in answer to a further question,
said the editorials in the STATE had been
extremely abusive of him.