The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-05-29


the carriage and Hicks drug store. When
Mr.. Skinner was going out into the street,
he went above tnat carriage"
q. That is between the carriage and
the capital, the capitol is up yonder Tin
dicating)?"
"a. No, he went between the carriage
and the center of the postoffice steps,
20. Then the horses were turned that
way?''
"a couldn't say whether there were
any horses there or not. / only noticed
this one team in the street"
20. He went above the carrlageT
"a. Yes, sir. l do not know where
Hicks drug store is. / know where Mar
tin street is"
90 And he went between the carriage
and Martin street?"
"a. Yes, sir"
| In reply to question on redirect examina-
ton by Col. Harris, Mr.. Schmitz said:
! II was standing on the corner of the
Citizens Bank building. We did not walk
| into the street until after the man had
dropped dead, somebody said he was dead,
that is the only time I walked over there"
At the conclusion of the testimony OF
Mr.. Schmitz, Mr.. Pou called another batch
of witnesses. These were to prove the
character of Mr.. Schmitz. These testified:
Robert H. McManus. Of Baltimore; Father
O'Brien, of Southern Pines; Capt A. M.
Clark, of Southern Pines; /. c. Edgertor,
of Southern Pines; George st. John, OF
Southern Pines; E. D. Oslin, of Southern
Pines, editor of the Free Press.
All testified that they had known Mr..
Schmitz for from two to four months, and
gave him good character.
MR.. SIMMS EVIDENCE.
Then R. N. Simms was called to the
stand, and upon direct examination, con-
Quoted by Mr.. Pou, said:
my name is r. ~ Simms, l live here
in Raleigh, and am an Attorney at Law.
81 saw part of the difficulty between
Messrs. Skinner and Haywood on the af-
ternoon of February 21st, in front Of the
postoffice.
II was coming from my office in the
Tucker building over to the postoffice with
letter to mail, and as was between the
north steps and the central steps of the
postoffice on the east side, Mr.. Lewis
Briggs came down the south steps and
started towards me, and exchanged re-
mark, and Just as I was answering him
think he had not passed more than
word or two certainly, my attention was
drawn to two men standing by the south
steps of the postoffice.
ITO me they struggled together for an
instant, / think, my attention was at
tracted by their hands rather pushing
against each other and the flying up Of
hands towards me, and almost instantly
the outer man, that was Mr.. Skinner,
struck the inner one who was Mr.. Hay
wood somewhere on the side of the head,
partly knocking him over, as it seemed
to me- I didn't pay much attention to
him thereafter, but he seemed to catch on
something there, ! don't know whether
it was the balustrade of the steps or the
steps themselves something along there,
and when Mr.. Skinner struck him, ne
sprang back I suppose three or four feet
and little bit towards me, it seemed to
me, and then across the sidewalk and
about that time the first shot was fired
by Mr. Haywood.
f'Mr. Skinner hesitated there for an In
slant, l suppose, and then started across
the street There was some kind of
vehicle standing there, / do not know
what it was. and as he started down be-
hind that on the opposite side of it from
me. / glanced ahead Of him in the di-
rection he was going, after the second
shot was fred / looked back and Mr..
Skinner was approaching the street car
track, / suppose he was-wel he must
have been ten feet or thereabouts from IL
on this side of it. He was moving, /
hardly know how to describe his gait cx-
actly, it. was apparently little faster
than an ordinary walk at that time, prob
ably considerably faster than a walk, but
he seemed to steady himself but he cross
ed the track and staggered more and
Lat
his knee | believe, and / turned away
from the sight, and when l looked back
he was down on the ground. That IS
about all / saw of it"
"a What did you do thereafter; where
did you go after that?"
"a / came on into the postoffice then,
and then l got mixed up with the crowd
standing around there. / suppose l was
there for few minutes l don't know how
long, and then went back to my office
did not make any public statement that
afternoon. / did not want to get into 1T.
] did not want to have to be witness
in the case. The first person ! told about
what l saw was my brother-in-law, Mr..
Moseley | told him the next day-Sun
day The occasion of my telling him was
looked over the morning papers and
read the evidence that was brought out
before the eoroner's inquest ! saw that
the witnesses were mistaken and hadn't
seen the first difficulty, or at least the
part l saw, and / do not know whether
saw it all or not, but they hadn't seen
what / saw. and | told him that if 1T be-
came necessary felt l would have to tell
what l knew about it."
81 suppose it was near one O'Clock in
the day when | told him that, | don't
know exactly"
"That was the first opportunity | had
had to read the morning papers, just at
that time"
81 took dinner with Mr.. Moseley"
Il did not live at Mr.. Moseley's house,
but took dinner there that day at his
house,
81 believe the next person | told was
my partner, Mr.. Douglas, and think the
next person was Mr., Holding one of the
attorneys for Mr.. Haywood lie came
over and asked me about 1t and | told
him"
20. Did you tell any near relative or
friend of the deceased, Mr.. Skinner, about
t?'
:" Yes, sir I told DR.. Skinner about it.
''When?"