The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-02-25
THE TESTIMONY
Presented by the State in the Case
of J. q. Tillman
BEFORE CHEF JUSTICE POPE,
And Upon Which He Refused to
Allow the Defendant to be
Released from Jail by
Giving Bail.

testimony presented by J. II. Tlllman
in his application for bail. Below we
present about one-half of the testi-
mony presented by the State in oppo-
sition to the granting OF bail to J. II.
Tillman, and upon which bail was re-
fused the defendant. The testimony
speaks for itself, and every one can
read it and draw their own conclu-
sious. The testimony is as follows:
Personally comes Robert Latham,
who SAYS on oath: That he was Stenog-
rapher and secretary to the late y. u.
Gonzales and occupied such I position
at the time Of the shooting OF sald y:
6. Gonzales: that on the afternoon OF
the shooting. and just after the said
y. G.. Gonzales had been brought into
The State newspaper Office, on Main
street, some 80 yards north or the
point of the said sho )ting, \. &. Con
tales told deponent that he, the said
\. G. Gonzales. knew the result OF
such a shot as he had received, and
more than once while in said office,
suffering from said wound, intimated
in plain language that ne knew his
wound was mortal: that thereafter.
and in Il couple OF hours thereafter
when said n. G. Gonzales had been
conveyed TO the Columbia hospital. 10
b.. there operated upon, he repeatea
said animation of the result OF his
wound to deponent: that while IN this
state Of mind be- said the following
words, or OF like import, to deponent,
to wit: Il started ouJ Of The State Of
tice walking as usual on the rlght,hana
side Of the pavement. going towards
the State house, and as got close 10
the corner. the intersection OF Main
and Gervais streets, where l had TO
turn to the left into GerVais street On
nv way home. / observed Tlilman.
Two men were with him, Senator TAI
bird Of Beaufort and another man.
whose face did not observe. Talblrd
was next to Tillman. and this other
man was on the inside. Tillman was
on the outside. Knowing that if kept
straight on I would collide with nim.
because the three men were walking
abreast and Tillman was on the out
side, also being on the outside, l cut
diagonally to the left, intending 20
turn into Gervais street, as could
have done without touching the man
OF the three who was on the INSIDE.
AS j got Il had just merely glanced al
his face) on the turn, not more Than
two or three feet from the exact cor
ner, r,Tillroan suddenly pulled his pistol,
or perhaps he had it in his hand, pos
sibly up his sleeve (I did not notice.
presented it and fired, making some
exclamation which | have forgotten.
The shock almost threw me OH my
feet. l sweryed a: o Ind and felt very
weak. l threw my back up against the
corner on the Main street side, so as to
support myself, and faced him. lie
had his pistol pointed 1T me. and l
said to him, Fire, you coward; you
have already killed me. you know
il. Shoot again Tillman said some
thing about / took your advice, then
looked at my face, dropped his hand
holding the pistol and sauntered out
into the middle of the street." Reply
ing to some question, Mr.. Gonzales
continued, II had no idea whatever OF
meeting him. I had seen him two days
before in the lobby OF the house. tie
saw me and was talking to some one,
while was walking around. He did
not say anything. I did not say any
thing. The thing was finished as far
as was concerned" Mr.. Gonzales was
then asked whether Tillman said any
thing when he fred on him. He re-
olied that he did say something. Be
ing further questioned, whether ne
mad sent Tillman any message. Mt.
Gonzales answered, Never sent him
a word of message by any one. !" Ihen
the question was asked, Did you hear
him say you had sent him message
by any one?" Mr.. Gonzales answered,
mo. he said something like / have
taken you at your word, OF something
like that. l sent him no message, so
kelp me God" Mr.. Gonzales further
said Tillman used the expression i
have taken you at your word or some
thing of similar import, after he fred.
On the first day Of the present session
of the general assembly, or the day
thereafter, l was in the lobby OF the
State house on the side next the nall
of the house Of representatives. While
there I saw Mr.. y. G. Gonzales stand
ing just at the door OF the commlGtee;
room to the left as you enter the hall
of the house of representatives: lie
was talking with gentleman. WnIle
he stood there l saw Mr.. James H.
Tillman standing in the lobby within
a few feet of the said n. G. Gonzales.
He, the said Tlllman. was speaking
with some one when I saw him, and
he passed into the committee room
opposite that one near the door Of
which Mr.. Gonzales was standing.
Said James II. Tillman was obliged TO
have seen \. G. Gonzales,as there was
nothing interposing between them.
Robert Latham.
Perol ally appears before me E. j +.
Watson, who being duly sworn says:
That on the 2sth day Of November,
1902, the day that the final meeting, OF