The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-10-14

the truthfulneSs of his testimony; his
hearing on the witness Stand-Indi.
eating a straight forward fearleSSneSS,
an inherent and Inherited love of JUS
tice and manlneSs-could but make
an ineradicable impression on all who
: heard hin.
There are two other pictures.
One is drawn oy another friend of
the prisoner, Representative H.
Spann Dowling OF Bamberg, who
roomed next to Tiilman at the Gallo
| well was in his room that morning
and with him during the day. AsSoon
as he heard Of the tragedy be went
to the jail and expressed his regrets
that his friend was in trouble. Then
at his request he went to ascertain
the condition Of the man lying So sore
ly stricken, and returning with bis
report was told by Tillnan: If l hit
him where I aimed, he is sure dead
man. The ball I used won't change its
course" In connection with this,
remember Senator Talbird'S testimony
as follows:
%. Do you know or not, did Mr..
Tillman ever say why he did not shoot
again. a. Well, sir, about that he
| gave two reasons when weDt around
| TO the jail. One was, he said that be
did not shoot again because he was
afraid Of hitting me: the other was,
that when / threw up my hands ano
said, This thing must STOP he did
not shoot again.
The other picture is about the same
time as this. The wounded man is
being carried to the hospital in an
am bulance: hc is accompanied by none
of his family nor his friends, only a
private physician who knew him but
slightly. 1t is DR.. James II. Mcintosh
who portrays this scene:
20. On the way did he ask you any
questions about his condition? a.
Yes, sir: on the way to the hospital
be looked around the ambulance and
saw there was no one else in it, and
be said to me: Doctor, 1 want you
to tell me frankly whether am NOR
tallv wounded or not l replied to
him: Yes, Mr.. Gonzales, I am afraid
you are mortally wounded and be
simply said: Yes, think the fellow
got me, and with that be covered up
bis face"
1t was after this knowledge that be
was on the border of eternity, after
these moments Of undisturbed refec-
| tion as he looked death in the face,
that be gave his second account OF
the shooting to such men as DR.. J. w.
Babcock and August kohn. Prepar-
ed to meet his God, he said be had
sent his Slayer no message, that so far
as be was concerned it was all ended
five months before.
This the main is the case against
J.. H. Tillman.
What the defense will be IS, Of
course, impossible to conjecture. 10
break down the evidence Of the pro-
secution is an accepted MODE Of proceed
ure which will prove impossible in
this case. 1t is useless to inpeach
the veracity of such persons as Sena-
tor Thomas Talbird and George W.
Brown, of Mrs. Emma c.. Melton, c..
NJ. L;de and the other eyewltnesSes-
all of whom are persons Of unusual
intelligence and the highest repute.
To prove by witnesses their equals in
character anG intelligence that n. G..
Gonzales was about to assault j. b.
Tlllman when Tlhnan shot Gonzales
is necessary for the making of case
of self-deiense. Can it be made? There
is no other legal provocation for the
killing which Tlllnan can plead, un-
less it be that he knew Gonzales had
threatened his life or that be had sent
the defendant a warning message.
The i'm mplicaJion OF the defendants
statements up to this time has been
that some such Justification would be
attempted. The difficulty OF proving
it can pot be underestimated even BY
the defendants own counsel.
Already one witness for the defense
has testified and she told Of alleged
remarks the deceased made in her
presence concerning the prisoner. Miss
Roper, trained nurse who repeated
a conversation in death chamber.
simply said that Mr.. Con zaleS said be
had made Nlr. Tillman show the
white feather twice. that Col. T!llman
had challenged him to two duels which
he did not acknowledge and that Col.
Tillman had no more resentment than
to come in the hotel lobby and offer
him cigar, which he refused" There
is not the senblance Of threat in
that nor did Miss Roper say Mr.. Con-
zales had made one. Her testimony,
in fact, had no bearing at all on the
killing, since she merely repeated the
opinion of Jim Tillman which Mr..
Gonzales had expressed to her, the
same opinion be so often expressed IN
his paper.
This is the legal case. There are
in evidence in the court at Lexington
every copy Of The State published
during the year 1902. 1t was during
six of those twelve months that n. u.
Gonzales as editor of The State so per-
sistently assailed the public record OF
the then Lieutenant Governor. These
editorials have been read tothe jury
and the jurors will have the right to
inspect them for themselves. Can
anything be found therein to justify
the defendant in believing that \. u.
Gonzales would assault him on sight?
If not, is there yet anything said in
those editorials which tended to de-
stroy the good reputation which the
defendant may claim to have had?
Did those editorials unjustly aud un-
truly attack his character: The pros
ecution has put the editorials in evil
dence in order that the jurors may
see for themselves what they contain