The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-02-26

of the question. He was truly in a pitt
able predicament Finally he responded:
Up to fifteen years ago my name was
J. NJ. Berry, but l now sign my name
William Barry"
The defendant admitted that the ].
stood for the name Joseph. From that
time on it was a very difficult matter to
secure direct response to questions pro-
pounded and he seemed to be lodging
for cover. He finally admitted that ne
had lived in Cleveland, Ga, and that it
was when. he lived in Georgia that he
changed his name. Berry received an
other solar plexus blow when Colonel
Johnson asked:
Were you not, just before leaving
Georgia, confined in one of the convict
pens upon conviction had in Cleveland
county,"
Vainly the prisoner endeavored to dodge
a direct answer and finally he made the
admission after being called back from
flighty detours by the judge. He then
stated that he had been convicted about
eight or ten years ago. When asked what
was his offense. he said it was hauling
off some goods from a store.
The judge then asked him if his offense
was grand larceny. NO" he replied,
81 think it was petit larceny
do you know what the goods were
worth?' asked the judge. about s5e,'
was his response.
Berry was not interrupted then as he
told the following story: There was
team of mine 1 had loaned a negro
employed on my farm to go twelve miles
after some goods. He had come up there
and L had employed him. He was a
stranger to me. 1 loaned my wagon to
him one day and he went over to the
railroad. twelve miles, to haul his goods
from the depot over to the farm. On the
way back he broke into a store and
hauled the goods off with my team. The
next morning / was run off by some of
the blockade stillers' or 'moonshiners'
marched up to Jail. taken over twenty
five miles and put in prison until l gave
bail. ] had to send over eighty-five miles
and my brother-in-law came and paid
my bail. They burned my house up
which cost some $500 or $500 L moved
off to the lower part of Georgia and
stayed there two years. Because my
brother-in-law was very rich, they got
after him, thinking they would get more
money. When they got me they tried
me and gave me three years. The judge
told me he could not do thing for me
as he was afraid he would be burned out
himself if he undertook to even sign
petition for pardon. He was an acquaint-
ance of mine. as was the governor"
Berry went on talking and finally mad
the assertion that he had been for sew
eral years in the postal detective service
At this Colonel Johnson began question
ing him in detail and. seeing something
was out of gear. Berry commenced tC
hedge and reduced the time to within
the neighboThood of a year, though he
would not be exact. and said he had
worked under Captain Fry. who acted
as his paymaster.
Colonel Johnson then began . bonn
bardment of the witness with questions
as TO whether he had not testified 10
certain alleged facts in the preliminary
examination and at the coroner inquest
Did you not in the examination be
fore Coroner Street state that you had
never heen in prison and had never been
convicted of an, offense2" asked the law
Yer.
Il don't recollect It. - numbied Berry.
Court then adjourned until this morn