The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1903-10-14
DOWN TO ARGUMENT
In TILLMAN CASE.

that a. CidIdCtSTlSllC WAS IMPUTED yes
terday to the late editor of The State
the possession of which those who
knew him best did not suspect in his
life time. Mr.. Gonzales was described
as a man who did not hesitate to go
out into the street day and night and
enter into conversation, voluntarily or
otherwise, touching matters of gravest
personal consequence to himself. His
friends say and some of them have said
in their testimony that he was a man
of few words, that he wrote more than
he spoke and that he was not OF gar
rulous or communicative nature or
habit. That he should have descended
to the Vernacular Of ruffianism and the
slang of the gun toter'' will come with
a shock to those all over South Caro-
lima acquainted with his peculiarly
quiet, even gentle demeanor, his uni
formly precise, clean and well chosen
words of expression. The witnesses
may have told the truth-let the jury
say-but there are two juries.
one of them The State newspaper is ex-
Guided for the present. Let the other
and greater-whatever it's final verdict
rendered in the light of years-read the
answer if N. G. Gonzales was a man
who spoke freely, Familiarity, recklessly
and blatantly, On personal n private
topics touching his very life and the
life of another, like q braggart and a
fool? Read then the testimony. Elk
1 Il tihS PiSbbi ttot 49,
have drawn. Then form your estimate
of it's artists. Line for line, word for
word, it is given elsewhere.
The Clash Yesterday.
Those who have read the proceedings
of the trial will have observed that
more than once the name of Senator b.
r. Tillman has been called, in n or
another connection by attorneys for he
defense. When at the opening OF the
court yesterday Mr.. Rembert was read
ing from editorials of The State, not
heretofore read by the prosecution, q
passage of some heat occurred between
Mr.. Bellinger of the States counsel and
Mr.. Nelson of the prisoners. 1t ended
satisfactorily to the gentlemen chiefy
concerned. Both were intensely In
earnest in what they said. but both
were apparently cool and self-con-
effort on the part of the defense to
have read an editorial taken from a
| New York paper and reproduced in n
State, to which the State objected on
the ground that 1t contained no refer
ence to the prisoner. The following
from the stenographer's notes describes
the colloquy, and is printed In extenso
elsewhere:
Mr.. Bellinger-If your honor will per-
NIT me, the editorial in which REFER
ence is made to these two clippings
does not mention either OF the TIL
4 u Il ~ Nv
I understand one refers to the DEFEND
ant, the other does not refer to him,
even remotely and there Is nothing IN
the editorial which calls attention TO
the clipping which refers to illman
one from The Sun of the 26th of Feb
ruary and the other of the 9th, diff
fenent dates. Why should a clipping
which refers to agriculture, religion
or any other subject than the defend
ant be admitted?
Mr.. Nelson-Any clipping which re-
fers t agriculture, religion or any
thing and connects the two Tillmans
with 1t and editorially is referred to Is
competent.
Mr.. Bellinger-Yes, but this edito-
| rial does not mention Jim Tillman and
is incompetent because 1t does not re-
fer to him.
Mr.. Nelson-We have O right to show
the state of mind of the deceased to-
ward the Tillmans, the or
his uncle, and when he calls attention
to an article rejecting upon one or
both 1t Is competent to bring 1t out
before the jury.
Mr.. Beliinger-We all understand
that Mr.. Nelson's object In bringing 1t
in here Is to make a political trial out
of this case, and that is what we are
opposing. They cannot make 1t APP
pear that the deceased because he had
i'll will towards the whole family, that
every word of his relating to N mem-
Der of that family can be brought in
in the discussion Of a crime commit
ted by the defendant who happens to
be a IN of the family, and / be-
lieve that both sides are anxious to
narrow this thing down to the facts Of
the case. But we can see that this Is
q trial between the State n James
/ III. Tillman; not In any view OF the
case political but simply criminal. The
other side may take a different view OF
1t, but we contend that they should
be limited to the criminal law and
criminal evidence. Along that line, 1t
has been suggested, would we be per-
mitted to introduce editorials prais-
ing the late George ID. Gilman In order
to show the relation toward the fam
lily?
Mr.. Nelson-When the time comes,
If o offer to introduce 1t we will
state whether or not we object. When
my friend says that I wanted to make
measure his words ecaus I say hat
is not the case and any such statement
from any source whatsoever Is abso-
lutely false.
| Mr.. Bellinger-r will state I meant
no reflection.
The Court-I think hat Isl sufficient.
already said.
It's Happy Ending.
Later in the day Mr.. Nelson arose and
said:
~ had intended to make a statement
at the o OF adjournment, but will
make 1t now. My friends on both sidea
OF the case have advised me that
misapprehended Mr.. B~ellinger's state
ment this morning and 7 think 60 .ay-
self. and 1 get UP to say that I regret
having stated what I did and I hope
the pleasant relations between us will
not be disturbed. / would not do any
thing to offend him and in the heat
| nj the nnYnanf II NAV have dnna Q0rnq-
thing that I should not have DONE"
The Court-That is very proper.
Senator Tiliman's Name.
without reference to the personal
matter between the lawyers, happily
ended, attention is here directed to the
statement made by MIR. Nelson that
I'VE have the right to show the state
OF mind of the deceased to the Till
mans, the defendant or his uncle,p etc,
Mr.. Crawford argued pointadly that
1T was. unjust to the United States
J senator from South Carolina to bring
his name into the cese. Judge Gary
took the view that It might have some
bearing and 1t was admitted, ito show
the relations between the deceased and
the prisoner and for no other pur-
pose"
When D. ". Cheshire. who served In
the prisoners regiment. was on Tho
stand his testimony OF an alleged
threat used by Mr.. Gonzales, which he
heard from q third party and commute
Gated TO the prisoner, was objected to
on the ground that It was heafsay
ny mhtfrnn0nd nnfufod o,sf that a nor.