Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1903-10-10
THLMAN HAD MADE
THREATS TO KILL
Long Before Tragedy He Hao
Declared He Might Shoot
Gonzalez.
DYING MANS STATEMENT
Court Admits as Evidence the Ante.
Mortem Account by the Victim
Gonzales Realized That
He Was Certain to Die.

Lexington, s. c., Oct. Sin the tria.
pr former Lieutenant Governor James
III. Tillman today for the murder of n.
q. Gonzales, G. J. Terrell, editor Of a
newspaper in Florence county, was
asked IL he ever heard Tillman make
any threats. He replied he was walk-
ing along the streets OF Edgefeld with
Colonel Tillman In the early summer
OF 1902, when Tillman said 'he was GO
ing to run for governor, and If Gonzales
attacked him, he was going down there
and kill him." and | think he said like
a dog"
Ante-mortem statements made by N.
G.. Gonzales when he knew he was dy-
ing were admitted as competent evil
dence.
DR.. F. II. Mcintosh, who accompan-
led Gonzales to the hospital said he old
| Gonzales his condition was hopeless,
n the wounded man declared, Yes,
1 think the fellow got me-"
j. A. Hoyt Of the editorial staff Of the
Columbia State, saw Mr.. Gonzales in
the State office about fifteen minues
after the shooting. He was then suf-
fering intensely but rallied. He was
with Gonzales until he was removed to
the hospital.
Account Given by Gonzales.
| After the arguments as to the adj
mission of Mr.. Hoyt's statement had
been disposed of he testified that Con-
zales had made the following state
ment:
Gonzales said hat he had left the
State office to go to dinner; he was
walking along Main street towards the
state capitol, and he got nearly to the
city railway transfer station when he
saw Jim Tillman coming from the cap
itol with W men whom he did not
recognize; he said there were several
people standing around the corner, and
that he saw If he kept or the course
he would brush against these men, and,
to avoid them, he cut diagonally across
the pavement toward the corner of the
transfer station.
AS he was going across he saw Till.
man pull a big pistol and shoot.
Gonzales said hat he turned and
faced Tillman and exclaimed: Shoot
again, you coward. You have killed
me-" He looked Tillman in the face,
and Tillman held the pistol towards
him, but did not shoot; he said that
then some men ran up and helped him.
he said that as he shot-just about the
time Tillman shot-that he, Tillman,
exclaimed: Il have done what you
said," or, II have taken you at your
word" or something like that.
Editor Cross Questioned.
Mr.. Hoyt was questioned on cross
examination by Mr.. Nelson as to his
feelings toward the defendant.
Q.-Your feelings toward him are
bitter, aren't they? Don't you feel re-
vengeful about him?
A.-Well, don't think l harbor ven
geance against anybody.
Q.-You don't feel hostile towards
him.
Q.-After the killing did not you
NHFp1fA N h. hn RHh AEH fARH,n 90 HI -
blackguard, a gambler, q drunkard and
a murderer?
Al wrote he was n cowardly as
sassin and signed my name to it in
the State of January 16.
DR.. G. w. Barron of Columbia testi-
fed that he had obtained q statement
from Gonzales in the hospital when
Gonzales understood he was dying and
made the statement with the knowledge
Il was his dying declaration. The
statement obtained by DR.. Barron was
substantially the same as that given
by Mr.. Hoyt.
DR.. j. w. Babcock, superintendent of
the state insane hospital, saw Con-
zales as he lay on the floor in the State
office and also at the hospital just aft
er he was received there. Gonzales, he
said, made a statement to him which
he said he took down in long hand
notes. This statement proved to be
practically to the same effect as to ma
terial facts as those of Mr.. Hoyt and
DR.. Barron.
DR.. Il. G. T. Adams testified to n con-
versation he said he had with the de-
PENDANT during the campaign, in which
he said he told Tillman If he wished to
be governor of South Carolina he would
have to fight Gonzales. To which he
said Gonzales replied: THAT won't do,
because l am lieutenant governor and
will be at peace"
Witness testified hat Tillman made
the further statement:
You boys need not worry, by -.
I'll snuff his life with this" Witness
added he pulled his pistol from a grip,
saying, "Ill make it the tragedy
that ever happened in South Carolina"
On cross examination witness said he
judged the relations between defend
ant and Gonzales to be u~nfriendly.