The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-10-04
DEFENSE HAS STAND
PUT UP ITS FIRST WITNESS IN
TILLMAN TRIAL YESTERDAY.
SHOWED WHITE FEATHER.
GONZALES is ALLEGED To HAVE
SAID OF TILLMAN.

mat OF I1limAn are (OhhGCteus
Says She Talked With Gonzales in
Sanitarium In sparta nburg-Had
Never Heard TiIlman Make
Threats Against GOnzaIes-State
Practically Ready to Close Its
CaEe-WiI Do So Tuesday.
Lexington, S. c.. Oct. 3.-The trial
of former Lieut.. Gov. James H. Till
man has been m progress just one
week, and as yet the state has not
formally rested it's case. Solicitor
Thurmond announced, however. when
the last witness for the prosecution ex-
amined to-day had left the stand, that
the state practically was ready to close,
but desired to pass the closing until
next week, as there is further testi-
mony the state may desire to submit.
One of the witnesses for the defense
was heard to-day, the state having
| disposed of all it's witnesses present
some little time prior to the hour ap-
pointed for adjournment. No after
noon session was held to-day and the
trial will not be resumed until Tues
| day morning, because of other matters
| demanding the attention of the court
| Monday. Only four witnesses for the
state were examined to-day.
c. NJ. Lide of Columbia, testified that
he was passing along Main street. 60
| ing toward the State House on his way
| to dinner, on Jan. Is, and as he reach
| ed point just south of the Office of
| tho Sta+a (nauspopa,.N ha cow Mr.
lIGonzales ahead of him, walking on a
little further, he saw Mr.. Tillman with
two other men coming from the State
House. Continuing, the witness stated:
Il did not give any particular notice
! to either one of them. but went along,
and when got about the front of the
| bill board next to the transfer office.
1 just saw Mr.. Tillman throw up his
arm and shoot, just that way Cndl-
! cating).
TaIbird Prevented Second shot.
Did not see whether he drew his
pistol or not, just saw the shot. And
instantly this man, a sort of light
haired man, who it was afterwards
told was Senator Talbird. jumped be-
tween Mr.. Gonzales and Mr.. Tillman
and threw his hands up this way
against Mr.. Tillman's face, and said,
This thing must STOP and Tillman
| had his pistol over the shoulder of
this gentleman moving it back and
forth, this way several times, as if
he was trying to get a chance to
shoot again.
The witness then testified as to the
movements of Mr.. Gonzales and Mr..
Tillman.
Mrs. Emma Melton. who was a
clerk in the engrossing department of
the state Legislature at the last ses-
sion, said on the stand to-day that
she left the State House at fifteen min
utes before o'clock on the afternoon
/ of Jan. Is. AS she was crossing Ger
vais street she saw Lieut.. Gov. Till
man and two other men walking in
| front of her. Coming in the opposite
direction, she said. was Mr.. Gonzales
who crossed diagonally across toward
the inside to pass between the opening
between the three men abreast and the
| OF the
She started toward the same open
| ing, intending she said, to pass the
three men, and was looking at Mr..
Gonzales intending to speak to him.
| She said had Mr.. Gonzales taken one
more step he would have passed the
three men. When she heard the re-
| port she thought it an explosion under
the sidewalk but when it occurred
! to her that is was shot she ran
away, not knowing who had fired. She
! said the defendant was on the outside,
! Senator Talbird in the middle and
Senator Brown on the inside.
| A. G. LaMotte after the shot was
fired saw Mr.. Gonzales, he testified,
and said he saw Mr.. Tillman with a
pistol in his hand.
| A. F. Scheidemann said he heard
Mr.. Tillman say: Il received your
sage"
First Witness for Defense.
The defendants witness heard to-day
was Mary ]. Roper, who was formerly
from Edgefield, but is now living in
/ ANS" ACAh' Cui ihS tic year 1JUl Sue
had charge, she said, of an infirmary at
| Spartanburg, and nursed Capt Raphael
Elliott, an uncle of N. G. Gonzales
| Mr.. Gonzales, she said, visited his
uncle at the infirmary there, and when
asked If she had heard Mr.. Gonzales
make any reference to Mr.. Tillman In
his conversations with Capt Elliott,
she replied in the affirmative stating
what she testified he said concerning
Mr.. Tillman. On her direct examina-
ton the witness made this further
statement:
HE asked if I considered Col. Till
man a brave man; l told him / GER
tainly did; he said he did not; that he
| had made Mr.. Tillman show the white
| feather twice; that Col. Tillman had
challenged him to two duels which he
did not acknowledge and that Col. TILL
man had no more resentment than to
come to him in the hotel lobby and Of
fer him a cigar, which he declined"
WAS it on one or more occasions
that you heard him speak Of Mr.. Till
man in this derogatory manner7" coun-
sci asked.
ION several occasions, the few days
he was in the hospital" replied wit
/ ness.
She said she had known Lieut.. Gov.