The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-03
Witnesses Swear He Declared He Would Shoot Gonzales
WOULD GIVE HIM NO CHANCE
After Reading Editorials Is Concluded Nearly Twenty Witnesses Are Examined by State-Details
 of Shooting Gone Over.

Lexington. S. C., October "A vast amount of testimony was taken today in the trial of J. II. Tillman. nearly twenty witnesses giving evidence In addition to this, the reading of the editorials in The State was concluded. The prosecution has progressed rapidly toward the conclusion of It's side of the case.
 The first witnesses called today were among those who were in the office of The State when Gonzales was carried there after the shooting
 L. c. Wood, Jr., testified that he found weapons in the overcoat that Con zales was wearing when he was shot.
 John ". J. Murphy said that Gonzales said to him In The State office that he was fatally shot. The doctor opened MT. Gonzales clothes and saw no weapons. but on cross-examination said that he did not examine the pockets. Editorials Concluded. The reading of editorials from The State was concluded shortly after the trial was resumed today.
 F. c. Withers, an employe of The State testified that he assisted N. G. Con- zales into the office of The State from l the street after the shooting He was asked if he saw any weapon in the gar- ments of MT. Gonzales at that time and replied that he did not.
 J. W. Wallace testified he was in the . office of The State with N. G. Gonzales after the shooting and Gonzales said to him that he was fatally shot.
 AT ~ said he removed the overcoat from Edi tor Gonzales when he was carried into 1 The State office after the shooting, and that he saw no weapons in the pocket of the coat
 c. J. Terrell, editor of newspaper at Johnston, S. C., was among the first wit nesses of the day.
 MT. Terrell, wish you would state to the jury whether you ever heard James H. Tillman make any threat against MT. Gonzales?' said Solicitor TThurmond.
 Tillman Made Threats.
 After saying that he had. and that 1t in the streets of Edgefield just before the beginning of the campaign of last summer, witness asked to repeat what Tillman said when he made the first statement
 we were WblhlIB HlanB ana l spoke to him about his health and his improvement from his trip and we neared the office door, and we had been discussing somc printing he wanted done. he made the re- mark that he was going to run for gover- nor, and was going 10 be elected. and if Gonzales, referring to Mir. Gonzales with several oaths, attacked him, like he was doing. he was going down there and kill him like a dog l remonstrated with him about that; told him l thought 1t would be wrong in principle and every way. and said the best thing he could do. if he had given any insult or cause for anything like that, was to go down there and tackle him man and man, and give him what he thought was needed. He said no, that he was going down there and give him no more show than he would a mad dog.
 Did you at any other time hear him make a threat?" the solicitor asked
 Yes, sir" witness replied, 'lt was a train going to Columbia, and o. D. Black present.
 In answer to further inquiry witness said:
 Another Threat.
 'Blaek and I were talking and Colonel Tillman came along and I introduced them. l said: Colonel. this Is Mr. Black, do you know him?' He said oh, yes I know Black. and slapped him on the shoulder or leg, slapped at him that way dndicating). and from that the con-
 
 til presently he referred to what he called the Gonzales natter and he re- ferred to Black. l want it distinctly understood I am not trying to quote verbatim what was said. but I am just giving idea of my recollection of the words that were used. He said: Black, old boy, 1 am going to do what l said about that old fellow. l going to put an end to his way of abusing me, slan- dering me. etc.. like that. I am going to mt at Hl.a ftf-. Asked as to any other statements the witness said:
 "On the day they were canvassing the returns in Columbia I went to Columbia to present my bill for advertising I was standing in front of the attorney gem erals office, talking at the time to At torney General Gunter and Secretary of State Can't and Mir. Watson of the State. All four of us were talking and just as Tillman came up Ganttb and Gunter walked off and Colonel Tillman addressed Watson and said that scoun- drel, with some oaths before it. in that building wonder had attacked him He went on to tell about his attacking him and being unjust 10 him and made some threat l don't remember the nature of II. but he said he had as much of it as he was going to have and made some demonstratiye threat and told Watson: " You can tell him that If you want
 Declined to Take Message.
 "Watson declined to do it. He said: T wish you would do 1t. I made it with the intention of its going to him. in a way that way Gndicating) and Watson declined to do it."
 On eross-examination MT. Terrell was questioned as to his feelings toward the defendant. He said he wrote one article against his candidacy but that he never wrote anything against him as an indi- vidual.
 Dr. F.. c. L. Adams testified that he had had several conversations with J. H. Tlll- man in relation to some of the articles written by Mr. Gonzales and to the race for governor.
 Did you advise him as a friend in that natter? was asked. the witness replying: T told him that if he wished to be governor of South Carolina. he would have to night Gonzales: that the men who
 nued on Second Paoel