The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1903-10-07

from the sidewalk at her feet. She
Is shocked, terrified and as to the more
material features of Mrs. Melton's tes-
timony the curtain lis rung down
Whatever the event of the trial, the
picture she has drawn, it's lines deep
cut in adamantine truth, must endure.
Mrs. Melton was h last witness
introduced today for the State. Judge
nation with consummate tact and
skill and Col. Croft the cross exam
nation with conslderate courtesy. The
success that he achieved in shaking
the testimony of the witness is best
measured by the size of the point to
which he chiefly addressed himself in
his questions. In her affidavit at the
bail hearing Mrs. Melton had said in
effect hat Senator Brown turned and
before he could speak came the re-
port. Today she said that he was in
the act OF turning when the report was
heard. In other words Col. Croft siren
uously directed his abilities to the dis
section of, literally, the fraction of a
second of time into it's constituent
parts.
Recess Till Tuesday.
When the court convened Judge Ga
ny that In Difference to the
witnesses on both sides he would at
1.3O o'clock suspend the trial until next
Tuesday morning at 10 o'clock. The
jurors for the third week of the Lex
ington court, 1t was stated, are eX-
cused from reporting at Lexington
Monday as it is of course understood
that no other business than the pend
ing trial will be disposed of during the
week.
The Witnesses.
A. G.. LaMotte was the first wit
ness examined for the State. He did
not see h shot fired, but corroborated
to a degree the testimony of other
state witnesses as to the position oc-
cupied by MI. Gonzales and the pris-
oner.
c.. M. Lide was next sworn. He too
testified that the three men approach
ed in the relative positions described
by enato Brown. He declared that
after the shot was fired and Talbird
sprang etween them he saw the pris-
oner moving his pistol to and fro over
Talbird's shoulder as though he would
shoot again-which calls to mind Tai
birds testimony that Tillman told him
at the Jail on the day of the shoot
ing that he would have shot again AK
cept for the fear of shooting Talbird.
August Schiedman, n youth of some
Is years. an eyewitness. added ma
terially to confederation of other
States witnesses. He also thought the
prisoner was going to shoot again.
AT the conclusion of Mrs. Melton'S
testimony the solicitor tina
the State vas not ready to close but
asked n suspension until Tuesday
morning to give time for other wit
nesses to arrive. 1t might be that the
State would offer other testimony.
First Witness for the Defense.
At this point Mr.. Nelson for the de-
Tense stated that Miss Roper, q material
witness present for the defense, was
now a resident of New York. a trained
nurse employed in a hospital, that it
was necessary for her to leave this
afternoon or she would lose her posi-
ton, and that unless she We're held
under bond, the defense was powerless
to keep her here. Mr.. Nelson touching
~ related the urgent necessities of the
case so far as the defense was con-
cerned. Some debate among the law
yers ensued, the defense finally sug-
gesting that If Miss Roper We're al
lowed to testify today, the State could
continue Its testimony Tuesday with
out being compelled to rest"
MI. tombstone, at some length, de-
lVered a moving and eloquent Grafton
on the subject, pointing out that Miss
Roper had been i'm South Carolina
since the 21st, waiting TO testify. and
painting in striking colors the import
ance to Miss Roper of leaving for New
York in h afternoon.
MI. Bcllinger, for the State, said that
counsel for the State had agreed to
insist upon IA regular and ordinary
conduct of the trial from it's side. The
state merely wished justice done and
the interests of justice would be
aifected by a departure from the usual
RUE 10 place a witness under bond,
he said, Involves no humiliation what
ever. He did not for a moment con-
template that the lady need go to jail,
the very thought vas repulsive to
him. but the merely formal attachment
or her signature to IL bond carried no
hardship. with it. Judge Gary, how
ever, took the view OF the defense. the
understanding being that the State
may offer other testimony If it so de-
sires.
MISS Roper, n young woman Of good
presence and bearing, was then in
troduced. She testified substantially
that when a trained nurse at a hos
pital In Spartanburg in or about July,
ana n hall his uncle, Capt. Ralp FL
lott, then hopelessly i'll in the hospital
n under her care. He talked to her
about the lieutenant governor, and
used The terms coward" and william
III describing him. All of her CONVEX
sation with Mr.. Gonzales was pleasant.
h told Mr.. Gonzales of her family
connection and long acquaintance with
the Tillmans. He inquired If she con-
sidered the lieutenant governor q brave
man. She said that she certainly did.
Then he said that twice he, Gonzales
had made Tillman show the white
feather. that Tillman had twice chal-
lenged him to duels, which he had not
acknowledged and Tillman had so little
resentment about him that he came tc
him in n hotel lobby I'm Washington
spoke to him and offered him a cigar
1T was noted that she did not TESTIFY
to any threat on the part of Mr.. Con
zales.
The extracts below from the stenog.
rapher's notes give her testimony
mat she related the conversations with
Mr.. Gonzales referred to to the pris-
oner's sister. Her affidavit, presented
on the motion for n continuance al
the April term of the RichIand court
also printed below. speaks of her hav.
ing communicated similar remark ia
Lieutenant Governor Tillman.
From stenographic notes. cross ex-
animation by Mr.. Bellinger:
q. You say when you met in De-
cember Lieutenant Governor Tillman
That he said to you thank you" and
he said he heard you a been a true
friend of his In talking up for him
Did you tell him what Mr.. Gonzales
had said about him? A. No. I think
l told his sister; I'm sure 1 had told