The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-10-13

ward me, and then the thumb of his
right hand disappeared in his pocket,
and it happened almost directly in three
OF four seconds after that. ! was eN-
pecting him TO shoot and l said / got
your message and fred
The defendant stated that when he
said "message'' he had in mind what
was reported by Captain White and
Mr.. H~olsOnback. answering cOUnse he
said he did o fire a second shot be
aus Mr.. Gonzales did not return MS
first.
when l fired I did not know" said
the defendant, whether the pistol had
worked OF not, and threw the barrel on
my coat sleeve and I was expecting
MIR. Gonzales 10 fire on me. and was
fixing TO shoot again. He did o fire
and l took down my pistol
He said he did not hear Nj. Gonzales
say: Shoot again, You coward Mr..
Gonzales passed on by me to the rne
Of the transfer station" he said, land
went around it a few feet and seemed
TO stop and hesitate, and then he turn
ed around and came back 10 the corner
and faced down Main street, looking in
the direction Of The State office and l
Immediately thought what was in his
mind, and | thought I would be at
tackled from that quarter, n that is
what made me side step off the side
Walk.
The defendants attention was called
to the testimony of the witnesses, who
have testified that they took messages
to him., when he repeated practically
what had been said, saying in n in
stance: Il suppose I received at least
q thousand messages in the state. 1
can't remember everything that was
said"
He said that in view of all the rumorS
carried to him he expected u
whenever he went to Columbia. When
he said something to the effect that he
might have to live in the penitentiary
as testified to, the defendant stated that
that was said jocularly and he said that
if the editorials in The State were true
he might have to do that.
The cross examination was conducted
by General Bellinger, and in answer to
his questions, the defendant said the diff
ference etwee himself and Gonzales
began in 1890, although he had written
a letter to Mr.. Gonzales in 1892 thank
ing him for a kindness and hat their
differences were at an end at that time.
He Unidentified the letter, which was Of
fered in evidence by the state and a
On further cross examination. he said
he had no i'll feelings toward Mr.. Con
Zales until the attacks were made on
him about the time he was in the army.
You spoke of him severely on every
| stump in the state?' queried Mr.. Bel
linger. =
Pretty near every one" he replied.
Mr.. Tillman having stated hat he
did not care to get in any trouble while
lieutenant governor, Mr.. Bellinger in
quired:
You did not mind carrying a conceal
ed weapon While you were lieutenant
governor"
Not after my life was threatened.
The law gives me that right" replied
defendant.
Die not you tell some of your friends
that you and Mr.. Gonzales had an I'M
derstanding that when you met you
would shoot this thing out?"
Il made the statement that it was
the general understanding that when
we met we would have to shoot it out
The last witness for the defense was
w. T. Hyatt a fireman at the state
| house. He swOre that he saw a pistol
in Mr.. Gonzales pocket while the latter
was at the state house. On cross ex-
animation, he described Mr.. Gonzales
as u man about four and a half feet
tall.
When he had left the stand the state
Immediately put on a number of char
| acter witnesses attacking the testimony
and veracity of r.. H. H~OlsOnback. one
OF the defendants witnesses who testi-
fed to the shooting. Other witnesses
testified as to statements he is alleged
to have made about the affair. One of
the rebuttal witnesses testified that j.
H. Tillman was in the office of The
State in 1898.
| When court adjourned at 6 o'clock to-
| night, the end of the trial was nearer
in sight than it has been at any time
| in the last few days.