The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-09
Sent Gonzales a Verbal Mes- sage to Meet Him Over
 in Georgia
WOULD NOT SEND WRITTEN
 MESSAGE FEARING TRAP
While Correspondent In Washington TilIman Wrote His Papers That Gonzales Would Not Be Ap-
 pointed Consul to Shanghai.

Lexington, s. C., October S.-James Il. Tillman went upon the stand today as witness in his own behalf. It was just one hour before adjournment that his counsel asked that the defendant be call ed. With perfect self-composure he arose from his seat among his attorneys and placed himself at the clerks desk to take the oath Although he was on the stand an hour, he only fairly began to get over the vast amount of ground he must nec- essarily cover. It is predicted that he will be on the stand all of tomorrow.
 The defense has still more witnesses.
 Thirteen of their witness were heard today.
 J. H. Tillman, when he took the stand' was asked by MT. Croft to explain this and that incident to which reference has been made during the trial After his explanation of the South Carolina club incident. he was asked with regard to any messages he may have sentato MT Gonzales, saying that he had sent verbal message to him by George 5. Legar asking him (Gonzales) to meet him in Georgia. He said MT. Gonzales wanted the invitation put in writing, but he was a'raid it was a trap. He said also that he did not want to violate any of the duelling laws of his state.
 Had Some Words in Washington.
 Answering further questions. the wit ness said that when he was correspond ent in Washington for some southern pa- pers. MT. Gonzales was applicant for the position of consul general to Shanghai, and that he wrote his papers that MT Gonzales would not be appointed, and said he had some words with him in a hotel lobby In Washington. As to the cigar incident, he said that on the next day he went up to the hotel cigar stand and bought some cigars and turning around offered them to those standing there He noticed MT. Gonzales, then he said and saw he had made a mistake. Asked as to MT. Gonzales attitude to- ward his military career, he said:
 Ut has always been bitter toward me since I was 21 years of age. The question of his military career and the comments of The State was then taken up, MT. Till man stating among other things that MT. Gonzales wanted to have him courtmar- tialed because of an incident which he related
 Relative to the organization of a com- pany of Indian scouts which has been re- ferred to- the defendant said he wanted to organize such company to take to the phiIinnines but that President Mckinley and the army officers in Washington op- posed it. Asked how he was treated by MT. Con- zalas in his campaign for governor, the defendant replied;
 Editorials Fair Sample.
 q think those editorials are fair sam- ples of it."
 He denied that he had ever been a traitor to his uncle, and said he had not intentionally been discourteous to the ! senate. He was next asked what had been the attitude of Mir Gonzales toward him l prior to 1902 to which he replied: | q think the paper has been pretty we'll devoted to me since 1S9O,' and in answer to a further question, said the editorials in The State had been extremely abusive to him.
 James Davis of Edgefeld was on the | stand when the trial was resumed today | He said he did not hear the defendant l make any more threats in the presence of q D. Black while riding on a train from l Johnston to Columbia. On cross-examin- | alton he said he did not know Black.
 Col l.. Bleeze was asked to state what was said in the defendants room at the hotel in Columbia at the time Dr. Adams | was present. He said he was reading edl- torials from the State on the night of August 20 or 21 of last year. He said Dr. Adams advised defendant to go down to the State office and whip MT Con l gales and that MT. Tillman replied that would not do as he was lieutenant gover- ! ba if1ppaphpd Asked to l a statement made on the stand by Dr. | Adams, witness said Mr. Tillman said.
 You boys need not worry; if he at tacks me I'll snuff his life out with this"
 Continuing witness said that MT. Till | mans response to something MT. Gonzales 1 was stated to have said about mock the i atricals. was: If he attempts to carry | out one of his threats I'll make 1t the d--st tragedy that ever occurred in | South Carolina" The witness said the remarks were made | by defendant in response to statements | of threats reported to him.
 Wanted to Avoid Difficulty. Asked if he knew whether relations be- | tween MT. Gonzales and defendant were 1 unfriendly. Col Blease said he had heard | Mir Gonzales say that he did not want to | be in the same room with MT. Tillman. | He said he had heard MT Tillman say on | several occasions that he wanted to avoid | difficulty with MT Gonzales MT. Till | man had pistol on the night of the cam paign meeting in Columbia. witness said, | because trouble at the opera house was | anticipated and witness further said it | was expected that Mir Tillman would be attacked by MT. Gonzales. as it was ex- pected Mir. Tilman would reply to some | of his editorials.
 J. H. Mahaffy, member of the state | legislature at the last session, said he saw tIa cfi o11t of ha of dant's pocket at the state house as de- fendant was about to leave there on the | day before the shooting.
 On cross-examination he said the bottle was in hip pocket and that 1t was the | neck of a bottle and not the handle of a pistol.
 J. A. White and Richard H. Olsenbash | testified that Mr Gonzales told the former