The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-10-14

Su0u Q1ul WlJQ relentless aTQOr IN Q1S
newspaper from the time Of his earli-
est manhood, and that no opportunity
had been neglected of treating him, as
he held, unjustly, harshly and with
great bitterness. He was engaged in
amplifying this construction of the
conduct of the dead man when the day
ended. The crucial moments of the
ordeal that is his will come tomorrow,
when he must describe every detail of
that fateful day in Columbia, and hav-
ing done so with the sympathetic as
sistance of his own attorneys must do
so all over again in response to the
searching, cynical, condemning ques-
tions of the State. Whatever may be
his innocence or guilt, whatever ap-
praisement he may put upon himself
and his deed, he must not lose cour-
age over night. He needs to marshal
his will, whatever nerve and fortitude
and force ne may command, for they
will be in requisition ere he may rest
again.
In the presence of this final incident
the other proceedings of the day are
dwarfed unduly. Barring the compari-
son by which they suffer they were in
teresting and exciting to a degree.
The defence was marshalling it's most
relied upon forces, and they we're be-
ing attacked with unexampled vigor
by the State. Scarcely a witness as
cended the stand land there were many
of them) who did not contribute his
full quota to the general result. 1t
was, indeed, the field day Of the trial
in many regards and columns would be
required in which to Satisfactorily ana
lyze the full significance of what was
said by this one and done by the other.
It is impossible in the time and space
that are at hand to completely repro
duce it's Impressions [ give here but
the merest summary of the several
parts assigned to its witnesses by the
defence.
The session began with Mr. James
Davis, quarryman from Edgefeld, on
the stand. AS I predicted yesterday,
he contradicted tie testimony given
by Messrs. Terrell and Black concern
ing threats made against Mr.. Gonzales
in their presence on train. The
ross-examination showed that he
knew neither Black nor Terrell by
sight, and left the value Of his evil
dence dependent upon the circum-
stance that he claimed to have been
present during the entire period in
which they alleged they saw and spoke
with Mr.. Tillman.
The second witness was we'll enough
known figure in South Carolina. M.
Cole L. Blease severed his legal con-
nection with the defence before he as
cended the stand to testify. He was a
candidate for Lieutenant Governor
last year and has otherwise been more
or less prominent in South Carolina
politics. In personal appearance Mr..
Blease is not unlike the gentlemen
whom modern dramatists sometimes
introduce in their plays as typical
Southerners. He is slim, erect, de-
bonnair, swarthy in coloring, regular
of feature, quick of speech and action.
On the stand he was entirely sef-pos-
sessed and answered the many ques-
tions put to him precisely or graphi-
cally, as the case required. He de-
clared himself to be personal friend
of Mr. Tillman and he contributed
materially to clear understanding Of
more than one contention that is made
by the defence. The cross -examina-
tion of Mr.. Rlease, which was con-
Quoted by MT. Bellinger, was not ex
tended, nor was it productive Of more
than an elaboration of matters that
had been deduced by the examination
| in chief.
The cardinal features Of the testi.
mony of Mr.. Blease I conceive to be
the new light in which he placed
threats testified to by DR.. Adams ano
| his assurance that he knew of his own
personal knowledge that Dir. Tillmar
| had not been accustomed to carry 9
pistol during his campaign for the
Governorship. Mr.. Blease then init
| mated that the pistol that Dr.. Adams
| saw in the satchel of MI. Tillman be.
| loaged to him and not to MI. Tillman,
! and his explanation Of the threats
| DE-. Adams testified to made them ut.
tered in the way of sef-defence and
not in a spirit of aggression. Mr..
Blease said that Mr.. Tillman was not
| acmed at the time of the DeCamp in
csdent at Gafney, aud that as he was
! usually his room mate he was able to
swear that he did not habitualIy carry
| pistol during the campaign, either
| on his person or in his baggage. He
also said that though Mr.. Tillman was
advised by many of his friends to GO
to Columbia and Nhave it out'' with
Mr.. Gonzales the defendant always re-
piled that he did not wish to have a
difficulty with Mr.. Gonzales if he
could avoid it.
When Mr.. Blease had concluded,
Mr.. George W. Lybrand, an Edgefeld
blacksmith, and R. F. Sox were put
forward to discredit the testimony
given for the State by Mr.. Allen.
These gentlemen swore that, standing
very much as Mr.. Allen described
himself as standing, they could not
have seen what Mr.. Allen declared he
saw.
Then State Senator J. T. Douglass,
of Union, told of seeing Mr. Gonzales
at the State House the day before the
shooting, but the mission of his evi-
dence was suggestive rather than spe-
cifc.
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