The Savannah morning news., 1904-03-02
DYAL HELD FOR
MURRAY'S MURDER
WAS NO DIRECT EVIDENCE
TO SHOW THAT HE WAS GUILTY
or THE HOMICIDE.

Application VIII be Made to Judge
Accused interchangeable Wit
nesses Were Examined, and q
Great Deal of Interest Was Mani
tested in HinesviiIe where the
, Hearing Was COnducted-strons
Array OF circumstances Made Case
Look bad for DynI.
Hinesville. Ca, March 1.-After a
rigid examination of more than TWEEN
ty-five witnesses John Dyal, charged
with the murder of Section Foreman
L. A. Murray Of the Atlantic Coast
Line near Walthourville. was commit
ted to Jail this afternoon on the charge
Of murder to await the action of the
grand jury.
The examination was conducted in
the Liberty county Court House. In
addition to the large number of wit
nesses who had been summoned on
both sides there We're over 200 spec
tators present. who sat through the
proceedings.
The hearing was before Judge S. B.
Brewton of the County Court. N. J.
| Norman of the firm of Beckett. Nor
man & Beckett and A. S. Way APP
peared for the defense and Cox p. w.
Meldrim and w. l.. Clay for the prose-
cution.
Sentiment Against Him.
Before the examination of witnesses.
which commenced at IL o'clock the
general sentiment expressed around
the Court House square was that Dyal
was guilty. He had weeks growth
of beard, which only added to the pitt
ableness of his appearance. Tall and
thin. with high forehead, small chin
and rather thin-faced, he was the
personification of weak character,
though when he spoke 1t was in
Straightforward way that had its
weight. Far back In the court room
his wife and ckild sat during the en-
tire afternoon, and finally, when the
judge decided that the man should be
remanded to jail to await the action
OF the grand jury, the wife came for
ward, and placing her hands on her
husbands shoulder, gave him what
comfort she was able to-
The Evidence CircumstantiaI.
The evidence against Dyal was Of
circumstantial nature, and before the
conclusion of the hearing there were
many who believed that the wrong
man was under arrest. When called
on to make his statement, Dyal dis
played little of the nervous demeanor
that had characterized his attitude
throughout the early part of the hear
ing. He accounted exactly for all the
time he spent on the day of the homi-
eide, and his statement was corrob-
Grated by witnesses, both white and
colored.
The first witnesses introduced by the
state were to prove that Dyal had
made threats in effect that If those
who did not go out on the maintenance
of way strike wnen ordered, shoul5 Ne
forced to. M. G.. Sharp, foreman of
the Atlantic Coast Line float
ing gang, testified that he
had a conversation with Dyal last
July at the twenty-six-mile post be-
tween Savannah and Jacksonville, and
that Dyal told him if all who were Or
dered by the lodge iif'not go out on
the strike when 1t was declared they
would be assassinated.
Talked 10 switch Light Man.
Doss Simmons. colored. employed by
the Atlantic Coast Line at Mcintosh
TO look after the pump and switch
lights testified that on Feb. II, Dyal
had come to him and told him that
everybody was going to quit the road
or make Ii pay more money. and or
dered Simmons to stop work. charging
him not to put up the signal lights
on the switches that night. Simmons
did not stop work. but he did fail to
put up the signal lights. He said he
saw Dyal at II o'clock on Feb. 26,
the day on which Murray was as
sassinated.
J.. M. Wiles. the young section fore
man who succeeded Dyal. when he
went out on the strike went to the
home of Dyal two weeks before 10
sign receipts for the property turned
over to him. Mrs. Dyal. he said, told
him that he was lower than a dog
TO take another mans job. and that
he would not live long IL he struck
TO il.
Ed Beasly told or conversation he
had with r.. l.. Foster and Dyal at
Fleming on Feb. n, in which while
discussing the strike Dyal said that
Murray should be made to stop work.
II not by fair means he should be
assassinated.
Allen Parker. colored track walk
er stated that two men approached
him al the long trestle near. where
Murray was killed about three weeks
before. and told him that he wanted
10 be d-m careful how he walked that
track as he was In danger. He did
not know who they were. nor could
he say whether or not one Of them was
Dyal as ne kept right az his work and
ala not ralaa his head from the stoop-
ing attitude he was IN while tighten
Ing some bolts.
Alexander cason, postmaster 81 Nc
fntOah saw pynl AZ III o'clock on
Feb. 81. he gave him a letter ~ tha
Continued on Elghsh PAGs.