The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1904-08-19
THE SALUDA COURT.
Great Interest in the Trial of MORGAN
w. Thrailkill-Other Mat
teTS.

>'3ik!Nf'. -ANiSttSt -/-Dii iiiN OpSlI-
ing oi court yesterday the Miller
boys and NcCorr?ick were arraign-
ed Tor the murder OF the negro Tru-
esdale. and entered plea Of not gull
~. Co-rie Green. charged with ar
son. entered 4 like plea. The ThraiI-
Kill case was then resumed.
Morgan ". Thrailkill is charged
with numbering Benjamin B. Burton
at Monetta last April. Thrailkill's
son was also charged with the crime,
but the solicitor handed out no indict-
ment against him. and the old man
was placed on trial alone.
The case has excited a great deal
OF interest, and a large number of
witnesses were examined on the first
day Of the trial.
On the first day Lecky Burton. q
brother OF the dead man, testified as
follows:
Lecky Burton, brother OF the dead
man, stated that about o'clock on
the morning OF tragedy the Thrail-
kills drove up in front OF his store.
He went out and said: Good morn
ing, Cousin Morgan. what can I do
1or you?" The reply was he had
come for his pistol. Witness inquir-
ed what pistol he meant and explain
ed that negro had lett one there a
day or SO before to secure IS cents
obtained.
Defendant was told he could get
pistol upon payment OF amount due.
Witness then seeing defendant in act
OF drawing gun on him caught it un-
I'll shot by Younger Thrailkill with
pistol. Mule became frightened and
ran off. While witness was going to
Cato,s store was told that Thrailkill
was coming with gun and. looking
back. saw him following him and try
ing 10 shoot. Was suffering with
wound and unable 70 leave room.
The court house was again pack
ed yesterday. and rhe heat was fear
ful throughout the day. Two addi-
tional witnesses were offered BY the
state. and the state then rested By
one OF these it was shown that after
Lecky Burton was shot witness went
10 dead mans home and delivered a
message to Mrs. Burton. The other
witness was Mrs. Burton. wife OF the
dead man, who testified to receiving
the message. and then went to her
husband. who was sitting IN the
room nursing the sick baby, and re-
peated the message to him. Her hus-
band then left and went down town
About twenty witnesses were Of
'fered by the defence. but none of
these except the defendant and his
son. likewise charged with the crime,
saw any OF the shooting A string
OF sixteen witnesses, one after an
other. testified to the good reputation
OF Morgan W. Thrailkill for peace
and quiet. and the bad character Of
the dead man Tor violence.
On cross-exanlination only three
specific acts OF violence were enum-
Grated. Brooks Cato saw Ben Bur
ton. few years ago. draw a pistol
on E. A. Perry when Perry had drawn
a knife and was in the attitude Of
cutting Burton. stating that he would
have done as Burton did under SIM
liar circumstances. George Thrail-
kill. a brother OF defendant, testified
that deceased had cut him on one oc-
casion when he went where deceased
was running a gin. The circun-
stances OF this case were such that
Solicitor Nelson had mol pressed it..
The third specific charge was testi-
fed to by negro, who stated that
deceased had shot him. but added on
cross-examination that he was to
blame, as he was fixing to strike Mr..
Burton with plow.'
Morgan w. ThrailEll.
Morgan w. Thrailkil1. the defen-
dant. then took thestand. He seemed
cool, and was very deliberate in his
statements nnlv Marf11irer I'd Z lit