The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-11-24
WILL KNOW FATE TODAY
fCo.sinued from Pase Ose.)

'
 Vance Garner. co-defendant with Johnston and under sentence of death took the stand to give testimony IT favor of Johnston at this time. He was followed by Johnston himself. the first and only one of the prisoners to take the stand in his own behalf.
 Questioned by his counsel, Johnston gave his own account of his move ments on> the night of tho murder. He left town about s o'clock at night. He went to the Southern depot, where ne saw Vance Garner, Jack Hunter, John nie Mayo and Bunk Richardson. He came across Addie McLendon and with her went to the house where both of them lived. Hc went back to the de- pot and was there when the Rome and Decatur train came in, which was lo o'clock. He worked at unloading bag gage.
 While he was there he said, he saw two negro men with white woman. She appeared as though she had been drinking and the men looked like they were assisting her. She talked great deal. but Johnston said he could not understand what she was saying. They walked toward the white row. He knew the men because they had towel and he knew that the men who had tOWciS WcTt JdCk hunter anu NduCc Garner. Johnston followed them awhile, but soon quit and went towards the old furnace quarters.
 The two negroes at the depot ap- peared to be waiting for the woman, for when, she walked up, they caught hold of her. saying as she came up: Here she Is now"
 Johnston contradicted the testimony of the witnesses who had told of his movements the morning after the mpr- der. Tn rebuttal. six or eight wit nesses were called to the stand to deny statements made by Vance Garner and Johnston.
 Tn an eloquent argument for con viction, Solicitor Martin dwelt on the horro and terribleness of the cine. a crime so awful that the sight of the body as it lay there in the sun of Sum day morning chilled the blood of the strongest white man.
 Arguments of Solicitor.
 Step by step he followed the move- rrents of Will Johnston the night the terrible murder was committed. Time after time. hour after hour. Johnston was with Garner, Hunter and Richard son. He was in the bushes waiting for Mrs. Smith, the solicitor declared. John ston had part and he had a part with them in the awful crime. He traced the frightened, nervous Johnston the morning after the murder. every act showing the guilt in his heart. every act showing that murder will out.
 Mr. Henderson made . moving appeal for his charity client. He submitted that the State had not fixed the crime or any part of it on Will Johnston. There was nothing he declared. nothing connecting him with the crime. but secondhand confessions He had put on the stand the man who had made most of those confessions. and this man had exonerated Johnston. however much he may have thrown suspicion upon himself and Jack Hunter. MT Henderson one by one took up the tes- tfmonies of the different witnesses tc show that they corroborated what Will Johnston had said of his own move ments. and he submitted that the State had not proven by those witnesses Johnston's connection with the murder of Mrs. Smith.
 At the conclusion of Mir. Henderson, argument court adjourned until s:3t o'clock tomorrow morning.