The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1905-03-24
SATURDAY MORNING.
Mr.. G. T. Hughes Continues
His Address, Making A
MaSterful Effort.

G.. 7. Hughes. ESQ.,, begaI
promptly at o'clock this morning
continuing his address to the jury be-
gun yesterday afternoon. and spoke
three hours. 1t was such a speech al
has rarely, 1t ever. been heard IN any
trail heretofore, and the like of which
will not be heard again soon. 1t wa
such an aIguH ent and such an oIatio'
as few men can equal, and we serious
ly question if there is another man in
the Nation. North OIL South. who would
have surpassed 1t. Mr.. Hughes seem:
to feel entirely sure of the Innoceuc,
of his client. and to feel deeply con
vIcted that he has been most uniustly
and cruelty treated by being dragged
into court to defend charge with 81
little proof to sustain it. And HI
seems charged as a battery with the
Intensest sympathy for the defedani
and his aged and afflicted parents. M
synopsis that we might give in the
limited time in which va have tC
write 1T, would nearly do 1t justice
and We shall only attempt to report Its
most striking parts.
He began by telling the jury that
under their oaths they could not look
for suspicious circumstances looking
to the gilt of the accused but 1t was
their duty to taxa every fact and cir
cumstance and reconcile Il. if possible,
with the innocence of the defendant
And a mans character. if 1t was a
good character, was witness in his
behalf, and no circumstance and tTifie
light as air should wrest from q man
the defense that his good character
should give him.
''Now what are the facts of this
CASE, he said. The proof shows that
these two men were as intimate as
brothers: they were free, affectionate,
jovlal towards each other. And just
because a man happens to be the last
man seen with his friend, is that d
suspicious sign that he killed him
If such an incident should happen in
your life, MIR. Loftin, he slid, address
ing one if the Jurors. would you not be
surprised If your nelghbOIs, who have
known you long and well, should consid-
or it nm Matchmaking circumstance
Now lets pegin with these people at
the beginning OF their acquaintance. Mr..
Reaves and family moved into the Roun
tree neighborhood about four years ago.
At the very beginning we find the
men ia business together, and we find
Mrs. Reavee acting the part of a good
neighbor and kind hearted women, vIsI
ting the mentally afflicted wife OF the
defendant. And we find that she visi-
ted her 30 frequently and ministered to
her so tenderly, that the family would
sometimes send for Mrs. Reaves to quiet
Mrs. Rountree when none of the family
could. What kind of feelings do you
think such ministrations as that to his
stricken wife would excite 10 man? How
do you feel towards such ministering
spirits yourself, gentlemen, when you
are in distress and they come and wait
upon your loved once? say to you in
all frankuess and sincerely. that the
woman who comes to my house and
ministers to my wife 10 sickness or dis.
tress, wins place in my heart like that
OF sister And yet these acts of Mrs.
Reaves are to be discredited and her
name dishonored because some scandal
monger, some soul debased, started some
evil report about her. All, my friends,
there are some men, so corrupt in their
lives, 80 evil in their. thoughts, that they
can always find something suspicious
private affairs of others.
"Whs. they even bring witness here
to tell you that he saw them sitting to-
DR.. Cox saw it; and
DR.. Cox commented upon it. Dr. Cox is
back of the thought in this case. And
he saw so Innocent a thing as that; and
he common Ell upon so innocent thing
as tn It; and when he does come mere to
tell about it, he only tells part of it.
Why did he want to withhold the bal
ance? Whv did he leave the impression,
Or try to leave the impression, that tn ey
we're not in the main building, when the
fact remains that they we're? Why did
the State leave that unsaid, and leave
it for us to draw out Of the witness?
- mes Wright's testimony he swore
to the doors being locked) was too I'M
too unnatural, too unbe
ievable, to need much argument,
The speaKer then took up the
Nashville trip, and followed the par
ties from the time they left home until
they returned, and thought every thing
they did was natural and right. He
thought that Rountree had treated Mrs.
Reaves upon that occasion, just as any
gentleman would treat any lady. And
when she returned she told her husband
all about it. We know that from Mr..
and Mrs. Webb, her parents; unim-
peached and unimpeachable witnesses
10 this record. And her husband off
cred not the slightest objection; how
does it lie in the mouth of any other
human being to challenge the conduct
Of the wife of his bosom? Would you
not fee,like resenting the suspicion or i'm
putation put upon your wife by any foul
busy body, criticising her for
you did not disapprove OFF,
who in this record says Mrs. caves
is q bad woman? Their own witness
Mr.. BrattOn, says she is as pure
woman as he ever knew. And W. W
Stanley, one of the best men in this
county. and one of her neal nelghbors,
says practically the same. And who
says she is not? Who, except by rumor
and inuendo and foul suspicion? And
where do we find her the day before the
killing. and the night before that?
We find her at the Stanley home. where