The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1905-03-17
RE-EXAMINATION.

The conversation with Mr.. Nichols at
the depot in Nashville was before wit
ness and II oils Rountree had endeav-
ored to find Mr.. and Mrs. Webb, on the
day after be came from Nashville he
hauled lumber from Lick Creek with
Mr.. Reayes. They met in Reaves frout
lot and5went together.
Q:-Was there anything ia his man
ner or in anything he said TO YOU to
cause you TO think that he was offended
because you had taken Mrs. Reaves to
Nashville?
A:-There was not. Some time af-
terward he and were thinking of gong
to st Louis. he said that be was glad
Mrs. Reaves had gone to Nashville with
me, The night before they went to
Nashville the trip was discussed at the
Reaves home, and it was understood
that Mrs Reaves was to go TO Nash
vile with witness, and they were to
meet Mr.. and Mrs. Webb there In re-
gard to the incident at the kitchen, wit
ness stated that they had been thrashing
wheat at Mr.. Reaves' they came ia late
TO supper, and there was company on the
back porch, this was last summer, wit
ness was dirty and did not want to see
them. he was thirsty and to avoid the
company he went to the dining room to
get some water. He got a drink and
went out on the back porch where he
met jim and Elmer Reaves. He stayed
in the house just long enough to get a
drink of water. The night that he was
sitting on the bed by Mrs. Reaves was
the night Mr.. Reaves lay corpse. Mr..
and Mrs Webb Preacher Blackwell and
several others was present Mr.. Null
ler's b )me was in Charleston, and he
had to return home and his deposition
was taken ia the presence of counsel for
both Sides Witness had not employed,
consulted or retained counsel unit al
ter his arrest. Nothing was said at
the inquest about arrestlng anyone.
There were charges and runiors of
o5hers present being guilty. Carroll
D)dd was the one to advance tie theory
about the sheet being used to carry the
body to the front gate
Q:-Was not everything theory that
day?
AYES, and MYSTERY too.
Q:-Who else was suspected?
A:-E immersion Tucker and Boyd
Mcknight. 1t was alsJ suggested that
it might be the negroes who nfoKe out
of jail, or that IL was some negro
from the phosphate mines.
Here one of the jurors stated that
there was one thing In the record that
he did not understand, and that he
wished to ask a question. He was
allowed tn do so, and he said "Mr.
Rountree, what was your rule in Ie
gard to telling your family goo lbye.-
mean did you kiss them when you
went to leave?'
AL did if 1 was going for any
length of time.
MAI. j. E. JAMESON.
Witness is a second cousin to defend
ant; member of the lodge OF Masons
at Spring Hill. WIS at the lodge at
Spring Hill the night Rsaves was
killed. Saw Reavcs and R0untree
there at the lodge and after it dis
banded About 900 O. clock. he cav
Reayes and Rountree hitchIng up their
horse after the lodge was over. Wit
ness lived about five miles from Spring
Hill, got home about II 80 O'Clock.
There is about Is mile difference in
the distance to Spring Hill to witnass'
home and to Reaves home. Rountree' 8
reputation was good up to the time of
the killing.
CHARLIE BLAIR, COLORED.
Witness testified that he worked ON
the Rountree place. That ON the morn
ing before the murder he and defend
ant were at the real of the house. De
fendaEt got the buggy seat from in.
side the buggy house. That the
chickens roasted in there and the seat
had become soiled. Rountree picked
up the seat ana carried il under his
arm to the buggy. That his coat be-