The news & observer., 1905-11-04

BUILT THE DlSTILLERY
With $4,000 Due Him He Was Paid
$4,000 and Forced to Accept Prom
isory Nole for Balance, He. De-
cIares.I0Id Nick Trial Be-
gins to Smoke.
Especial tc News and ObserverD


Greensboro, n C.. Nov. $.--In the
Ola Nick Whiskey Company trial in
the Federal Court today the monot-
Cl:y Of former days was considerably
/ elieved by some sensational testimony
given by J. $. Minor. of Louisville,
Kentucky, the distillery architect and
contractor who built the new distill-
cry for the incorporated company in
1908.
After tCstifying as to its capacity.
and method of opera
ton. witness said he could not get
;,aid fo- the work and in April of last
year, after waiting q year for the bal
ance due of $4,000. he drove out to
the distillery.
While having some words With the
president of the company. \. Glenn
Williams. one of the defendants on
trial. about the non-payment Will
Iiams. he said, told him he understood
that witness had said if he didn't get
fis money he would have him indicted
before the grand jury for defrauding
the government.
KnLCl<s and Pistol.
Witness replied "That was lie,
Nthereupon, while his head was slight
ly turned. Williams struck him
heavy blow With brass knucks on the
side of the head -
Witness got the drop on Williams
with his pistol. 1t wouldn't fire, but
he was holdinp il to Williams head,
when the latter persuaded hm to put
it up; and no sooner had he moved
his hand down than Williams drew a
pistol. ''got the drop on him." as he
expressed it, and marched him
straight to his office where in the
presence Of two others he made him
accept a chccl. for $4,000 and prom
isory note for $4,000, With promise
not to divulge the episode. Witness
swore that as Williams signed the
he simply shifted his pistol from his
RIGHT hand TO his left for the moment.
but navcr lost the drop on witness.
On crOss-cXamination witness de-
MED having said before he went out
tc W;lliams' distlleIy ,h2t he was a
Kentucky gentleman and no back
woods North Carolina distiller like
Williams could run over him or cheat
him without measuring his length on
The ground. He said he took his pis-
tol because ne had heard Williams
had beat un several men and if ii haG
fred he would have got hin. after the
blow MAS given him. l1c denied that
Williams forbade his ever going on MS
premises again. and admitted that this
week, by dire elton Of District Attor~
nev Holton, he had gone there in COM
pany Wish Revenue Agent Chapman
and three deputies to test the diStiile:y
while Williams was here at trial, and
was there two days this week. but said
that he was getting evidence to be
used in another prosecution.
An Excited Witness.
Judge BoyG ruled out the evidence
of what the distillery ran out ON this
two days test when District Attorney
sought to introduce it.
While being rigidly cross examined
witness exclaimed, looking straight at
the defendant, Williams, THAT man
had ii pistol and drew it on me and
kept il on me that day until he go.
what he wanted and he is sitting over
there right row with pistol in his
rocket this minute.
Judge Bynum, counsel for the de-
Ifendalft, Immediately jumped up and
exclaimed, Your honor, we demand
that the defendant be searched to
prove right here and now that the
| witness is a reckless falSifier. our
client is unarmed and goes So
Judge BOYD replied that the court
! had no right TO do such a thing and
strongly rerrimanded witness for ms
! assertion.