The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1905-12-08
Witnesses Tell Step By Step, Incidents
Leading to The Murder.

on my mind that he YVES not coming
q Did the defendant come to the
house again.
A.-Yes, he came the following
Tuesday to get horse to haul some
logs.
Odd you talk with him?
Al did not
Odd you see him talking with
anyone?
A Yes, with Mrs. Reaves and Miss
! Tucker In the kitchen.
Witt ess SAID Rountree came back
the next day TO go to work. That he
told Rountree the coroners jury would
meet at the house next day and ad,
vised him, as he was accused OF the
murder. not to come; bat he came and
worked four or five Gays
Odd you see Rountree and MIS-,
Reaves talking together?
Ayes, once In awhile,
| Q-Wh was the manner OF these
| talks? a
A.--They seemed to be secret.
Witness said RountIee put in the
window sash at the Reaves house, but
ne did NOT SEQ him talking to Mrs.
/ Reaves at that time That prior to
the killing be saw Rountree and Mr..
Reaves together twice, Once two
weeks before at the .Rountree home,
Then Mrs Reaves came over there and
! kouptree got down from, some paint
ing he was doing and talked with Mrs.
! Reavts at the we'll The second time
i at a peach tree near the pike. ~
, CROSS EXAMINED
by Mr.. Hughes, and it was a rigid
cross examination, too.
Witness didn't remember where he
spent the Sunday and Sunday night
| before the killing, but thought IL was
at his sisters Witness said he oc-
cupled the front room at the Reaves
home at the north end of the mouse.
That on tine night Of the murder he
awoke sometime about midnight and
stepped out on the back porch few
| minutes Yes, ne had to 90 by Mrs.
Reayes room. Admitted the point on
the back porch he visited was further
from his room than the front porch,
and that the front porch was just as
convenient, but didn't know why he
went the back way. Returned at once
TO bed. He denied that he stated ON a
former trial that his window was open
the night of the mulder. Denied that
he helped pick Rsaves' body up at spot
| where it was found but diu meet Troy
/ Brown ana Elmer Reaves bringing in
! the body and assisted them. Denied
that he stated on former trial that ne
did not return TO the spot where the
body was found till after his return
from ESQ. McKnlgnt's. SAID RountIee
and CarIlgan accompanied him to the
spot. Denied that he stated on a fol-
meI trial that he went before Lee got
4 there. Denied that he told RountIee
not TO notify any one. Simply told
him they should get some older beads
there first. Admitted that he notified
people as he rode to Esq Meningitis.
Simply trying to get enough men there
for q coroner's jury.
Odd you expect all the people
you notified to serve on the jury?
A.-No. l knew John Ronntree
would NOT be on the jury.
Q.-Why?
] A. Il don't know.
Mr.. Hughes was very insistent on
this polnt and the witness showed
some conf usion.
MI. Hughes at this POINT went into
the personal history Of the witness.
He asked about the divorce secured
from him by his wife and what the
allegations were In the bill. He asked
If the witness did not kill negro at
| Thompson Station some years since,
aud If he did not forge tine name OF
DR.. W, e. Cox, of theta. The witness
was willing to answer most OF these
questions, IN fact requested the Judge
to permit him to answer some OF them.
nut counsel for the state objected and
Judge Holding sustained the objection.
Witness stated that he peeped through
A crack and saw Mrs Resves and
Rountree in seeming secret converse
/ tion in the Reaves kitchen. Admitted
that Reaves was at work nearby when
Mrs. Reaves and Rountree met at the
peach tree. Didn't know why he had
not mentioned toe fart OF Reaves
presence before, but it was not with
the purpose of deceiving the jury.
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.
When court was called to order We'd
nesCay afternoon, Judge Holding en-
noupced that he Dad reversed his DE.
cision in sustaining exceptions OF
states attorneys to questions asked
Mr. Boyd Mcknight by counsel for the
1 defenosnr at the morning session. AND
therefore overruled the exception ano
MT. Mcknight was again called to the
witness stand. Mt. q. 7. Hughes, for
defendant, again questioned the Wit
ness.
Mr.. Mcknight, did you not on 9
ceriain occasion some years ago XIII
negro boy? IN.
man, between 25 and 81 years OF age.
i Odd you not go to Mr. SAN
| Pointer ana ask him 10 pfotect you
from the consequences OF tnat act!
Al did not.
Odd you not have q quarrel or
the day preceding the killing OF to,i
60 ROY
IL did not.
s. are attorney for the Sta o, raise {