The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-03-09

Go n look In my pocket said
DR.. Matthews. and on looking Dir. Cor
man found a note in which the doctor
willed away his various possessions.
gave directions as to his burial. and
named his pall-bearers-
Dir. German stated that he had only
seen DIR. Matthews twice in the last
W. years, and that on these occasions
he had observed a marked change in
his friends mental condition, and at
tributed this change TO morphine.
FATHER OF PRISONER CALLED.
The first witness called during the
afternoon session was Mr.. 3. ". Mat
thews, father Of the prisoner. This
witness had been introduced in the
morning but almost the first question
asked him created such a storm of
argument pro and con that the answer
to the question did not come till late
In the afternoon.
The question so warmly debated over
was as to whether or not the defense
should be permitted to introduce as tes-
timony the fact that Mr.. Matthews
mother had been insane from early
sSuAl W Tic Iii VI uVi uCdlIl- IL SoS
arfued by the state that this was not
admissible as the defense had up to
that time only attempted t, prove the
temporary insanity Of the prisoner, and
that, in using hereditary insanity as a
defense, the types of insanity quoted
must all correspond. The state was
overruled in this matter, however, the
defense regarding their victory as quite
important.
In addition to testifying to the in
sanity of various members of his w
and his wife's family Mr.. Matthews
said that when DR.. Matthews visited
him in Durham on the day before the
death of his wife he had been in very
bad shape, and appeared very much
doped. He had spoken to his son
about this habit on previous occasions
and had hoped to break him Of the
habit.
Mr.. Matthews explicitly denied that
his son had eve said anything to him
relating to trouble between himself
and his wife, and that he had
heard him say that he was going to
leave his wife.
MINOR WITNESSES TESTIFY.
The next witness was a colored boy
who swore to the fact that DR.. Mat
thews had visited the barber shop
where he BACKED boots, in company
with his little boy and his brother, and
that DR.. Matthews had fallen asleep
white sitting upright in a chair in the
shop.
The next was R. P. Hackney, a drug
gist, of Durham, who testified to the
fact that he had known DR.. Matthews
for fifteen years. He stated that he
had seen him on the day before the
death of his wife, and that he looked
in bad shape, appearing drug crazy.
He stated that DR.. Matthews had
bought some candy for his boy, that he
had laid down the money, and that
when he took the candy he also went
to take up the money again, but ap-
peared to reflect and did not touch it.
T. c.. Hobbs, Of Greensboro, said that
he knew that DR.. Turner would not
practice in connection with DR.. Mat
thews.
T. S. Beall testified to having met
DR.. Turner in Sykes drug store the
morning after the arrest of DR.. Mat
thews, and that DR.. Turner had stated
to him that he could not say that the
prisoner was sane.
The last witness of the day was Cap
tain G.. A. Fowler, a Southern Railroad
conductor, who said that he had known
DR.. Matthews for a few months, and
thai a month before the arrest he had
seer him and noticed something wrong
in his condition, asking him what the
matter was. DR.. Matthews had re-
sponded that there was nothing the
matter. The witness had also seen the
prisoner OF the train coming from Dur
ham on the day before the death Of
Mrs. Matthews. He had noticed be-
tween twelve and twenty white tab
lets in DR.. Matthews hand at one
time during the trip, and later, he said,
DR.. Matthews slept.
KEEPING UP WE'LL.
DR.. Matthews is amazing those who
knew of his recent critical condition
by the way in which he is keeping up
throughout the fatigue of the trial.
He Sits 1mmobile, his face always the
same, his head leaned back YEARLY
against his chair. His face is at times
purplish under his pallor, and his eyes
are continually bloodshot. But he APP
pears to take no interest whatever in
any Of the . proceedings. And when
the crowd in the court laughs in de-
light over some piece Of evidence or
legal quibble he never shows by the
motion of an eyelash that he has
heard the hilarity of the people who
are there to watch. move by intricate
move, the game for his life or Death
News.