The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-04-03
FRED j.. HANCOCK ON TRIAL
 FOR THE MURDER OF TROUTMAN

cry Street Railway. Another brother of | the young woman is now employed by virden Co.,. of Montgomery. | Mss Weaver was also accompanied by a girl friend tastefully attired and l this trio, grave and quiet of dignified | demeanor occupied the same seats until court adjourned for the night. Mrs. Han sock was not in the court room today. MT Stallings said she would | be present tomorrow
 Much Interest h the Case. Owing to the personal popularity of | the dead man. the family relatives oi the defendant. Hancock. the suggestion of romance involved. the reopening of the tragedy at Canoe on New Years s | day. 1905. the trial of Hancock has ex- | cited the interest of the people of at | least three counties of South Alabama. Escambia, Conecuh and Baldwin Coun 1 ties. in which other Hancock, Troutman
 or their relatives have resided Both
 Hancock and Professor Troutman were
 born in the southern part of Conecuh
 County.
 Professor Troutman was ss years old
 when he was killed. He had taught school In the three counties. At the
 tune or the tragedy Hancock was a prosperous liveryman of Brewton,
 where he resided with his wife and child. Professor Troutman was teach ing school near Canoe Station, twen- ty-three miles west of Brewton, and near the Baldwin County line.
 Professor Troutman was afflicted. Paralysis had made him a life suf- ferer. He did not have free control of his body and he walked with crutches. He was a small man, weigh Ing less than 100 pounds The Trout
 man family is a numerous one in these three southern counties of Alabama and this school teacher member of the Family was popular. Although self educated. he was of naturally bright and vigorous mind, of charming man. ner and good habits. His infirmity aroused sympathy and drew people to him. When he taught a school i've
 miles west of Castleberry. in lower Conecuh County, some four years ago, one of his pupils was Miss Winnie
 Weaver. then a black-eyed comedy girl,
 about If years old It is said that
 Professor Troutman found himself in love with his attractive young pupil
 and that she regarded his attentions
 kindly. Sister of Mrs. Hancock. Miss Weaver is a sister of the wife
 Of Fred Hancock, who opposed the at
 tentions of the school teacher to her
 young sister
 Gu tof the love affair of this demure
 school girl and this mature school teach
 CT grew tragedy which mortified the
 people of three counties and brought
 desolation to several South Alabama
 homes on that happy Sunday which
 marked the beginning of last year.
 From their peaceful and happy homes
 men rushed to the scene of the tragedy
 and 1t was freely said that if Hancock
 had been captured when blood was hot
 the violent death of the popular peda-
 ernn |.
 tragedy equally as horrible.
 The state will contend that Hancock
 went from Rrewton to Canoe Station
 on the morning train of January 1st
 1905. He reached there about the noon
 hour, and was joined by Roland weav-
 CT, brother of Mrs. Hancock and of Miss Winnie Weaver. Professor Trout man was overtaken on road about a half mile from the railroad station. Hancock stepped to the side of the bug gy and with revolver shot Professor Troutman three times. It Is said that | the school teacher was married and that he pleaded piteously for his life He was left dead and Hancock escaped Weaver was arrested by citizens of Canoe by whom he was brought to Brewton and delivered to the sheriff, the defendant will endeaver to prove that Troutman had a pistol and at tempted to kill Hancock when he shot
 him to save his life. A witness will swear that he found Troutman's pistol on the scene
 As soon as news of the tragedy at Canoe reached Brewton, Sheriff J. M. Raley organized posse and with bloodhounds went into pursuit of Han cock
 The Search For Hancock. Throughout the darkness of that January night the Sheriff's posse and friends of the school teacher traversed the morasses and syamps of Southern Escambia county for the man who had killed one of his fellows. The posse followed paths covered by other posses | many years ago who, with their lives
 in their hands beat the brush for the | notorious negro desperado, Railroad Bill"
 A guard was placed at the home of l Hancock in West Brewton but, despite | this the pursued one, unknown to his pursuers, returned to his home in | Brewton late Sunday night. He re-
 mained there all of Monday and about | twilight went down town and surren-
 dered to Sheriff Railey.
 The following Friday, January 6,
 Hancock and Roland Weaver had a
 preliminary trial before Justices Mo | Cornell and Lynn, sitting jointly. The l prisoners were represented by Messrs.
 Stallings and Rabb. who are now con- ducting the defense of Hancock. The
 case against Weaver. accused of be- | ing an accomplice, was dismissed. Han | cock was remanded to jail without bail | Since which time he has occupied cell
 in the Escambia county Jail. Mrs. | Hancocks has visited her husband
 daily in his cell and has shown marked | devotion to him.
 The county grand jury indicted Han l cock for murder in the first degree. l A true bill was not returned against | Weaver.
 At the December term of court the l case against Hancock was continued by | the defendant on account of absent | witnesses.
 There is a large number of witnesses | in the case, and between the Trout man families and the Hancock families there are criminations and recrimina- | tions.
 Contentious of the state The state will undertake to prove. if permitted to introduce such testimon- that Hancock gave to the young sister of his wife an unholy affection and that he killed Jesse Troutman be- cause of jealousy. It is due Miss Weav- CT to say that no breath of scandal has ever been wreathed around her
 good name and that she is held in high esteem.
 Lawyers for the defense, it is said
 will undertake to prove that Hancock
 took the life of Troutman because the
 school teacher in a written document
 put a stigma on the antecedents of
 Hancock. d stigma which is usually
 wiped out by bloodshed. Before the
 trail is over the defendant may produce
 a letter said to have been written by