The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1906-03-09
WHILE ON THE STAND
Ore OF tue Counsel Attacks life
Characters Of Two of the
Actresses Who Testified, But
Failed to Shake Their
T, stitnnny
Testimony.

hausted It's Efforts to have the HaSty
case continued, tho selection Of q jury
was entered upon. Each side Of tLe
case exhausted its challenges, hut
there were yet six names IN the box
when the jury was comploted. Therf
was one witness disqualified Cn aC-
count Of prs j,dice, which he did noi
try to conceal. One was sick. There
have been some dramatic periods In
the trial Of George Hasty for the
murder Of Milan Bennett in this city
on the 155n day OF last Dec mSer.
The prisoner Is nos being tried for the
murder Of Abbott Dawson, the actor,
for IL was decided to y; !,2 separate
trials Of the twJ indie .nnnts. The
prosecution Las Drought out some
very damaging evidence aud the do
tense has failed to shake The wit
nesses.
The sympathy Of the people of the
city Of Gaffney was shown Thursday
when the court room was filed with
applause after one Of Col JohnsonS
unsuccessful attr mpts to badger the
witness, Miss Vornte Sheridan, who
was to have been married to Milan
Bennett. The little woman refused Go
be scared by Col. Johnston'S attitudes
or by the evidence against hor moral
character, which he indicated that
he would produce. The little woman
stood the ordeal in q very rcmarka"
BILE manner and Is admitted to have
made fine witness. Her testimony
was unshaken and the attempts e.
weaken her evidence hy comparing 1T
,lk h ck, hol RI On; n l,n I, T,I, ect
resulted In her statements on the
stand being strengthened rather than
otherwise. Once when Solili5or Scase
was examining ler he told her 10 tell
all she knew OF certain part Of the
4nff1ce, "and don't let's have any play
acttpb." said ODl. jonnston at ths
Mr.. Sease seemed to be little vexed
and be declared vehemently that his
witness was not acting buo telling the
Truth.
At another time Col Johnstone was
trying to break down the witness
with reference to the position OF
George Hasty's arms when no was
trying to force HAS II into Nj iss Sner
tdan'a room through tine Grau3nm, ~
order to illus IraUc, nc called Hast
over to him. Come here, George"
he said and as the sallo~ youth, VINO
had Shot to death the young man to
whom she was TO be Dlarried, ap
proached the Witness q tremoir ran
over her frame and she said to the
court stenographer orokenly, Il can
not touch tnis man" But she was
not required to do. She was game al
the way through the terrible ii Quify
at the han0s OF Col. J1hnstone and
gave, just as good aS WAS ge:It. After
the first demonstration OF applause
Judge Mem minger declared that nc
would clear tnc room uCOn lcp3ti
tion being tried, but there we're fic-
quent suppress d s!9. Of approvAl
when Miss Sheridan wen d with ease
parry q thrust from the gifted attur-
ney.
Col. JohnStone asked questions
which are hardly PEI m.ssiblo in print
and the you g woman never fl!ncho1.
IL the charges were true her CAndOr
and ffankne8S stamp her as a vory
clever actress. Ii they we're untrue
she is an artistlc aclress 4St the
same, for she never showed by vino
Ing that She suif yrcd. Many VINO wtnJ
lhUO Wiz COul lcOll W JhtiCCb against
her came away impressed Win her
womanlines. 1t Las been the claim OF
the defense that Haaty was struck to
the knees before no fred the fatal
shots. The evidence shows that the
ball which killed Bennett took a
course and ragged along the face OF the
seventh rib for an inca and half.
The defence some what ratified"
the witness VINO gave this testimony,
DR.. Allen, by asking him if ho had
not had bet Up on the outcome Of
the trial. but Dr. Allen stated that as
soon as he real!23u that he was to 10
an Important Nljne3S he took down
the bet which h&d been offered with
Gunter, with whom he frequently
make wagerB 10 friendly way The
defense may produce evidence to beS
mirch the young WOman's chastity
or reputation, but even that would
not entirely Wipo out the manner in
which she testified as to the sequence
Of events and there are many people
here who believe that the defense
could not blacken her chars Ger. That
remains to be SCon. She denied with.
out any stage aifB but IN level anC
open manner tho accusations that she
and Bennett had relations TO eaci
other which are not CountenanCel cX
cept by martial rites and the case if
point was alleged to have happened al
Ga tonia, N. o, She Is ac used il
Col. Johrston's qnchtionlng, OF having
been seen III Gailn6y lying on the bGc
In Benefits arms the day before tbt
homicide. These are SAL accu3atious
to make against u woman unless The y
can be proved
Col Johnston's q1estions suggested
that he would try 90 bring ouj that
one or tne y0urB women was seen rid
ing horseback In an immOdeSt manner
at Gastouia. Before the witness came
Off the stand she Identified picture
or M iss Bishop, which the with SO ha(
taken the Afternoon of tho ride q
Gastonia and there WaSlnothinR i'm
modest about Miss Bishops COSTUME
or attitude.
Hasty'B almost defiant attitude has
changed somewhat He is OF the mslo
dramatic kind. Ho Is cotton NIL
operative, 1T Is sad, and tho wholl
family appear to be people Of M