The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-02-04
WIDOW TEEfS
 OF THREATS Mrs. Radford Buckhalts on Witness Stand. DAN STALLINGS ALSO TESTIFES Swears That the Quarrel Was
 Forced Upon Him.
DAN STALLNGS ALSO TESTIFES
Was Shot by Buckhalts, He Says, Be- fore He Drew His Pistol-state Closes and Defense Be-
 gins its Evidence.
By wnl T. sheehan.

Greenville, Feb. s.-(Staff Corre- spondence. )-Mrs. Radford Buckhalts, her pale and unusual beauty height ened by the weeds of her widowhood, sat with her slender. somber- -garbed figure outlined against the snow-white walls of Butler County's Circuit Court room and told the pathetic story of that brief and stormy time in which she became so rapidly maid, wife and widow.
 A lifetime of tragedy was encom- passed in the short statement she had to make. Her very appearance on the stand was a tragedy. For the man who was slain, the man whose death the law was seeking to avenge, was her husband. The man on whom the law was at work to fix the crime of murder was her brother. And though she was on the stand to avenge the murder of her husband, she was witness for the State and the weight of her testimony added to the burden of the evidence against her brother. She was there to testify against the man who slew her husband and that was her brother.
 Rare enough, in all Providence that one so young has such a narrowing story of sorrow to tell. She is only 23 now. She was not quite 21 when she was married to Radford Buckhalts. Her beauty Is at once unusual and marked. She has the unusual combi- nation of dark chestnut hair, and a transparent complexion, fair almost to paleness. If the fairness of her face were not heightened by the mourning garb of the widow 1t would be accen- tuated by the dark eyes and red lips.
 A thin black veil dropping from the widows bonnet enveloped her face. Her graceful and slender figure was garbed, in a handsome black dress, olf d.. uA wIa rrvfk
 story simply Told.
 She told her story simply and with out display of emotion. Eye and lip gave show of the stress of feeling un- der which she Iabored, but so well she held her emotions in check that the careless would have missed it.
 And when she, the indirect and inno- cent cause of this dark tragedy. was followed on the stand by her brother, the young Butler County farmer, who played so important a part in the shoot Ing on GreenviIle's street. Ills sister was the last witness the State had. Dan StaIlings was the first witness his attorneys placed upon the stand in his own behalf. He is tall and clean-cut, and he looks much younger than his acknowledged 35 years. He is clean shaven, ruddy of face. blue-eyed and light of hair His mouth Is large and prominent. His chin is strong and prominent, and large white teeth are displayed when he talks.
 He told clearly his story of the events which led up to tho Saturday evening tragedy. Tn his statement he had been patient and suffering before the shoot ing. According to his account. Buck halts flushed and boisterous with whis- key, had insulted him in the bar. Again on the sidewalk Buckhalts had cursed and insulted him. And as Stallings passed up the sidewalk some time later. Buckhalts, he testified. reviled and in. suited him. And a fourth time, as he stood and talked with a friend, Buck halts. from the buggy insulted him for the fourth time.
 Then he said he went into the street to ask Buckhalts If he meant to reflect upon his mother. Then, he said. Buck haits snatched a pistol from the buggy seat and shot him through the body. He pulled his pistol and, holding it with both hands, fired the shots that took the life of Radford Buckhalts.
 The story that Mrs. Mamie Buck haIts, the young woman widowed by this tragedy. told upon the stand was of vital human interest. It was. with out the tragedy. like the story of the courtship and opposed marriage of any Alabama girl whose family Is neither rich nor poor. It had in 1t buggy rides with the accepted suitor. anger and un- nleasantness at home, for accepting at tentions from the favored one. Then came the elopement the moody and dangerous attitude of the brother with his expressed threats and their omnibus signs of trouble, So much or the story with its buggy rides, It's visit to inc church singings was like the story of the daughter of any Alabama family of independent means living in the country The tragedy came later.
 A stir of interest in the court room greeted the appearance of Mrs. Mamie Buckhalts when she took the stand and testified that she was 2S years old, and was not quite 21 when she was married to Radford Buckhalts Dan Stallings was her brother.
 Shortly before her marriage she and Mir Buckhalts were out driving when they passed her brother Dan. He saw Buckhalts.
 He saw her later and said;
 Threats Against Buckhalts.
 If 1t had not been for the laws of Alabama I'd have shot him out that buggy like a dog.
 Again a short time before the mar riage Dan Stallings said to her;
 you may marry him. but you'll never live with him.
 Mrs. BuckhaIts testified. too. that two weeks dILeG lHb DIObHSI said to her of her husband:
 If he ever speaks to me I'll put five buIIets in his body If I swing for 1t from the next limb.
 Tn reply to questions in the examina- tion she said Dan had never contri- buted A cent to her support. She denied that she had ever told Mrs. Ella Owen tbat her husband had threatened Dan StallinRs. She was now living with her mother in the old Buckhalts home stead two and one half miles from town.
 defense began in the middle of the morning. When court closed at night ,t had only submitted part of it's tes- timonv. In the case 175 witnesses have heen summoned It is improbable that the case will be finished before Tues
 With the morning opening of the court the recital of threats mAds by Dan stallings against Radford Buck halts was continued from the witness stand. Brose and Herbert Newton. cousins of Mrs, Buckhalts took the