Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1906-03-07
THE MATTHEW'S TRIAL


Immediately After Leaving Stand
Mrs. Hay, Witness for State in
Matthews Murder Trial, Paints
DR.. Turner Testiies as TO Scenes>in
Death-C Chamber and Analysis of
Contents Of Syringe--D Discrepancy
in Tests Considered by Defense
Strong Point in it's Favor.
Greensboro, .Special.- Audiences
that were limited by tie sitting and
standing capacity Of Guilford Super
Tor Court room attended the sessions
in the trial Of DR.. J. B. Matthews,
charged with wife-murder. During
Thursday only four witnesses were
examined but counsel for the prose-
cution are Of the opinion hal some
exceedingly damaging testimony was
introduced ard thai the State has
already made out a strong case
against the defendant. However.
other witnesses will be examined be.
fore the State rests, though not
very much time will be consumed
by them.
THE FIRST WITNESS.
The first witness for the prosecu-
ton was put on the stand when court
reconvened. She was Mile Watts,
the colored oma who was cooking
for the Matthews family at the time
of Mrs. Matthews death. Her tes-
timony was to the effect that, on the
morning following last Thanksgiving
Day, DR.. Matthews told her to go to
Mrs. Matthews room to see her, as
she had ben very ill during the night,
having taken q large quantity of
strychnine about IL o'clock the night
before, that she was low-spirited and
he did not know what was the matter
but that he had heard her say that
none of his people liked her and she
wanted to take something to put her
self out Of they way. The witness
said she went up stairs to Mrs. Mat
thews' room and found her snoring
loudly and tried to arouse her but
could not. DR.. Matthews came up
from breakfast and said he was 60
ing out to Il drug store, that she.
begged him to send for another ply
sician but he would no do so, that
when Dr.. Matthews came back he
went to\his wite's o mand Capt
Gilman arrived and also went to her
room buticame down at once and sent
DR.. Matthews little son, Ben, after
Mrs. Hay. a %neighbo-., going himself
after a doctor.
Mrs. Hay on t2e Stand.
Mrs. A. NJ. Hay was the next wit
ness and she, said thai she lived a
short distance from the Matthews
home and had known Mrs. Matthews
for four years, DR.. Matthews had
attended her. When Ben Matthews
came after her she hurried to Mrs.
Matthew'S bedside and found DR..
Matthews there with a syringe in his
hand. He stated to her that his wife
had taken enough s%trychnine to kill
two people and that he had been
working with her all night. He would
not have another physician and did
not want the affair to get out. Mrs.
Hay recited the occurrences of the
day and said that, in the afternoon
the defendant came into the room
and asked those present to leave, as
he wanted to have private prayer
with his wife. All Of them did leave
but herself, she remaining because
her suspicious against DR.. Matthews
had been aroused. He got on the bed
beside his wife and kissing her, said:
"Poor little thing, she is gone, but I
can get another.' Watching him
closely, she grew more suspicious of
his actions and pulled him off the
bed. Later in the afternoon when
she returned to the room, after hay
ing been called out to see some Ia
dies who had dropped in, q new pune
ture was found In Mis-. Matthew'S
arm and. in a short time. she began
having commissions and died.
Death-Chamber Scenes.
DR.. J. 7. Turner was the next wit
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