The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1907-11-19
Plaintiff Takes Stand This
Morning to Relate His Exper-
ienee, When Defendant and
Friends Took Him From
Train and Lashed Him.
Is Asking For 100000 Dam
ages For Injuries Inflicted
on Him in Effort to Make
Him Confess Things He is
Accused of.

At 10 O'Clock this morning the trial
of the 100000 damage suit of the
Rev. F. NJ. IIawley. formerly pastor
OF the Fulton Presbyterian church.
against w. w. Meadows, Dick
Thomas, II. T. Smith, James White
and George Gourley was reached in
federal court. Immediately upon the
announcement of Judge Evans that
the court was ready to take up the
case silence fell over the court room,
showing the deep interest which the
large crowd present had in the case.
After the defense had exhausted its
challenges and the plaintiff had chal-
lensed several jurors the jury was
finally accepted, and after statements
by Judge Joe Robbins. OF Mayfield.
for the plaintiff and Hon. Charles X.
Wheeler, of Paducah, for the defense,
the hearing of evidence began.
In his statement for the plaintiff
Judge Robbins said the proof would
show that conspiracy existed be-
tween the defendants. who had taken
the Rev. Mr.. Hawley from the Fulton
station by force and taking him Sc
Guided spot cruelty beat him with
whips until he was unconscious. He
stated that Meadows would claim
that he beat Hawley because he had
alienated the affections of his wife,
but that the proof would show the
real reasons for 1t was. that Meadows
wanted to manufacture evidence to
be used in a divorce suit instituted
by Mrs. Meadows against her hus-
band.
Mr.. Wheeler, for the defense. said
when Hawley went to the Meadows
hotel to room. he met Meadows wife.
who was beautiful and attractive, and
that his attention to Mrs. Meadows
soon became marked. They often
stayed in Hawley's room and met at
many different places i'm the city at
unseemly hours, and had been known
to remain in the church, of which
Hawley was pastor. alone together
almost all night. They had been seen
at late hours near deserted buildings.
The attentions of the minister to
Meadows wife wrecked Meadows
home.
DIR. HawIey Testifies.
After the statement of the counsel
had ba.aut ,,o,a1a tho d. NJ. IIau.l.a,.
who is good looking man, apparent
ly about 35 years old, took the stand
and gave his testimony in a clear
manner. He stated that ON the night
of June 10, 1907, he left the train
at Fulton, and was accosted by two
men. he took to be II. T. Smith,
George Gourley and another man. He
was hurried off to vacant lot near a
lumber yard, where he was searched
and handouts were placed on his
wrists.
II. T. Smith first began to beat him
and then handed the whip to
Meadows. telling him that he was the
proper party TO administer the beat
ing, and for him to hay II on good
and strong.
After the beating. Meadows began
to ply plaintiff with questions and
accusations as to his conduct with
Mrs. Meadows. Hawley denied en-
any unbecoming conduct
with her, and stated that he had come
back to Fulton TO straGghten out the
rumors that had been circulated con-
Meeting him with the case
Meadows then beat him again and
he said he was beaten four times.
Finally some one struck him in the
back of the head and he fell uncon-
scious and did not know what was
done after that.
He stated that there were 25 or
more gashes on his person made by
the whip blows, and that there were
evidences that he had been kicked in
the side and on the knee after he
had fallen unconscious.
After the beating he was forced
into carriage and driven to Harris
where he took the train for
Memphis. On cross-examinatlon he
denied admitting to Meadows that he
had been guilty of intimacy with Mrs.
Meadows. and that he had advised
her to obtain a divorce and alimony
promising TO leave with her for for
eign countries to work as mission
aries after they were married.
The Rev. Mr. HaWlav,s test hmm \