The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1907-03-21
TRIAL OF JOSHUA HARRISON.
Progress in Case For Kidnapping Son
of Senator Beasley.

OF ena beastey.
Elizabeth City, Specialize trial
Of Joshua Harrison for the kidnap-
ping of the young son of Ex-State
Senator Beasley began here last week
and is attracting a great deal of at
IGNITION. Mr.. j. W. Poyner testified
IN Saturday. His testimony was
along the line of previous witnesses,
and dealt with the location and the
! search by which the prosecution in
tends to disprove the drowning the
Dry.
The prosecution produced more tam
gible evidence when Nh. Willard Nor.
! risette was called. He testified that
be was on the road the day the boy
disappeared; that he met a mule and
buggy going at a rapid gait (descrip.
ton of mule and buggy tallies with
Harrison 81 that he saw a boy in the.
buggy, light complexion, had on blue
cap Kenneth wore blue eap) did not
notice man particularly. His evidence
was mistaken under cross examina-
ton by Il. f. Aydett.
Mr.. j. l.. Turner next testified that
he crossed the road on that day In
front of a mule and buggy and saw
man throw blanket around boy. Spoke
to man and called him. Mr.. Turner
saw boys legs through crack In cur
tain; had on blue stockings Kenneth
had on blue ones.) A severe cross
examination by Ex-Governor Aycock
failed to shake evidence.
Mr.. Perry next testified that he saw
! the mule and buggy on that day; the
= man had a storm blanket over a lump
of something; heard a soothing voice
] saying, "Here, there" believes voice
was Harrison's. The cross-examina-
ton failed to shake his evidence.
Mr.. j. ]. Pierce next testified that
he lived in Norfolk at the time; saw
boy on the street car with two young
men, one drunk; recognized him and
said "Hello, Kenneth" boy never
spoke; had not heard of boys disap-
p~earance at the time; communicated
with boys father. The. cross-exam-
nation failed to shake evidence.
Mr.. A. L. Evans next testified that
he heard Harrison say that Mr.. Beas-
ley ought to be tarred, feathered and
tied to a stake, and that he would
like to apply the torch.
At the afternoon session of the
trial of Joshua Harrison, converting
at 2:30 p. M, the first witness was
T. L. Baum, who said he had lived
- N,+,oL oorotu oil bic Efo ond
that he was we'll acquainted with
Joshua Harrison. Witness said that
after the disappearance of Kenneth
Beasley Harrison spoke to him
about the matter several times and
would always breach the subject as
soon as they got together. Witness
said he cautioned Harrison about
his rash statements, to which he re
Piled: "It's catching before hang
ing" and that he believed witness
was his friend and would swear to a
lie to save him; that some time after
this witness and a colored man went
to Harrison's for some wine and
Harrison asked witness if he knew
why Beasley was not going to the
| Legislature. Witness replied that he
did not, whereupon Harrison said
"Well, 1 do, 1 am responsible for it.
Witness replied: 81 will give you
credit for it, just like 1 gave you
credit for the disappearance of the
Beasley boy"
Harrison replied: $50 you give
me credit for thatq"
Witness replied: "I do"
81 will acknowledge, them" said
Harrison, ''that 1 am responsible for
it."
After the prosecution rested its
case Saturday the defense introduced
a number a witnesses among whom
were Joe Harrison, Tomas Harrison,
IONS of the accused man, and his wife.
Their evidence tends to show that
the defense will try to prove an abb
Mr.. Matthias Dudley and Mr.. Mercer
testified that they had met a mule and
buggy in the road but did not know
the man driving. We're positive 1t
was not Harrison.