The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1907-05-15
THE D. a. MINOR CASE.
\ Former sumter Merchant in the
Toiis In Florida Court.

and D. \. Minor. charged With grand
larceny and knowingly receiving sto-
len goods, was called IN the criminal
court OF record yesterday morning,
Jones entered a plea OF guilty, fur
nishing the first surprise of the day.
The second surprise came during
the testimony of Ed Harris. a negro
porter, who testified that Minor had
threatened to blow his (Harris') head
off if he talked about the case, and
that j. D. Horn had continued the
wages Of the negro during the time
that he (Harris) was held at the
county jail.
The specific charge on the plea
which the defendants Were placed on
trial was that. of stealing, on Febru-
ary IS, about 5000 cigars from the
vanDenan Company, While in pos
session of the Southern Railroad
Company. valued at $3.50.
Little evidence that is really new
has been brought out, though it IS
generally admitted that the State is
making out a strong case, forging the
chain of evidence, link by link, around
the two men on trial. Jones, who en-
tered a plea Of guilty, appeared dur
ing the afternoon as State witness.
The defense consists OF a sweeping
denial, and a number Of character
witnesses are to be put on the stand
before the case is finally closed.
Though a night session Of the court
was held, the case was not concluded
when the recess was taken.
Though the entering Of a plea Of
guilty by Jones vas unexpected, the
testimony that came nearest to Gre
ating something like a sensation at
the trial yesterday was that Of Ed
Harris, who was one Of the negro
porters at the ]. D. Horn Company
store.
Harris had given, on direct exami-
nation, evidence about taking two
barrels packed with cigar boxes from
Nichols home to Minors home, at Mi
nor's orders. Solicitor Bryan then
turned him over to the defense for
cross examination.
Col. Pope asked if he had been CIV
en- any inducement to testify in this
case and the negro answered prompt
ly in the negative. Then Col. Pope
asked if he had not been offered his
wages and $50, and Harris replied
that he had wanted to go to jail, and
that he had been told that his wages
would be paid him while in Jail. He
denied strenuously, however, that any
$50 offer had been made him, but ad-
n,itted that if any money was offered
hin he would take it.
Solicitor Bryan then took the negro
in hand again, on the redirect exam
nation, and asked him why he had
stated that ne preferred to go to jail
. be!ng free. The negro answered
that he thought it would be safer and
then. when pressed for an explana-
.:oc told the following: story in sub
stance:
On the afternoon before Minor was
arrested. he (Minor) had told Harris
that there was trouble brewing and
that arrests were 70 be made and eau
toned him not to talk about what
had happened, or, as the negro put it.
this business The witness claim
ed that Minor had added that ii ne
(Harris1 did talk, that his head
would be shot off,
For this reason, he said, he
thought it would be safer to- go TO
jail, and that even though he later
knew that Minor himself had been
arrested, Harris said that Minor had
not specified as to who was to do the
aforesaid shooting off of his head and
that, not knowing the source Of the
danger he feared, he wanted to be
safe.
The promise that MS wages would
be paid him during the time that he
was in Jail was made him, he said, by
Mr.. Horn.
Then Col. Pope took him in hand
again. and asked him if the State had
promised him anything for his testi-
monv Harris answered that he had
been told, just before be came into
the courtroom, not to worry about
anything. because his time in jail
would be paid for When asked who
had told him this, he pointed to At
torney Dewitt Gray, the assistant So
licitor, who was sitting beside Solici-
tor Bryan.
When Harris left the stand Sol:ci-
tor Bryan put Attorney Gray on the
stand and asked him about the offer