The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-03-08
HANCOCK CASE
OCCUPIES COURT
AGAIN TO-DAY.
Witnesses Tell
What They Know

w Hat 4HCy hu0W
It was s:4o O'Clock yesterday when
the prosecuting witness, Carl coffman.
was permitted to leave the witness
chair.
The grand Jury sent in a message
that 1t had heard all the evidence in
the matters that came before it. The
case was suspended while the prose.
cutting attorney went to the grand jury
room to see what was necessary In
the way Of making up indictments.
The caseSwas resumed at 4:o5 when
Dr. Hal Hall was called to the witness
chair. The witness was called to the
Red Lion saloon on the night that Con-.
man was shot. He found corman
there and made a casual examination
[of the wounded man, Later cofrman
was removed to Cooks Hospital,
where the witness made an examina.
ton and fo1nd that Goifman had been
shot and that the ball entered Cofs.
mans body above the heart.
John Fortnes was the next witness
called. His evidence about the meet.
ing Of the parties and their drinking
was aboa. the same as the testimony
of the prosecuting witness. he stat
ed that when Hancock came in the sa.
loon the second time Coffman struck
Hancock as he was coming through
the door. Both men fell to the floor
and the scutfle two shots were fred.
The witness got hold of the revolver
and he handed It to- Dsbolt, barten
der at the saloon. He said that the
distance that coffman walked to meet
Hancock as he came through the door
was about the same distance that Han
cock had to go to set through the
door. The witness did NOT know in
whose hand the pistol was When he
got hold OF &c. - -. x 8 4.
Virgil Brown, who was special 20.
iiceman on the day of the shooting,
was the next witness. If he knew any
thing at all about anything he kept
It under his hat. He disclosed moth.
ing.
John Debolt, bartender at the Mar.
ion saloon at the time OF the shooting,
was the first witness called this
morning. The witness stated that
the first that he knew there was trou-
BILE between Coffman and Hancock was
when Hancock came through the door
and when Coffman met him at the
door and struck Hancock. Both men
in the scuffIe that followed were on
the floor. 1t was during this scaffle
that the shots were fired. During the
shooting the bartender took refuge be-
bind the bar. Some man took the re
vofver from the man and handed the
gun to the witness. The gun that was
handed the witness was number 3S,
pearl handle, hammerless liver John.
son revolver. The revolver kept in
the saloon was similar in appearance
to the one that was given the barten.
der. gun was exhibited to the wit.
ness which he Identified as the one
given him on the night of the trouble
Coffman had been at the saloon that
day and was drinking. The witness
said that he looked over the bar to
see how things were moving Off. He
saw the revolver pointed towards him
and the witness lodged down again
for safety. The witness could not
say who had the gun nor did he know
who did the shooting. Tom Madden
grabbed club after the shooting and
went out and struck Hancock several
times. Tie club was the large end
of billiard cue. Smith, the proprie.
tor, was scuffling with Hancock.
James Sharp was called as the next
witness. Mr.. Sharp was special DO.
liceman on the day of the tro1ble and
was stationed at the Marion Hotel.
About ten o'clock or after the witness
heard two shots. He rushed In the
saloon and found the defendant strug-
Cling with several men. He saw Tom
Madden strike him twice. The wit.
ness then said that he would take care
of Hancock. He started with Hancock
to the city Jail and on the way to the
Jail the prisoner said, "They done me
up and done the other man up" At.
torney Meredith refreshed the
witness memory on this point
by referring to notes taken
III Mr.. sharp's evidence before