The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1908-05-23
LIFE OF JOHN R. FORD
HANGING IN THE BALANCE
Prosecutions Witnesses Tell Straight StOry--De-
Tense Witnesses Will Swear Lewis
First Assaulted Ford

from that given by Kimmons, the
states main witness.
Mr.. Green said these witnesses of
his would swear that Kimmons was
not present ut all when the shooting
occurred and could therefore know
nothing about it, A man named
Mosely would swear that he had over
heard a conversation the day follow
ing the tragedy between Kimmons
ana a stranger whom he (Mcsely) did
not know. in which Kimmons had
declared that he did not blame Ford
for killing Lewis, because Lewis was
going at him with a knife Other
witnesses who were present and saw
the shooting would swear that when
Ford came into the back room he
started for the closet in the rear Of
the rom and when Lewis saw him he
Hewis) remarked There is the
now" spraug up from
his chair and started for Ford with
drawn knife. that he cut Ford's
coat sleeve, and that Ford then shot
him
Mr. Green said that other wit
uesses would swear that Lewis and
Ford had engaged in a quarrel at
Beckwth's saloon and that Ford had
lett there 10 avoid trouble, that
Lewis had come up the street toward
Riddles saloon stopping at one or
two places on the way and had re
peatedly on the way made threatening
remarks, showing that he harbored
intense III will toward Ford coupled
with a disposition to kill him. These
witnesses of Mr., Green and Mr., Leek
will give the dead man a character
exactly opposite to that given him
Iby dozens Of business men who have
known the man we'll for years.
Mr. Green concluded his statement
shortly after . o'clock in the after.
noon and then the witnesses We're
called. Attorney Wilson demanded
the rule which is that all wit
on both sides must be sworn
out of hearing of the testimony
given until they have testified, The
witnesses were all called forward and
sworn and here for the first time the
prosecution received notice of who
all the witnesses for the defense
would be. Four of them had testified
before the coroners jury being
George Ballou Lee Beckwith, DR.. Me
Nemer, II. G. Trailer and VIM Camp
bell Among those who had not
hitherto been heard of by the people
in connection with the case We're Fl.
5. Dunn. Ruby Jordan BENZ. Brown
r. n Cooksey and J. L. Moseley. Mr.
Green, in reading the list OF his wit
nesses. named all these and con
Guided with any others who may
have been summoned for the defense
in this case The witnesses were all
sworn and We're ordered to an ante
room till called for.
The first witness called was Joe
Kimmons, the prosecutions main wit
ness and according To all the testi
mony thus far presented, the only
man living. besides Ford, who was
present at the shooting. Kimmons Is
an understood man, not much ovei
five feet. He is not a man of strong
charater. but his manner on the
stand was that of one who told the
truth. Although not very clear as t
some minor circumstances he was
very positive with respect to thu
main facts, particularly so in his de
malls of some things which the de
Tense will try to prove. Kimmons
said, in response to questions from
the states attorney that he and Lewis
came over from Kentucky on Oct. 80
1907. that on the night of that date
they went to Riddles saloon and
were seated at a table in the real
room Of the place when John r. Ford
came in; that Ford came up to the
table and addressing Lewis asked
Are you the man | had trouble with
down the street?" that Lewis replied
Yes, sir. I'm the man" that Ford
at once began beating Lewis on tn
head with a pistol striking him twice;
that Lewis rose from the chair and
started to leave and had gone only a
few feet when Ford shot him: that
Lewis staggered forward and con.
tinued TO move toward the front door
of the saloon and Ford followed him
that he (Kimmons) also followed
Lewis, but when he saw him fall at
the front door, he (Kimmons) turned
back and went out OF the side door,
walked quickly or ran up Eighth
street toward Ohio street and then
to the stone depot where he met a
friend
On cross examination by Attorney
Leek the witness said he and Lewis
hal drank considerably that day and
night, taking whiskey and beer
Alternately; that Riddles saloon was
usually the first place they went 10