The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1909-03-12

when she asked him who WIS shoot
ing. its shooting between Coopers
and Carmack," but the question Was
objected to. and never answered.
she was asked IT, when she asked
him if he was jesting, he mad replied
NO ] am not and ] fear that Senator
Carmack has been killed. She an
swered that he had said, mo am
not" but was very positive that be
mad not. expressed any fear that Sena-
tor Carmack was killed
Miss Skeffngton stared that she was
in position on the east side of Sew
euth avenue, facing south 70 see that
entire section Of the street where the
tragedy occurred, and declared that
she had not seen any man at the point
where one Benning placed himself in
remarkable story told on Monday
She did see man crossing the street
lower down, below the Maddin place,
going from the east to the west, to-
wards the scene Of the murder, but
she saw no signs Of Benning.
Benninp Back.
Benning himself was recalled. When
Gen. Garner got through with him he
was thoroughly discredited, and MS
story hopelessly knocked ont.
on direct examination the witness
had stated that from the capitol, where
he went to see the engineer, he had
gone on to his home in North Nash
Vile, and had not learned Of the death
Of Senator Carmack until the NEXT
morning
He was asked if he had not gone to
the shooting gallerykept by Charles
Carroll on November 8, after the kill
ing, and had not there learned Of the
death of Senator Carmack, and stated
that had he been five minutes sooner
he would have seen the tragedy
Then and there his most serious
troubles began, and his efforts 10 es
cape the pitfall he bad dug for him
self were ludicrous He denied hav-
ing made the statement about missing
being an eye witness, and denied that
he learned of the tragedy at the shoot
ing gallery. However. he did not
state positively that be had not been
there, but gave it as his opinion that
he had not
From that time on the witness grew
afraid He saw the shadow Of the
shooting gallery behind every CUES
ton, and it was almost impossible to
frame question without his bringing
the shooting gallery into the answer
He was fearful and anxious about the
shooting gallery, and every few min
utes he would state that he did not
think he had been there, whether he
had been asked that qeustion or not
His shifting play Of notions" was a
remarkable feature Of the witness. He
stated at one time that he went from
the southeast corner Of the capitol
grounds to the public square. Later
he stated that he went from the south
east corner along Park Place to the
northeast corner and from there to I
his home in North Nashville.
He was asked how he did both at
the same time, and after some thought
and having the question repeated to
him, declared that when he got to the
northeast corner Of the public square
be took a notion" that he would go
downtown and get an evening paper,
and go see Mr.. Meeks, and ask him
about the shooting, because, he knew
that Mr. Carmack was in it. and had
some curiosity concerning il and in
terest in it.
This was the same witness who,
when he was right across the street
from the tragedy, contended himself
with glance and walked on away
without looking around when the last
.hree shots were fred Now his burn.
ng curiosity lead him down to the
of the public square.
Asked Nobody.
When he reached that point, and
lad reconciled the discrepancy be
ween his two statements as well as
lie could, his notion" changed He
,ethought himself that the evening !
papers had been printed before the
ime OF the killing, and the curiosity
lied away in his breast He resigned |
lis intenetion of going to see Mr..
deeks and asking him what had hap.
,ened to Senator Carmsck He even {
cit so little interest that he asked no {