The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1909-07-28

the what he called the real knife In
| the case.
| The speaker then returned to the
labor union subject, and declared that
200 men had come in to work ON the
Wells job, they would have been met
at the depot and told this Is a union
job and told they would have to join
| the union or starve.
Mr.. Gatewood then went into a de-
tailed inspection of the evidence of
four of the principal witnesses for the
prosecution, VIII F,reeland, J. w. Rob
| inson. Ben Rogers and Henry Vos.
and attempted to disprove their state
ments. The purpose of a long line of
| argument on these four witnesses was
TO show that they had testified regard
less of the truth in an attempt to
convict Wells.
Mr.. Gatewood pictured the case of
the prosecution as a platform. erected
on four pillars and these pillars were
| Freeland. Robinson. Rogers and Vos.
He said he would tear down these pill
| lars and then the entire platform
| would fall. This done, he said. his du-
ty would have been performed: the
great object of his speech and efforts
would have been accomplished.
In attempting to impeach the evil
dence of the four witnesses, he stOpp-
ed to defend in a few sentences the
character of two of his impeaching
witnesses. Harry Hutchinson and C.
II. Jones.
The fact that the territory has sent
the attorney general, Frank Clancy
20 assist in the prosecution of this
case and the further fact that the un-
ion stands back of this prosecution
were coupled by the speaker as some
thing significant for the jury 10 think
about.
The evidence of w. A. Philips was
| taken up and the speaker deducted
that he must have been mistaken in
his evidence. basing this deduction on
what he said as to union details in
which he. Mr.. Gatewood said. did not
agree with any other witness.
The speaker then delved into the
motives that prompted rhe fatal shot.
taking up first what he called the
threats of ruin. bodily harm and de-
struction which the speaker said the
evidence had shown that he had re-
ceived in great numbers. He took up
the matter of Wells having a gun in
his pocket on the morning OF the
shooting He said that this needed no
explanation. as any man has the right
to carry a gun on his own premises
but he said that the threats, he had
received had been enough TO cause
him to arm himself.
The color question was touched up
on by the speaker. He said that
Wells sent his old family servant, a
negro. out TO get laborers for the build
ing. and that the only men in Roswell
he could get to work on the job were
negroes and Mexicans. He said that
he had to complete the building with
in specified time, and that II was
work negroes or fail to complete his
contract.
The scenes leading immediately to
the homicide were repeated from wit
ness Wells testimony to show what
caused Wells to fire the shot. They
were submitted as the proof that Wells
thought he was being surrounded and
about to be the object of a general at
tack on the part of the union men. He
told of what Mr.. Wells had said in
his testimony about seeing Shirley
with a knife. seeing him attempt TO
conceal 1T Iby putting 1t into his pocket
open and advancing toward Wells
with both hands in his pockets. Mr..
Gatewood then repeated the converse
tion between Wells, Shirley and Free
land. as told in evidence by Wells and
depicted the scene Of the shooting ac-
cording to the theory of the defense.
He told of the physical facts relativ.
TO the direction of the bullet wound
and attempted to explain them to show
that they conformed to Wells evi-
dence.
The speaker then took up consider
able time rcfuting the evidence of the
various witnesses for the prosecution,
attempting to prove that they made
misstateznents. He spoke at length
CT the theory of the knife and en-
deavored TO show that the knife sub
mitted in this case was not the knife
Shirley had on the fatal morning.
He concluded by appealing to the
conscience of the jury as citizens for
verdict for the enforcement of the
laws which are against the picketing
of property and such a condition as
he said existed in the Wells case: he
called IL a vote for the starry flag OF
American freedom against the red nag
of anarchy. He ended his address by
stating that IL ne were on the jury
he would hang II until the crack of
doom IL he thought there was any
| to g.