The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1909-11-26
CLIFF whitaker
IS FOUND GUILTY
AND FINED $500
RECORDER ERWIN ASSESSES
PENALTY AFTER ALL DAY
TRIAL.
APPEALEG TO HIGHEd COURT
Defendant Swore That He Was
Struck Four Times over the Head
BY The officers-sisk Said Stages
Was Drinking.

4
After a gruelling trial that consumed
practically all Of Tuesday, quarter
hundred witnesses being examined,
Clifford Whitaker was found guilty of
drunkenness by Recorder Erwin and
fined $500 and costs. The case was
Immediately appealed to the higher
courts.
The examination OF the defendants
witnesses commenced Tuesday after
noon at o'clock, and it was past 4
O'Clock before the last one left the
stand. The defendant took the stand
in his own behalf, telling story that
in practically every particular was at
variance with that of officers Morgan
and Stages. He swore that he had
been drinking but was not drunk, and
had started home when he was &C
costed by the two policemen on
Streets corner; that he was struck
over the head four times with mace;
was hurried to Jail, where for more
than two hours the blood flowed from
his wound unstanched save by a rag
applied by the friendly hand of pris-
oner.
Whitaker, brother of the defendant,
testified that he had thoroughly ex-
amined the wounds on his brother: S
head, and had completed the task Oh
dressing them after Dr. Porter had
been called away By telephone mes
sage. He swore that there were three
distinct wounds. the one on the fore
mead that bled so profusely, one on
! the ear, that the defendant sWore was
inflicted by the first blow, and third
on the top of the skull, near the
j. crown. which was red and swollen
hut was not bleeding. He testiheo
that he had cut the hair away IRON
the wound on the top of the head anc
had examined it closely. He expressed
the opinion that the wound on the
forehead might have been made by
revolver in the hands of the officers.
Mr.. Sisk, who had assisted in carry
ing Whitaker to jail, testified that NJ
/, had started to town to secure meal
cine for a sick baby and was comlnt
u nm Seventh street when he saw thre'
! men silhouetted in the scmi-darknesi
and recognized two of them as beln'
r, officers. Thinking that his brother-ln
law was under arrest he hurried u
a. the sroup, exclaiming, Who is ina
. Won have been butchering up like
o. hog?" The officers said nothing, AM
IL Sisk then ran in front of the trio an
asked defendant his name. my nam
" is Whitaker and / am from eros
" Rridges.' was the response. SIS
/. then told Whitaker that he woui
II befriend him and upon his promis
:, to 90 with him to the station Whr
It taker had Immediately gotten up rroI
e. the ground and proceeded without rul
'e the resistance En- route to the Ja
:, !. Stages had again tried to strike VIM
N talxer hut Sisk had ordered him I
TO desist. At the Jail, as soon as VIM
70 taker was released by the omcers,
: walked about the room, and SHOVE
no signs of being drunk. The wines
testified that he stood between Whl
taker and officer Stages and that n
could smell just as much whisky o
the breath of one as he could on Tn
lie breath of the other, that both wer
drinking.
g. A number of other witnesses wer
OF examined, practically all OF whom te'
IL iif;ed that the defendant was drink1n
a on Saturday evening, but was nc
he drunk. Several witnesses who hear
n the blow swore that they did not hea
TX the officers command the defendant t
he go with them, nor his alleged reply
lg The clothing worn by Whittake
H. the night of his arrest were placed
u evidence. The shirt and undershlr
IS, trousers and coat were blood soake
ok and blood despatched showing tina
ut his wounds had bled with great fire.
es dom.
- The Defendant Testities.
Clifford Whitaker, the detenoan
- was placed on the stand at the reco
" vening of court, his examination co
al summing nearly an hour He testifit
that he came 10 town Saturday NOR
- ing about 10 o'clock, bringing bott
No of whiskey with him. That ne toe
CO. four or five drinks during the day, b
GO was not drunk. That Saturday eve
ing he went from McDonaids 20
room to Loeb's restaurant, where
had sumner. He denied that Loeb ask
him to stop cursing, but said that
hin had asked him not to talk across u
IN reom. From Loeb's he went