The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-12-07
IS FOUND GUILTY
COMMITTED. DARING CRIME ON
CIRCUS TRAIN.
Young Columbian Met Death ON the

| Young Columbian Met Death on the
Train the Same Night.-Confict-
ing Testimony Expected.
| The trial of Roy Rich, n Of the
circus employees on tho Hagenbeck-
| Wallace circus train, on the night In
which Paul Williams, Of Columbia,
! met his death, which was begun III
the special term Of General Sessions
| Court Monday afternoon at Lexing-
ton and was concluded Tuesday az
ternoon with a verdict of guilty.
Rich was charged with assault and
battery with intent to kill, and rob-
berry, the direct charge being that he,
together with several other men, as
saulted Barlie Hightower, an 49,
year-old boy of Knoxville, Tenn, on
the circus train. The only feature
Of the trial was the powerful argu-
ment Of Solicitor George Bell Tim
norman, which was the subject of
much comment throughout the az
ternoon.
N. H. Bullock. special agent for
the Southern Railway, with head
quarters at Washington, stated that
he had been in many Court rooms
throughout the country, but that he
had never heard an argument the
equal of that made by the solicitor
in this a
Rich was defended H. Attorney e.
F. Asbill, who made a strong and
able fight in his behalf. The tessl-
mony in the case was practically the
same as that adduced at the trial
of the negroes convicted Monday,
and showed beyond doubt that In the
circus crew there must have been d
number Of thieves and robbers. Rich
was charged with having relieved
Hightower of forty-fve cents in mon
ey, which he had tied up In his
shirt. The young man said that
Rich covered him with a pistol, while
others took the money.
'"Tri1" Baker, a negro, who was
captured by Sheriff Corley in Owens,
boro, KY, a few days ago, testified
that he saw Rich on one Of the wa
| CONS, on a fiat car, and that there
were six or eight with him. RicI
had a pistol in his hand swinging
by his side, but didn't see him as
sault anyone or use the weapon at
all.
Clarence Lamberson, white, who
had only been with the circus about
a month, swore that he was in the
baggage wagon; saw a man with q
white rag tied over his face and
with a pistol in his hand. Didn't
recognize Rich, however, as being
the man
Special Agent Ehney, Of the South
ern, testified as to his being on the
train on the night in question, and
that he saw a number Of people on
the fiat car, when the train stopped
at Lexington to get water. There
was shooting and general rodyism on
the cars; did not recognize the de-
PENDANT.
Deputy Sheriff Miller was the last
witness for the State. He testlf 81
as to having been shown the torn
shirt by Marble Hightower.
Frank Anderson, another circus
hand and a negro, was the first w.t.
ness for the defense. He swore that
he saw Roy Rich in bed on the car,
that Rich had been sick and had left
the show before 1t was v In Col
umbia. Elijah Clarke testified to
the same. Clark said that he him
self slept on a fiat car, while Rlcl
was in the sleeping car.
J. S. Rowell, the Southern's agent
at Lexington, saw four men on the
fiat cars, when the circus train pass
ed the depot, one Of whom he
thought was special Agent Ehney.
The defendant then took the
stand. Rich said that he was sick
In bed on a property car; joined the
circus in May or June and received
$50 per month from the circus
hands, for furnishing them ice, soap,
towels and SO per week from the
show. He denied being drunk on
the night Of the crime: denied that
he had ever been drunk In his life;
denied that he ever gambled In his
life; said 1t would have been impos-
sible to have gone from the a ne
was in without going through the