The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-09-05


well, what happened?"
Three cars passed; one was going
fast, about 40 miles an hour. was
running slowly. When the second car
came, my wife suggested that we go
faster and we did"
What's the number OF your carr"
Eight hundred and twenty"
Does that number look anything
like DIP"
Not to me-"
state more Of that ride"
We passed three cars. The last
thing I can remember before we turned
around was a row Of cedar trees which
my wife said would make good Christ
mas trees"
State what happened then
About three-qusrters of a mile or q
mile from where we turned. we were
going along easy when a man came
from the left hand side OF the road.
He was so close TO me that I had to
put on the brake 30 as not to hit him.
He asked II wac going to hit him
and ! said he had plenty Of room and
that should have. I then put IN the
low gear end reached over to take the
brake. He pointed the gun at me and
said stop or III shoot I didn't want
TO aggravate him, 80 ] said nothing.
AS touched the clutch he fired and
my wife fell back on me-"
back OF the seat7
yes. In the space Of a moment I
Jumped out Of the car and started
| towards the man. He raised the gun
to hit me. ] caught the gun as II hit
me on the nose. He let loose and
being overbalanced. I fell back. There
has been som&thing ssid shout blood
on the gun. Tom Owen said my face
was bloody
Don't argue the case" objected the
prosecution.
7 picked up the gun and the man
ran up the road"
Who was the FIRST man you told7'
TON Owen"
WAS the statement Of what you told
Tom Owen the same as you made at
the coroner's inquest?"
Yes"
The court told the witness not TO
| argue the case.
You have competent and expe-
rienced lawyers" said Judge Watson.
They will argue it for you"
II had cautioned the witness like
WISE" said Mr.. Smith promptly, 'but
he has never been on a witness stand
before"
why didn't you follow the man?-
We'll. after getting the gun and see
ing him running up the road, my next
thought was for my wife. She was
lying on the left hand side Of the car.
l had to step on her dress to get in.
l felt Of her pulse, but I knew I
couldn't tell, being excited, whether
she was dead or living.
Il hollered murder and Thelpl' and
blew the horn, but knowing there was
wife on the left seat. Her head dropped
forward and holding her with one hand
I ran the car with the other A little
way down the lights went out. I fixed
my wife in the seat and jumped out to
fix the lights. I realized then I had no
coat on. lit the lamps and went on
to Mr.. Owens's house"
How fast did you run back?"
about 40 or so miles an hour"
''Can you recall how near the belt
line II was that you stoppedg
mo; I remember, though, that the
car jumped nearly two feet when it did
cross the belt line tracks. There was
one bad turn where had to let go of
my wife once. to use both hands for
the turn. Mr.. Owen and DR.. Mercer
helped me carry my wife into the
library. asked II there was anything
I could do send for an ambulance or
take her to hospital. but he said she
was dead. I remember asking second
time If she was dead"
do you know where your coat was
found?"
"Dr. Mercer found it on the foot
board Of the machine"
did you give Mr.. Owen and the Of
hcers all the information possible
about it?'
Il told everybody what I knew and
said I'd show them the spot"
when they asked what you did with
the gun, what did you say?"
"I said had put It into the rear Of
| the car. He said it wasn't there and ]
said perhaps it was jolted out at the
belt line crossing"
what description of the man did
you give?"
II told everybody large man about
six feet tall and face full Of beard"
cit was dark night, wasn't it?"
"And there are woods on both sides
of the spot where the murder oc-
curred?"
Yes"
The prisoner said the lights of his
machine didn't help him any in seeing
the man and that the description Of
him was a guess.
Did you know whether he was a
white or a colored MANI"
Il think he was white man by his
voice"
THE detectives have testified that
you showed no signs of grief. How
was that?''.
well, there were several ladies at
the house and when the detectives
came they were all strangers to me,
and tried to compose myself to give
them all the information 1 could"
| Whose suggestion was IL that they
go out and find the gun p
Mine, but they all told me was IN
no condition TO run the car"
THAT was before you had a drink of
the whislxey which your father brought,
wasn't it?''
Il had one drink before that which
one of the ladies gave me-"
| DO you know anything about the
gauntlet that has been mentioned?"
No"
DO you remember placing the car
around the blood spot7"
"A lot Of detectives were there. They
wanted my car and I got my brother
to give It to them. had nothing to
/ do with placing the car
Did you ever agree with anyone
that the blood could not come out OF
the car? p
| no"
Have you examined the car in that
referencsP'
| Yes
Us there any reason why blood could
not get into the road from itY'
DID YOU see Paul Beattte on Wed