The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1911-07-27

1
| the next day. Witness stated that the
man in the road was big and raw
bony. about six feet. The man had
on dark hat. Witness did know
/ color OF clothes.
Witness estimated the hour OF the
shooting at between 1O:45 and IL. Re
shooting at between 1:45 and IL. Re
Verting TO the incident of the lights
/ going out, Wendenburg wanted to
KNOW II II was necessary to have a
/ light under the circumstances.
Why Wasn't Aid Sought?
The attorney wanted to know why
| witness did not seek aid.
Were there not a number or houses
/ in the neighborhood? was asked.
Il thought that l could get TO Mt
owens house just as soon as L could
| get TO another.
Did anyone speak to yo on the
NO"
Did not your machine stop on the
road prior to the shooting other than
when YOU saw the MANI"
You deny that a gentleman asked
you if he could help you?''
II do" witness declared emphati-
Here Mr.. wendenburg questioned
witness about the clothes he wore on
the night of the tragedy.
Where are the garments?"
Il don't know. The officers have
them"
Witness described blood on clothes
II smeared rather than blotted the
cloth. Witness attributed blood on
pants TO his act of sitting down in
his seat following the shooting. The
underSarmeDts are in possession Of the
Beattie family. The prosecution asked
for them. Harry Smith agreed to
surrender them.
Witness did not know his x,-ifa x-oe
dead until the home OF Thomas owen
was reached.
When did you marry your wife?"
In August of last year-the cath
day"
Witness was asked if his married life
had been happy. The reply was not
forthcoming. as the line OF questioning
took another channel
Young Beattie's coat was i'm the rear
OF the car. The gun Jolted out but
the garment did not. Wendenburg al
luded to this.
Gregory wanted to know how tail
Mrs. Beattie was.
About my height. possibly an inch
shorter" was the reply.
Judge Gregory was particular TO as
certain the width of the auto floor
and whether or not the feet of the
murdered woman protruded beyond
the left side of the car. Gregory
wanted witness to explain position of
his wife following the shooting.
witness is not required TO explain
possibilities" Coroner Loving ruled.
Gregory was inssJent in trying to
determine why Mrs. Beattie's skirts
were beyond.
Smith objected to what he cOnsid-
cred n rchaSh.
The question has been asked three
times and Is therefore out of order"
Coroner Loving declared.
II am presiding and not Judge
Gregory. Judge Gregory will come |
TO order or De placed under Arrest. Is
there an officer i'm the crewd?''
The coroner raped vigorously on |
the stenographer's table and repeat |
edly commanded Judge Gregory to |
come to order.
when L have the question I have
just asked 1 will take my seat. but
under protest" Gregory came back. |
The tilt between the coroner and |
the commemorative Attorney was
heated.
Resuming the line Of questioning. |
Wendenburg wanted TO know when. !
where and why witness removed his |
coat. The garment was in the back |
OF the car when il arrived at the /
owen residence following the shoot
ing.
Witness was unable to answer. He
did not remember when he took the |
coat off, or whether he had it on !
when the shooting occurred.
If the coat was in the back of
the car, and there was no blood in
this part Of the car, what are the
stains doing on both sleeves and the !
back?"
Witness was unable to answer.
ION the other hand, if you hand |
the coat on, why did not more blood |
get on the coat, as you were holding
your wife in your arms and her cloth
ing was bloody?'
Witness explained that when he
went tor his coat, which was in the
back part of the car. in search of
when the lights went out, he
probably got blood from his hands
on the garment
rs this your explanation ?'
YES"
Then why does the pocket in which
the matches were show some trace of |
blood -"
Witness was not prepared to an
swer or did not.
The coat was exhibited for the bene-
Wendenburg wanted 20 know IL IL
wasn't n fact that instead Of holding
the body of his wife he threw it length
wise across the seat and sat ON it.
Witness smiled family at the ques-
ion, at the same time entering vigor-
)us denial.
Returning to a point prior to the run
out the Midlothian Turnpike, Wenden-
burg asked witness when he arrived al
he owen home TO take his wife out
In the neighborhood of o'clock"
was witness answer.
w ere you not later tnan uSualI'
Il met with an accident on the way
% the house and had to fix a puncture |
Did you ever own a gum"
Yes"
Did you ever own a single-barreled
sun?"
YES"
What was the make of it?"
liver Johnson"
Witness has owned two others-an-
other single-barreled and a double
when did you last own a single
gum" /
witness was unable to state exact
y-possibly ten years since.
The lVer-JOhnSon was bought at a
Main street hardware store, the name
)f which he does not remember.
"HaVe you been living happiIy."
"Hes. NO one can say that she ever
poke n cross word to me or i to her
since we were acquainted.
Have you not since the beginning of
Iour matrimonial life given your R1Tec-
ions to another WOman3'
'sNO.@
Smith objected to this line of cues
ioning and advised his client to refuse
O answer.
"A witness does not have to answer
| question that may tend to incrimi-
late him, but his cOunseTs advice does
lot exempt him from answering
Loving had previously told witness
nat he was not compelled to answer
Attorney Wendenburg disputed this