Evening star., 1911-08-26


Rolan Lassiter. who followed Moseley
and Sydnor on the stand. said he was
running his fathers car and was quite
familiar with various makes OF machines
on its running board. and man somewhat
obscured by the hood, was of make
similar to the Beattie automobile.
Beattie Prompts Counsel.
The prisoner continually prompted
Harry NJ Smith, jr., his counsel, particu-
larly directing a line of questioning which
might indicate that the boys machines
were running too fast to remember stores
or buildings along the road by which
the youths claim to have later located the
scene of the murder identical with the
position Of the machine they passed on
the road.
"Would you know the buildings you
saw if you went there the next morn
ing?" asked Mr.. Smith.
"Sure. If the buildings were there"
snapped Lassiter.
j. l.. Paschall, seventeen years DID, VINO
drove the second car of boys. said he
slowed his machine to a speed of three
or four miles an hour, and asked the man
and woman If they needed help, but that
the answer was no" Paschall admitted
on cross-exxamination that some Of the
other boys of the party were present in
the Office Of Detective l.. L. Scherer when
he dictated his statement about the lone
autOmODlle, ana tndt the Otler boys near0
him make his statement. The prisoner
chuckled and whispered to his counsel at
this point, and gave the impression that
Paschalfs remarks established the origin
OF the testimony Of the several boys as
| hardly spontaneous, but inspired by the
prosecution.
Name Causes Stir.
When Mrs. Binford. mother of Beulah
Binford, was suddenly called by the pros
ecution at 1915 there was stir In the
| courtroom. She was attired In a white
flannel suit and wore a white veil. Prose-
| cutor Wendenberg, however. first asked
| the courts permission for the jury to go
| out and see the car The machine was
| ordered brought to the courthouse for in
| spectiOn, and the examination OF Mrs
Binford delayed accordingly.
Mr.. Wendenberg insisted that it was
necessary Tor the jury to inspect the car
| to complete part of the testimony al
ready given. Objections were exchanged
by counsel and prosecution about the
manner of inspection. Judge Watson
finally ruled that the jury should make
a careful inspection without suggestion
or argument by the lawyers of either
side.
Marked Shell Identified.
| While waiting for the inspection of the
car w. !. Brown, stereotyper, who
found a loaded cartridge near the scene
Of the murder the Sunday following the
Tuesday night when the crime was COM
mitted was called to the stand.
Brown said he wrote his name on the
shell and turned 1t over to Detective
Scherer. The cartridge was produced
The witness determined the point Of AIS
find as seventy-four feet from the blood
spots on the road.
you don't know who dropped the
shell?' inquired Mr.. Smith for the. de-
fense. 1T might have been left there
on Saturday night by hunter for all
1 you know
Il don't know who dropped it, or Wien.
| All / know is that l found it,
Jury Inspects the Automobile.
| After Brown concluded his testimony
the jury, followed by the crowd, filed
out on the lawn to see the Beattie car.
1t was the first time the jurymen had
seen the machine. They lifted up its up
holstered seats, peered underneath the
| gears and nosed around the steering
| wheel, paying particular attention to a
| portion Of the floor Of the car under
meath the wheel. The floor finally was
through the opening to determine If any
| blood could have trickled through Beat
| tie followed the jurymen sharply at every
| move. He assisted them in prying open
|
| around the automobile, chewing an un-
| lighted cigarette. his straw hat tilted to
one side and a portfolio Of papers under
| his arm.
| Crowd Surges to Front.
Sheriff Gill was a bit lax on keeping
the crowd back from the machine. Strok-
| ing his paint brush beard he stood gap
| ing at the car till Judge Watson re-
minded him Of his duty.
II reckon ye all will have to git back
here. This amt no circus he cautioned
and the crowd sagged back for a minute,
but soon pressed forward again. One
| juryman crept under the car from behind
and examined the machinery. The in
| spection was carried on in silence, no
comment being made by any one 1t
was ended at 1 o'clock.
| Before returning to the courtroom
Beattie coolly called attention to q
punctured tire. and Judge Watson
ordered the chauffeur to have it fixed
before returning to Richmond.
Court adjourned for luncheon at Ito
o'clock.
Defsnse Seeks Refutation.
H NJ. Smith. IT., chief counsel for
IHYarvv rfav EaAatffe fr made n huYrfed