The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1911-11-07
BEN HALE NOW ON
TRIAL FOR HIS LIFE
Testimony All In and Case Goes to Jury
This Afternoon

the Killing. and noticing branches
had been shot away, went in direc-
tion shots apparently had come from
and picked up two empty shot gun
shells He followed tracks of a man
from the place where shells were
found for about 100 yards and then
desisted, sending to Lakeland for
blood hounds. When the hounds
came. they took up the trail ut a
point in the field where witness and
| others had stopped following 1t and
followed the trail to Mr.. Martin s
house. and thence on to Hale's house.
where the dogs were chained because
Hale's dogs ran out to interfere.
Witness said that they found Hale's 4
boat gone from his landing place.
but after circling the lake with the
dogs, they failed to take up any
trail.
DR.. T.. NJ. McMurray. of Kathleen,
testified as to nature of Carter's
wounds. lie said that the right
cOratid artery was severed and the
! transverse processes of the fourth
and fifth cervical vertebrae were
shattered with fragments OF bone
driven into the spinal cord and ca
nal Wounds appeared to have been
made by buckshot.
A. A. Lewis and w. A. Ross testi-
fed to practically same thing that
J. u. Galloway testified to. MIR.
Lewis said that the shells were pick
ed up Is or 20 steps from the road.
Mr.. Williford being sworn. said
that he lived on the main road about
one quarter OF a mile south of where
the killing took place. Was sitting
on his porch, and about ten minutes
before he heard two shots fired In
rapid succession. he saw man
driving a twO-mule team and going
in the direction Of Kathleen. The
man in the wagon was Floyd Car
ter. About the same time, he saw
Ben Hale on a dim road. which
leads diag0nally into the main road,
going In the direction of Kathleen.
Hale had gun. In about 10 min
utes after he saw Hale pass. he
heard from direction In which the
men had gone two shots fired In
rapid succession.
]. p. Murdaugh, superintendent of
county cOnvicts, and Dan Marshall,
deputy sheriff. testified the first as
the character and ability of the
dogs used-as man trailers, and
the second witness described the ac-
tiOns of the dogs In following the
trail from the scene of the killing.
Charley Robins testified to actions
of dogs in following the trail, and
added that when they took the dogs
back south of where the killing took
place they took up trail which led
to where the shells were picked up
and on over the same tracks and
trail previously followed. The wit
ness attempted to say that the track
made by the party whom the dogs
trailed was identical with track of
Hale's he examined at the inquest,
but the court permitted him only to
state the similarity of the two
tracks.
Mrs. Martin said that she saw
Hale pass her house on the day of
the killing. about two hours before
the sheriff with his dogs passed on
the trail of some one Hale spoke
to her and she spoke to him. Saw
nothing in Hale's hands.
John Logan, sheriff, was put on
the stand to make diagram of the
road from Lakeland to Galloway to
Kathleen.
]. E. Harrelson was working at
Galloway on the day of the killing. |
He stated that about twelve-thirty
Ben Hale asked him to sell him some
shot gun shells. He sold defendant