The Sentinel=record., 1912-02-24

ent and saw the shooting; that she
 had just stepped into the room and
 was getting Mack Freeman out. when the bullet dropped him to the floor
 She also was positive that Sheriff
 Hale, who stood close to Compton
 when he fired, also had pistol in
 his hand, though this Sheriff Hale
 positively denied in his testimony.
 From the coupled evidence of Mrs.
 Ezell and the young lady in question herself, it is apparent that the girls first story that there had been no in- innate relations between herself and Freeman, was truthful. And picking 1 the evidence here and there it can easily be taken that the girls inde- cision in the matter of returning home, was probably more than any thing else responsible for the tragedy. Miss Oma Compton came on the stand dressed in long black coat, and 1 while she appeared at disadvantage under the scrutiny of the great crowd present, yet she told her story well, considering the circumstances. Here and there seemed wavering on some l little but material point, for her evi- dence was of much import in this trial wherein either her father will suffer much, oh her dead admirer go to his grave unavenged.
 When Hiss Compton took the stand, in fact as she was being forged to the front through the crowd, the father took one look in her direction, and then bowed his head on his hands and wept. Miss Compton did not look on this figure before her with disin- terest, but kept her sympathies and her interest aloof from exhibit un- der the situation to the crowd that thronged around them.
 That Mack Freemsn only brought the girl to the city on her own initia- tive was positively testified by her. She and her father had quarreled the Friday night before she left home. They did not get along well. and Sat urday she picked up her things and went to her grandmother's. From there she communicated with Free man, and he came in g buggy for her,
 Two nights since she was taken Sun day night to the Cincinnati house she had not remained there, but these she accounted for in manner evidently sat isfactory to state and defense, for the visits were not investigated as to detail
 On the morning when her father came to take her back home, she tes- tified that she told him she would go, but that she did not expect to go, nor want to go. Even just before Free man was slain, she was dressing her hair, evidently to go home, but she admitted that she was not decided yet to go, even though she had told her father she would do so.
 The father, evidently. had believed that the girl meant it when she con scented in the morniag to return him, and when later he saw she had chang ed her mind, naturally he believed Freeman had influenced her. But her testimony on this point was plain, and in effect that Freeman merely cold her she did not have to go un- less she wanted to. and that if she wanted to go. all right
 Why the father ever decided to kill Freeman, as the latter was turning from the room, will be the difficult part of the defense. It was impulse, probably, and Freeman certainly never had been armed nor had ever made threat of violence. insofar as the evidence here showed. Besides, Freeman had not gene to the house voluntarily to take further interyen- ton in the case, but had been sum moned there by Mrs Ezell, at the in stance of Compton, and they were merely to talk the situation over.
 The jury which heard the inYestiga tion before the coroner was composed 1 of ]. H. Klymsn, A. A. Coutlee, J. J 1 McMaaus. Henry Weimar, Walter Draughan, S. Meyer, M. A. Eisele John Austin, G. H. North, ]. c. Rush Roscoe Lannon, c. H. Williams. c 1 c. King, Eugene Focht, Fred Sam mons. F. o. StearDs, w. R. Reader | S A. Burroughs. J. E. Lester, Whit 1 ney Curl, J. E. Scott, F. R. Moffit ant c. s. Bell.
 The jury fixed the sum of the bont at s50O0. which Comoton had little trouble in procuring, to secure hll liberty and get back to his home II the country.
 The Testimony.
 Dr. J. w. Smith called first. He ' ,t,a nhvsi.ian end surgeon hurriedi.