The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1913-10-09
Details OF Domestic
Tragedy Told TO Jury

Simpson on Stand.
Oscar simpson. county attorney took
the stand next and stated that be had
talked 10 the defendant on the eth Of
July Ia the jury room in the basement
Of the county jail while the defendant
vas III the custody Of the sheriff
7 told him BE- could talk 10 me i
be wanted to and If not. be aid not
have 10 he told me be- would ten me
how IL happened ie said Goodnight
was passing along and that Mrs Good
night hailed him That Goodnight
said. IT you want 10 talk to nae. you
viii have 10 come down here The
defendant said that be goi his shot
/ gun and went with her don't re-.
member whether he said 10 protect
her or not He said when he reached
the road Goodnight was cut Of his
buggy and that when he approached.
Goodnight turned and started for the
buggy as though 10 get a gun Good
night turned. ne said, before he got 10
the buggy and came back As he
came over the fence Ballard said be
he him with the gun ana then shot
over his head. but that Goodnight did
not stop and he shot him.
~The defendant said thar the dis
tance between his position and The
point where Goodnight was when The
second shot was fired was about the
length Of a cot which was then stand
ing in the room"
"Mr. Simpson, the next day didn't
you 60 back and took Al the hat Good.
night was wearing at the timer" asked
Mr. Bond
Il went back and saw a hat that they
said Goodnight was wearing
'.What for?7
Il wanted to see If there were any
holes IN the hat"
Didn't you believe the officers when
they said Ballard had shot over Good
nights headg
Il believed. Mr. Bond. that Ballard
had shot at Goodnight the first time
and missed him"
Don't you know how hard IL would
be for you to shoot at man az 50
shcrt distance with a shotgun with
No. shot, tnd miss him|
Nor, sir; | think In the excitement
IL could be very easily DONE
Have you had much experience
with shotgun. Mr. simpson,
mot great deal
How many times did you ever
shoot a shotgun?'
mot to exceed four dozen times N
my life, suppose"
wen, that accounts for IT, replied
Mr. Bond
Al this point the state rested
, Defense Opens.
All the sad story Of the domestic
tragedy which shocked the quiet an'
peaceful rural community fifteen miles
or more northwest OF Chickasha on th'
firth day Of last July was related g
the Jury this morning by near rela
tives OF the defendant and the deceas
ed, Including the mother Of Jim Bal
lard and his sister Bessie. widow o
A. j Goodnight
The prosecution closed lis direct te'
timony Wednesday afternoon, bein
content with the Introduction OF fou
witnesses. and the defense opene
/ this morning, the first witness bein
| ". L. Cooper, followed by = y. kee'
| Ell Waiter Bell Mrs. Ballard, the mott
el OF the defendants and Mrs Goo'
night. the widow. Roeder and Coops
| are both brothers-in-law Of the defen
ant. having married daughters Of th
Billiards..
II Mr.. Cooper said he lived about
miles from the Ballards and with hl
family he happened 10 come TO Wis
them on. the day or the tragedy, arri'
ing about 1870 p. m, shortly aft'
Goodnight was killed He helped
prepare the body for burial. He sai
Jim Ballard phoned TO the officers
come out and they arrived hetwee
| 3 and 4 o'clock Meantime the bod
/ was left where it fell He said Coos
pht weighed about 225 pounds, wa
about 6 feet inches in height, an
between &c and 2S years CT age. tn
/ distance from the spot where Goo
II night fell to the front fence was
: steps and from the point where Goo'
night ctoseed the fence to where b
: fell 25 steps
: On cross examination vitnesse
identified the lioody shirt which th
deceased were at the time of the trai
edy. He said the bodvwas left wheT
1t fell until the officers came in orde
e., o-to;a Tho nocoreifV for an iuQuce