The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1913-12-12
Q. He did not demur?

Q. I read this letter this morning
but l wish to read the statement in
it so as to get the statement of the
witness. Brother Cauthen, you can
look at the paper; real it carefully
for yourself, after l have read it in
the hearing Of the committee Is
that statement true?
A You will have to put the ques-
ton in a different form. If you will
read it sentence by sentence l can
answer it.
@. If l take it sentence by sentence
it may be too small to break it, but l
will do it. 'He carried it around him.
self?"
A. That is true.
@. l read this sentence: "He car
ried it around himself?" Is that true?
A. 1t is.
@. Note this sentence: Brother
Carlisle told me when he presented it
to him he declined to sign it where
upon Brother Cauthen asked him to
read it, and stated to him that it was
intended largely for my vindication"
Is that true?
A. 1t is not.
@, Now the following sentence: "He
also told him he had carried it to
Wright Nash who had modified 1t
somewhat so that there could be no
objection to any one signing it,.
A. That is true l want to explain
however. The petition as it was first
formed was drafted by me on piece
Of paper after the agreement that l
referred to this evening and submitted
to Mr.. Nash as the attorney and as
the chairman Of the board of stewards
Of Central church for censorship. He
changed one or two words, and it
was rewritten and that was the basis
of the petition.
@. Now this sentence, "Mr, Car
Isle told Cauthen he knew nothing
whatever against me-. Is that true?
A. Mr.. Carlisle said he knew nothing
personal against Mr.. Nettles.
On cross examination, counsel for
Mr.. Nettles developed the following
Illuminating statements from Mr..
Cauthen.
Q. Why Brother Cauthen, did YOU
think it necessary to explain to Mr.
Carlisle why Mr.. Nash had mod" ;?
A. When Mr.. Carlisle said he lad
nothing personal against Mr.. Nettles,
I simply said you need not sign it if
you do not wish. 1 see no difficulty
in signing this paper because there is
no possibility of being misunderstood
by any one, but want no one to sign
it who does not do so of free and
cheerful will, and Mr.. Nash had modi-
fed the transcript so that it could not
affect anyone.
@. Did you not, Brother Cauthen. in
this conversation with Mr.. J. B. Car
Isle say to him that the paper was in
tended for Mr.. Nettles' vindication?
A. / did not, for the reason that
there was no need to say it because
the paper was there which stood for
itself and the paper stated that it was
as much for Mr.. Nettles' vindication
if he was innocent as it was to protect
the church. That, however, was after
Mr. Carlisle had signed the paper, and
he and Mr.. Gilmore were with ME dis
cussing the situation.
Mr.. Nettles also had conversation
with Rev. NJ W. Hook with regard to
his talk with Mr.. Carlisle, S letter
from Mr.. Hook to Mr.. Cauthen was
put in evidence. That letter is not
now at hand. But in it Mr.. Hook re-
lated what he said was the substance
of a conversation with Mr.. Nettles
with regard to Mr.. Nettles' conversa-
ton with Mr.. J. B. Carlisle. The state
ments in that letter agreed with the
statements in the Massebeau letter
except that Mr.. Hook used the word
deception" in relating what Mr.. Net
ties had said about the efforts of Mr.
Cauthen to get signatures to the eau
then petition. Mr. Nettles denied that
he had used the word deception"
The Hook letter was written two
months after the conversation between
Mr. Hook and Mr.. Nettles. Nothing
but the signature is in the handWrit-
ing Of Mr.. Hook
1t was not learned who wrote it, bu1
at least two other statements admitted
in evidence were written by Mr. eau
hen, except for the signatures. Of al
the written statements admitted in
evidence against Mr.. Nettles, not {
single one was sworn to, nor did any,
one attempt to testify that they knew
they were genuine except as to the
signature Of Mr.. Hook. So that the
defence had no opportunity to cross
examine the parties from whom these
unsworn statefents came.
The prosecution declined to call Mr.
J. B. Carlisle as a witness, in spite
of the fact that his name was put
down in the charges as one of theil
witnesses, but contented themselves
with statement signed by the parties
who had signed the Cauthen petition
to the effect that no undue influence
had been exerted to get them to sign
it. Mr.. Nettles knows and respects
Mr. Carlisle, as a man of strength oi
character and purpose, and he has
never represented that Mr.. Carlisle
was a weakminded man who could be