The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1913-08-05
RIGID CROSS EXAMINATION FAILS
- TO CONFUSE FORMER STEW.
ARD OF INSANE HOSPITAL.
GIVES EXPLANATION OF
PURCHASE OF CATTLE
Thought He Was Paying Bob Hamil-
ton For II Cows For Which Negro,
Named Greaves, Later Requested
Payment.
Special to The NetUs.

HpeC1dt 70 JHe NeDS.
Brandon, Miss, Aug. 5.-The trial OF
II. II Turley, former steward of the
Mississippi insane hospital and now
under indictment for embezzement
reached its most exciting and dramatic
stage today when Turley went on the
stand in his own behalf The defendant
approached the witness chair calm
and collected and answered the ques'
tions put to him by his attorneys and
the attorneys for the state without ap-
parent embarrassment, although sub
jected to an extremely severe cross
examination at the hands of District
Attorney ]. H. Howie.
Turley admitted drawing all of the
checks upon which he has been in
dicted and gave an explanation of why
he paid the money to E. w. Weathers-
by instead of to the parties to whom 1t
was alleged to have been paid. He
stated that in April, 1912, he told Jim
Greaves, a negro cattle man, that he
wanted to buy some milch cows for the
hospital and also told the same thing
to Bob Hamilton. A few days later
Greaves sent him II of the milch cows,
and thinking that the cattle belonged
to Bob Hamilton he made out check
in the name of E. w. Weathersby,
saying that Bob Hamilton had request
ed him to do this because he had
lot Of judgments pending against him
and could not use his name in any
business transaction, and that he had
secured the consent of Weathersby to
use his name. Weathersby is assistant
cook at the hospital Turley testified
that Greaves phoned him later that
he wanted the money for the cattle.
That was the first intimation he had
that Hamilton was not the owner OF
the cattle. After that he met Greaves
at the store of E. and S. Virden Co., in
jackson, Weathersby being also pres
ent Weathersby told him to go ahead
and endorse the check to Hamilton
Buck, an employe of the Virden store.
Buck went to the State Bank and
Trust Co. and got the money and
brought it back. 1t was counted out
and found to amount to $S10 and was
paid over to Jim Greaves. The wit
ness was certain that he gave the
money to Greaves. He also said that
he had the approval of the board of
trustees of the hospital in buying the
COWS: that the state undoubtedly got
the II COWS, and that the state also
got its moneys worth in the purchase
He denied that he held any confer
ence with L. H. Kline, drayman at the
hospital, or that he told Kline to let
the cows die few at a time in his
report until the number should dwin
die TO twelve head in number. He
could not understand why w. B. King
the bookkeeper at the hospital, should
have entered twelve head on the de
tail books while the voucher in pay
ment showed seventeen head.
The defense opened up this morning
with motion by Judge Groom to iex
=, clude the testimony offered by Atht
state. first on account of the indict
ments charging Turley with havihl
paid Weathersby 1910 when the evi
dence fails to show that any none!
was paid to Weathersby; second. tina
TurIey was summoned before the legis
lative committee and testified TO tn
very identical information about whicl
he is now being tried and Is. there
fore, entitled to immunity from prose
cution. under section 30t7 Of the code
otherwise known as the ''inimunit
bath statute" This motion was no
argued as Judge Rot p<onptly ovei
ruled it and the defendani began hi
testimony.
TuTley was severely cross examine
by District Attorney Howie and sui
iected to a severe sriIlInE. The dsfent
ant was confronted with the stens
graphic report of lii own tsstimony b,
fore the Legislative invest fgating con
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