Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-07-15

countenace. Toms face, helpless per
plexity in his eyes. went deadly white.
The atmosphere became tense with
the sudden dramatic grip Of the situa
ton thus created.
And the hearing of testimony for
the state began.
It went forward with merciless pre-
cision and dispatch. certainty and
rapidity 30 we'll ordered as to be over
whelming In moral effect
The evidence was cruelty against
Tom Strickland. Two witnesses. a
farmer and his son. testified to finding
the dead body Of STAN Tucker by the
roadside. at point midway between
the Tucker home and the town OF
Nineveh. at daybreak on the morn
ing Of the 9th day Of July just past
They were on their way into town to
sell garden produce The dead man
lay on his back just at the edge Of the
road There was bullet hole In his
forehead a pistol. with one chamber
empty lay an inch or two distant from
his right hand. The witnesses had
hurried into Nineveh and notified the
authorities.
Simeon Birdsong testified that bad
feeling had existed between Thomas
W. Strickland and Stamford Tucker
since the night Of the clash between
the Strickland and ia".tJ factions al
the opening rally OF the Strickland
campaign. The witness stated that the
accused at that time made threats to
"get even" with Tucker for attempt
ing to break up the Strickland meet
ing. On the following day the accused
had openly insulted Tucker In the bar
room of the Nineveh hotel and had
knocked him down short time later
when they again met In the sane place
1t was generally believed that there
would be bloody encounter betweer
them before the campaign c!CsW! Other
associates of the dead man and the &C
cused testified to the same facts.
Mrs. Todhunter. whose appearance
US q witness for the state wus dra
matte surprise and who was ptlfully
agitated. testified to the fact OF the
accusation made against Thomas w
Strickland by Lottie-May Doggett al
the reception and hop given by the
Nineveh Light infantry. and her testi
mony was supported by that Of severa
other ladies who heard the accusation
Nicholas Bledsoe, the bartender II
the saloon frequented by the iancey
Tucker faction. testified to the facts Of
the two visits to his plnce made by the
accused on the forenoon and evening
Of the 26th day Of July just past. Or
| the occasion of the latter visit the &C
cused had told him that Stamford
Tucker was the man whom Lottie- MAY
Doggett should rightfully have charg
ed with her ruin; that the girl .hat
told him, the accused. OF Tucker
meeting her secretly. and that NJ
meant to make Tucker acknowledge
the truth publicly or else Kill him
This witness testimony established
the hour Of $50 on that night as th'
| exact time ut which Tom Strickland
| had left the barroom to go out to th'
| Tucker home for the purpose OF com
| pelllng Stamford Tucker to agree Il
make such an acknowledgment or o
forcing hostile meeting In the even
| Of his refusal.
| White haired Mrs. Tucker. the deat
mans mother; Katherine Tucker, hi
sister, and Ellen Barry. domestic II
the Tucker home, testified that STAN
ford Tucker had left the house ut o
about $50 o'clock on the night OF tn
| Goth Of July past, saying that he migh
be late In returning He had not tolt
them where he was going. They hat
believed he was going into the tow
Of Nineveh.
DR.. Longford. the county coroner
testified to the established facts OF tn
Inquest that had resulted in verdic
holding Thomas w. Strickland for tn
killing of Stamford Tucker.
Luther Bradfeld. proprietor OF
hardware store in Nineveh. testihe'
that Thomas W. Strickland had pur
chased q revolver from him on tn
morning after the opening OF tn
Strickland campaign in the Ninevel
town hall. He identified the weapon
taken from the accused ut the time o
his arrest as the one thus purchased
and stated that the bullet found Il
Stamford fuckers brain was hre'
from a pistol of the same caliber,
Colonel Thurston T. Todhunter ant
Miss Lottie-May Doggett had not an
swered to their names when called a
witnesses for the prosecution. Tn
deputy sheriff sent to bring them Int
court had returned later aud announce'
that he had been unable to find them
This had occasioned much surprise
but as both the state and the defens
felt assured Of their appearance at al
most any moment, the examination o
other witnesses proceeded.
The case against Tom Strickland be
gan to assume its most ominous aspec
Immediately following the testmon,
of Bradfield, the hardware dealer.
The prosecuting attorney turned
smiling, from a whispered consulta
ton with old Ephraim Tucker.
Call Abraham L. Tolliver" he said
A negro man about forty years o
age took the stand In answer to tn
sherifrs cry. He seemed frightene'
and reluctant to testify.
what is your name"
my name is Abram Lincoln Tollivel
suh-dass my name"
"What is your occupation, Abram-
what do you do to make living"
MOSTLY / ketches fish, sub. l hunt
some. too, and I sets traps for COO
and mink down yander in de Blac
Bottom swamps. sub"
"Where were you. Abe. on the nigh
Of July 26 just past|
"Part de time was right hyar In di
heah town O. Nineveh, and after dat
went on my way to whar I done 40
my camp in de bottom lands. suh."
"What time did you leave the tow
of Nineveh to go to your camp in tn
Black Bottoms?"
IT lef' dess a III while after half al
ter 8, sub"
"How do you know this?"
"Case I done ak Ben Dalton, de cu
lud man whar been visitin', what wa
de time dess as was a-tellin' hir
goodby. sub"
what rond did you take to 60 {
your camp in the Black BottomsT
| axI,h. .,,h ,nnro I fnnk,n do Rla ri