The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-03-29

IQ8C IUOuldS w. SlI1SA4dAu AdO PuA@ chased a revolver from him on the morning after the opening of the Strickland campaign in the Nineveh town hall. He identified the weapon taken from the accused at the time of his arrest as the one thus purchased, and stated, that the bullet found in Stamford Fuckers brain was fired from a pistol of the same caliber-
 Colonel Thurston T. Todhunter and Miss Lottie-M May Doggett had not an swered to their names when called as witnesses for the prosecution The deputy sheriff sent to bring them into court had returned later and announced that he had been unable to find them This had occasioned much surprise; but, as both the state and the defense felt assured of their appearance at al most any moment, the examination of other witnesses proceeded.
 The case against Tom Strickland be- gan to assume it's most ominous aspect immediately following the testimony of BradfieId, the hardware dealer.
 The prosecuting attorney turned, smiling, from a whispered consulta- ton with old Ephraim Tucker.
 Gall Abraham L. To1li7erf' he said.
 A negro man about forty years of age took the stand in answer to the sherifss cry He seemed frightened and reluctant to testify.
 What is your name?''
 s'Afy name is Abram Lincoln Tolliver, suh-dass my name"
 SsWhat is your occupation, Abram- what do you do to make living?"
 Mostly I ketches fish, suh- hunts some, too, and sets traps for coon and mink down wander in de Black Bottom swamps, suh-''
 ''Where were you, Abe, on the night of July 26 just past"
 Part de time was right hyar in dis heah town O Nineveh, and alter dat went on my way to whar done got my camp in de bottom lands, suh-'
 What time did you leave the town of Nineveh to go to your camp in the Black Bottoms ?"
 .I lef' dess a li'1 while alter half at ter 8, suh.''
 ''How do you know this?"
 "'Case I done ax Ben Dalton, de cul- 1ud man whar been visitin', what was de time dess as I was a-tellin' him goodby, suh.''
 'ewhat road did you take to go to your camp in the Black Bottoms?''
 @Why, suh, 'cose I took'n de. Black Bottoms road, suh-leas' ways 'tweN I comes to a li1 hog path what leads down into de big swamps off'n dat-ar road, suh.''
 How far is 1t from town before you come to that hog path, Abe?'
 +'Dess 'bout'n a mile, suh, ter de bes' O my knowledge and speakin' sorter offhand lak, suh.'
 ''Do you know where the Tucker place is on the Black Bottoms road?'
 'tYass, suh.'
 'Is that path of which you speak more or less than halfway to the Tuck CT place as you go out from town?"
 Hit dess a H'l mon railways, suh.'' "Now, Abram," and the prosecuting attorney strengthened to his full height and spoke with especial earnestness, 'I want you to tell the jury exactly what happened to you .on your way to your camp in the Black Bottoms that night. Tell it in your own way just as it happened''
 The witness looked at his question CT with apprehension in his ch1ldlike eyes.
 "Mistah Cromwell, you-you done gimme ye' wu'd dey ain't no harm a-comin' to me eff tells dat?'' he cried appeaKngly. And you done tole me halter tell it, whur' I wants to CT ne. Amt dat so /: 'TThat is the truth, Abe. The law compels you to testify to the facts of your knowledge bearing upon this case. And it is the laws intent that no barn shall come to you for so doing" The witness began in a low voice. 'tDey want nothin' happened to me 'twel1 come nigh to dat ar hog path what cuts off inter de botto1ns," he said E'Dess fo' I got dar, suh, heern shoot1n'-one shot and den annurr', hit seem lak ter me, suh. l was skeer- 1 ed when I hear dat ar shootfn' and seem lak I better not go on ter whar I sho' ter run smack into it. Mistah 1 Cromwe1l-yass. suh, Is a-te1lin' it ter de jury, suh. So huccome l done l hid in de brush side O de road, suh, l Iayin' fiat on de groun'. And dar I l stayed, suh."
 | The witness hesitated.
 '-Go on,'' said the prosecuting attor- ney. 4TeIl the jury precisely what happened next"
 'sI lay dar. lak I say,'' resumed the witness, when all of a sudden Iak a man come down de road fun whar I heern de shootin' He pass straight by me on de road, and he seem to be l staggerin' Iak. He was talkin' to his ,se'f as he pass whar I was hidin' in de brush. He had his pistol swingin' in his hand, suh, lak man what was too excited to put it back alter he use ] it, suh-''
 The prosecuting attorney moved step nearer the witness. You saw that man plainly. Abe?" he asked. 'FYou got a good look at his face?"
 "eYass, suh. Hit was a bright moon light night. I seen dat ar man dess as plain as I done see you dis hyar minnit, suh."
 Did you recognize him ?''
 ''Yass. suh. I knowed him soon's set eyes on his face, suh.''
 DO you see him in this courtroom | now?'