The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1914-01-30
Evidence Begins.

|
| bookkeeper, had been selected, the
state started the introduction of tes-
timony The first witness to be plac-
ed OH the stand was Davis Norton, Jr.,
Inc man who found the body of Mrs.
| Davis in the secluded spot few
miles south of Thalmann some so or
| IS yards from the tracks of the A,
Il. & A. railway Mr.. Norton told of
| nnding the body on the afternoon of
Thursday, Nov. IA.
Skull in Evidence.
The next witness called was Coro-
ner Jennings. Here the skull of the
murdered woman was exhibited, show
ing, as it does, that death was produc-
ed probably by blow from some
blunt instrument. Davis viewed the
| skull of the woman who was for Is
years his wife, watching closely every
move that the coroner made with the
connection with it to the jury. He
showed no signs of emotion caused
i 10y the sight of the ghastly looking
skull, but seemed mere interested in
| the testimony being introduced against
him by the state.
! Sheriff Berrie was next placed on
the stand for the purpose of identify
! ing a handbag and otner articles De-
lcnging to Mrs. Davis and which were
found near the scene of the tragedy
Sister Testifies.
w. H Stansell, brother-in7law of the
deceased, was the next witness called
to the stand. His testimony was intro
auced in the indentifcation of the
body found as being that of Mrs. Da-
Wis. He was followed by his wife, a
sister of the deceased Mrs Stansell
at the time of the murder, was at
Hortense with Mrs. Davis and she told
how her sister was dressed the day
! she left Hortense. She also told of
telegram received by her sister from
! J. r. Davis, the brother, which read
Come to Brunswick tonight" in re-
| sponse to which she left.
| w. NJ Moore, who at the time of
the murder was a telegraph operator
at Thallman, was next called to the
, stand He testified to sending the
telegram to Mrs. Davis, saying that
he wrote it for J. R. Davis. The tele-
gram was sent on Oct 29, the day Mrs
Davis left Hortense.
Damaging Evidence.
Jim Hays, porter on the A, B. &,
| A. train, was next placed on the stand
and he proved damaging witness,
| testifying that Mrs. Davis boarded the
train at Hortense that, although he
did not know where j. R. Davis board
ed the train, that he noticed him at
Thalmann, occupying the seat with
his brothers wife, and that they both
| left the train at Blount. This is a
small station on the "a, B. & A., a
short distance from where the body of
Mrs. Davis was found.
The first circumstantial evidence
that really connected the husband
with the crime was that given by r.
| D. Taylor, who lives few miles north
OF Thalmann. Taylor stated that on
Oct. % he was passenger on the A.,
| b. & A. train from Hortense, that j.
K. Davis was also passenger on the
train, that when he left the train Da-
Wis gave him a letter and asked him to
give it to his brother, V. H. Davis.
This he said he did the following
morning He stated that he was with
the husband during that day, Oct. 20,
in and about the camps and that short
| ly after dark he left on horseback for
EThalmann. He did not know what time
Davis returned, but that he was at
the camp the following morning.
Threat Made.
| S. H. Brady was next called by the
state. He said that the last time he
saw J. R. Davis that he was with
Mrs V. H. Davis and that he did not
see or hear of Mrs. Davis any more
until her body was found.
! J. T. Keen was the next to testify.
| He stated that he had had conver
sation with Davis concerning the trou
bles existing between the defendant
and his wife, that Davis had talked
over the case with him and during the
conversation he had said: She has
given me lots of trouble and if it was
not for the law l would know what
to do with her would kill the damn
red d-haired -"
A Lively Witness.
Mrs. J. C. Byrd proved about the
| liveliest as well as one of the most
interesting witnesses during the day.
| She had accompanied Mrs. Davis on
a trip from Thalmann out to the camp
| where Davis was working. The visit
was made evidently in an effort to
| perfect reconciliation between Davis
and his wife. She stated that she
heard most of the conversation be-
tween them and told of the reception
Davis gave his wife. She then asked
If she must repeat the "cuss' words
she heard, and when told to do so she
said that there were SO many Of them