The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1914-02-27
Examining Trial Of Brothers Charg-
ed with Murder at Verden
Saturday is Opened Be-
fore Judge Williams
SMALL ARMY OF
WITNESSES ON HAND
Five Testify Before Noon Recess =
Officers on the Stand Physician
Describes Wounds Of Victim
Undertaken Examined

With the court room wen filled with
spectators, mostly from verden. and a
small army Of Witnesses on hand. the
preliminary hearing Of Ed and Henry
Cornett, brothers. jointly charged with
the murder of Faunt Downey, their
brother-in-law, at verden. was opened
before Judge n. N. Williams about II
o'clock this morning
About 40 Witnesses were sworn be-
fore the taking OF testimony was be-
gun. Before the noon recess five wit
nesses had been examined. The state
is represented by County Attorney
Simpson. while Alger and Adrian Mel
ton are conducting the case for the
defendants
Berry WJllinms. the iailer. and
Sheriff Lewis were the first witnesses.
They testified concerning weapons
that were in the possession OF the
two brothers and were later turned
over to officers
c. b. Bruce. constable at Verden,
testified that Downey was killed Sat
urday. February ?, at about p. m.
Witness said Henry Cornett gave him
self up to him and accompanied him
to Jail in Chickasha On the way here
he heard cornett tel several on the
train that he hated 70 have to kill
Downey7
On cross examination said Downey
was at his barn about an hour before
the killing and seemed to lie drinking.
Witness testified that Downey said,
Those s-b's beat me out of $1,000
You know who am talking about"
Bruce said he believed Downey was
talking about the Coraett brothers.
The state objected to this testimony
on the ground that 1t was only con
clusion OF witness that the Cornett's
were meant, but the court permitted
it TO stand for the time Logan
Gorum and Geo Hensley We're with
Downey at the time.
F.. NJ. Gains. a Verden physician.
testified that there were three wounds
on the body Of Downey. one in the
head. the bullet entering on the right
side Of the head and plowing a fur
row under the scalp. but not entering
the skull, making an exit some three
inches TO the back Of the head. AM
other ball entered the body about one
and one half inches below the right
nipple. taking diagonal course
through the body and lodging just be-
meath. the skin, to the right OF the
spinal column. from where it was re
moved BY the undertaken The third
wound was in the left arm, entering
above the elbow and penetrating the
fleshy part of the arm at that point
Witness saw the bullet after it was
removed 1t had penetrated both
lungs and it was his opinion that the
deceased came to his death from in
ternal hemorrhage, caused therefrom.
He saw the bullet holes in the de.
ceased's clothing. which holes CORE
sponded with the wounds upon the
body.
Witness stated that Faunt Downey
was stin alive when he arrived on the
scene, but was in dying condition
He made an examination OF the body
at that time. He stated that the
wounds in the head and arm would not
have proved fatal.
T. D. Hansen, undertaken at Verden
said he was sitting in his office across
the street from the Ellis grocery store
wher the shooting took place. His at
tention was attracted by the shots ana
running out, he saw Henry and Ed
Cornett standing on the curb rant
Faunt Downey in the act Of falling IN
to the gutter. Ed Cornett was stand
ing west of the Ellis grocery store
and he thought he saw gun in hii
hand. Later he stated that it was il
his left hand. He saw Henry Cornett
but did not notice whether or not h
had gun in his hand, his attention