The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1914-01-30
STATE MAKING OUT STRONG CASE
ON CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE
AGAINST DAVISFOR WIFE MURDER

oAS IOulu repeat IuellI ANY way the
witness seemed to have succeeded
pretty well, because she repeated a
string of these ''cuss" words half
a mile long.
On cross examination Judge KrausS
asked the witness if she did not feel
bitter against Davis, and she quickly
replied in the negative. He then ask
ed her regarding a conversation he
had with her at Thalmann few days
ago. Il don't know nothing about that,
| am on the stand now and am swear
ing to what I'm telling she replied
Well isn't it true, Mrs. Byrd" ask
ed the attorney, that you told some
one up at Thalmann that you wanted
to see Davis neck broken?' That's
a lie," she replied; don't come into
the court room with all that you hear
outside" She admitted, however, that
she had made the statement that il
Davis committed the crime with which
he is charged that he should not be in
Jail, but should have been lynched.
Mrs Byrd was kept on the stand for
some little time and she really prov
ed bird Of witness, refusing to be
interrupted by the attorneys or anyone
else when she started out to tell
something.
r. R. AInett testified as to a con-
versation he had with Davis several
days before the bones of Mrs. Davis
! lA u +hoA
conversation he had asked Davis
where his wife was and that he stat
ed that he did not know, that she had
disappeared. On the cross-examina-
tion Arnett stated, however, that Da-
Wis, during the conversation, did not
say that he had anything to do with
her disappearing.
T. D. Ricks testified that Davis, In
a conversation with him, had demon
strated that he was bitter toward his
wife. He said that he was present
at the camp when Mrs Davis visited
her husband and that Davis remarked
to her: Get away from this camp,
don't want to ever see your d. face
again; if you put your face where |
can see it again l will take a stick and
maui h. out of you.' On cross-exam-
ination the witness stated that this
was all that he heard and that he had
! never heard Davis threaten to kill his
wife.
| Luke Blount stated that he had
engaged in a conversation with Davis
over the trouble between he and his
wife and that Davis had stated that
his wife would never appear against
| him.
Sim Blount also testified that he
had heard Davis discuss the affair
with his wife and that he heard him
threaten her, and said that he would
spend the remainder OF his life in Jail
before he would pay her alimony.
Bolt in Evidence.
| The iron bolt IL inches long and
one inch in diameter, with which the
state is claiming the murder was COM
mitted and which was used by Davis
was brought into evidence when ]. A.
| Williamson was placed on the stand.
4nr. Williamson proved damaging
witness as far as circumstantial evi-
dence was concerned. In identifying
| the bolt, which was found near the
scene of the murder, he stated that
he was a wheelwright and worked at
the mill of the Georgia Coast Lumber
Co, as did DAVIS. He stated that he
had worked on the bolt and that there
was a defect in it, consequently he
was quite sure that it was the same
bolt. He said it came into the black
smith shop and that, in making the
threads in it that a mistake was made
which attracted his attention; that
washer was placed on it and that the
bolt in evidence showed evidence of
being badly cut, this having been the
result Of the washer. While he said
he could not swear that the bolt found
near the scene of the body was the
same one, still he was quite certain
tnat it was.
Some new evidence, heretofore not
known, was also brought out by MIR
Williamson, in connection with bag
belonging to the dead woman. This
Dag, together with other articles, in
cluding bracelet, some keys, etc,
was found between where the body
was found and Thalmann, on Dec. "a.
All Of the articles were identified as
the property Of Mrs. Davis. The tele-
gram which she had received from J.
r. Davis on Oct. % was also in the
bag. He further testified that short
distance from where the bag was
found a horse had been hitched to
small tree. There was every indica-
Ion Of this, he said, including horse
hair caught here and there about the
tree. This evidence was brought out
| by the state in an effort to connect
LAWS directly with the crime, it hav-
ing been stated by other witnesses
that he left near Thalmann on the
night the murder is supposed to have
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