The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1915-02-06
MANY WITNESSES TESTIFY
He WAS ASLEEP ON TRAIN
State Also Makes Out a Strong
Case, and Jury Must Decide
Which Set of Witnesses Is
Telling the Truth.

The case of the state rs. Pete Padg-
cit, charged with the mu der of young
Frank Wynn, will go to The jury today,
All OF the evidence wa concluded
last night shortly after 10 o'clock
After the defendant; mad made his
statement the state put several wit
nesses on the stand in re)uttal and
then closed.
Arguments will begin this morning,
but it had not been decided last night
just how many of the attorne, 8 in the
case will address the jury. It was
stated. however, that probably three
on each side will speak, which .laans
that the case will hardly reach 10
jury before this afternoon.
Evidence Is Conflicting.
Conflicting evidence featured a
great deal of the testimony yesterday,
and the question that the jury will
have to decide is whether the witness
es Of the state or those of the defense
are telling the truth. If the states
witnesses are to be believed, or at
least three or four of them, then a
otioh5 CuoC idp DttIi lndut Olll dSdlllSI
young Padgett on circumStantial evi-
dence. On the other hand. if half
dozen witnesses of the defense are to
be believed, then an alibi has abso-
lutely been established and the de-
fendant will be acquitted
A half dozen or more witnesses
were placed on the stand by the state
yesterday morning and just before the
noon recess the state rested Among
the witnesses was F. II. Landrum,
auditor of the Southern railway. at
one time himself held for the crime.
His testimony was to the effect that
he was on the train the night young
Wynn was killed and that Padgett and
Edmunds were on the train. both of
them drunk and somewhat rowdy. In
the alteration he had with others on
the train, he said, Padgett grabbed
him around the neck Later in the
night he saw Padgett asleep in one of
the seats.
Says Padgett Confessed to Him.
Anderson Whitehead was the first
witness introduced by the state who
gave any really damaging testimony.
He said that Padgett told him while
on the train 81 have already kicked
one -- off the train, and if you
fool with me l will kick you Off"
On the cross examination Whitehead
stated that he got on the train at
Jesup and went to Brentwood to get
some whisky. That he walked around
the streets of the latter place all night,
bought quart of whisky, drank it
and returned to Jesup the next morn
ing He was on the stand for quite
a long time and answered long
skring of questions.
Talked to Crosby.
Clarence Crosby testified that he
was at the depot when Padgett and
others got off the train and that he
walked along chose to them when they
left the station. They stopped near
an icehouse he said and there he heard
Padgett say 81 got me a man." or
something like that.
J. Hirschman, a leading merchant
of Baxley, stated that he was asleep
that AiS III dtIu W do uioIul DCu ny
of the passengers shortly after the
train arrived. Padgett was among the
number and the witness said that the
defendant said to him: Il want you
to stand my bond" Nothing further,
however, was ever heard about the
bond
Branch Testifies.
Joe Branch. whose testimony was
impeached by two Witnesses last
night, was next placed on the stand.
He said that Padgett was noted for
being great talker. He said that
Padgett told him that he had fight
with a man who sat down in the seat
on the train with him. I'VE got into
a fight and was almost pulled off the
train. He went off the train." is the
statement the witness alleged Padgett