Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1915-03-20
The Trial of Ernest Wilson and
Rubber Chain Began Yes
terday Morning.
WILL TAKE SEVERAL DAYS.
Charged With The Murder Of
John M. RenShaw Last
Fall...Tried Jointly.

The jury in the Renshaw case was
completed yesterday morning and
the trial of Ernest Wilson and "Bub.
Der" Chain, colored, was begun.
They are charged with the murder
of the former Republican sheriff John
M. Renshaw last fall. The men will
be tried jointly. A special panel of
names we're drawn from the jury
wheel Thursday evening, in order to
complete the jurv.
| There are nearly a hundred wit
nesses and the case promises to
occupy several days. At the exam
lining trial the testimony for the
prosecution was rcumstantial, but
it is understood that now much new
evidence is to be presented. Also at
the examining trial the defense pre-
scented an alibi for both defendants.
This will probably be adhered to now.
, Mr.. Renshaw was shot through
the head with a pistol as he was
driving into town one afternoon last
fail. He was shot at point on the
GAINESVILLE pike, one of the most i'm
portant roads in the county, a short
distance out of town, but so far no
eyewitness has been found. Mr..
Renshaw lived for nine days. but he
never regained consciousness or told
anything that would shed light on
the affair. Mr.. Renshaw was one of
1.-THE foremost citizens of the county
and was a .well-to-do stock breeder.
The attorneys for the defense are
c. H. Bush, j. c. Duffy and Southell&
Son. The prosecution is locked after
by Attorneys Denny P. Smith and
Ira d. Smith.
THE JURY.
Nick Edwards, E. r. Watson. Geo.
Underwood, f. A. Halle, w. C.
Payne, C. Z. Mann, B. F. Wright.
wv. A. Stroube, j. C. Fleming, r. H.
Kemp, r. H. Rives and v. III. AGREE.
The taking of testimony began
aboxt IL O'Clock and good Roadway
was made. DR.. ]. B. jackson testa-
fed as to the wound in MIR. Rem
shaw"s head and its fatal nature.
Jared R. Renshaw, the son of the
deceased, told of meeting his father
in buggy, hat off and leaning over
as if very i'll. He jumped out of his
Town buggy and assisted him. Found
blood on his arm from putting it
around him but didn't know h. had
been shot until he turned his buggy
around and took his father home.
His hat when picked up had blood on
lit. He was going home from the
fair ground. 1t was Sept. 25th.
Mrs. Dalton and daughter, Miss
Cecil Dalton, testified that they were
just ahead of Jared Renshaw and
met Mr.. Renshaw in buggy, his hat
off and stopped over. The son met
bis father. turned round and in tax.
ing him home passed their buggy.
Robley Rex. aged IL, was 10 a
buggy with Mr.. Atkins and his faith.
er. Hugo Rex. Saw Mr.. Renshaw's
hat in road and met him in buggy.
Saw two negro men. one large one
with light blue clothes with stripes
and a wide brim hat. The other, a
smaller man. wore a cap. They
squatted down and backed into a
hedge on the right. near the river,
where later the tracks were found.
Didn't know defendants at that time.
Was about or O'Clock.
VIM. Shepherd was working 400
yards away and heard the shot.
Raised up and located it in the fiat
west of the bridge. as he thought.
Saw no one and resumed his work.
Was about o'clock.
Hugo Rex was with his little son.
but did not make material witness.
Judge W. I. Fowler said he had a
contract with Wilson to cut field of
corn just before the shooting and
that Wilson abandoned the. contract
after the shooting collected what
was due him from Mrs. Fowler. and
disap peared. He saw the tracks and