The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1915-02-06
EVIDENCE IN PADGETT CASE IN;
CASE WILL CD To JURY TODAY;
THE EVIDENCE IS CONFLICTING
THE DEFENDANTS STATEMENT.

MO W tlit JNI ldSl
night shortly after 8 o'clock. The
courtroom was crowded at the time
and every word of his statement was
closely listened to.
Padgett said that he left Baxley on
the morning of July 70, on the day of
been committed, to come to Bruins
wick on the Sunday excursion He
arrived at the depot just as the train
was pulling out and did not have
time to purchase IA ticket, but that he
was told he could buy round trip
ticket at Surrency. This he did He
said that he came on to Brunswick,
went to st. Simon and spent a pleas
ant day.
Returning that night he said he
boarded the Southern passenger train
and stood on the front platform for
about two minutes, when he started
into the coach and met the ticket
collector, who looked at his ticket and
then gave it back to him. He said
that the auditor was talking to two
or three men, among them a Mr.. Ken
nedy and j. R. Hurst, and that they
were engaged in a dispute over a tick
ct, and when it looked like fight he
caught the auditor around the neck
in order TO prevent a tight This he
said, was only a few miles out of
Brunswick
Padgett stated that he and one of the
others then sat in seat on the left
hand side of the coach and talked for
Is or 20 minutes, when he removed
his shoes and went to sleep. 81
never moved out of my seat from that
time until the train reached Jesup,"
he said. He then toid of going on to
BaXley; that he slept until 'Surrency
was reached, when the auditor woke
him up to collect a quarter from that
station to BaXley and told him shat
mad better not go back to sleep as
BaXley was the next station. "As to
the evidence of Joe Branch that I told
him had kicked man from the
train, it is absolutely false. | never
made a statement like that to any
man. Neither did | ever make any
such statement to Whitehead"
81 did not know young Wynn" con
tinued the defendant | never saw
him in my life to know him. | might
have seen him when he was little
boy and his father lived al BaXley, but
/ do not remember him."
In concluding his statement, Padgett
said he was innocent of the charge
81 am as innocent as any man on
that jury" he said as he left the
stand.
made to him.
When cross examined by Colonel
Bennett, Branch admitted that he was
drinking man and user of NOR
phine.
After the introduction of one or two
other witnesses the state rested.
Defense Begins.
When court convened at 2:30 yes
terday afternoon the defense opened
it's testimony and, after placing one or
two witnesses on the stand whose evil
dence was not important, it started to
establish an alibi, and by no less than
half dozen witnesses the defense
proved that Padgett went to sleep or
took his seat on the coach when the
train was about four miles from Bruins
wick and that he never left that seat
until the train stopped at Jesup.
Everyone of these witnesses gave
practically the same testimony They
stated that they did not know Padgett
at the time, but they described him
and identified him when he stood Up
for that purpose in the courtroom.
One of these witnesses was Mrs
John Powell, of Dodge county, who
said that she saw Padgett take seat
shortly after the train left Brunswick,
that he went to sleep and did not
move until the train reached Jesup.
She said she did not remember sign
ing any statement, but when shcA'n
her signature to the alleged statement
identified it as her handwriting.
Miss Lula Hurst, of Surrency, testi-
fled about the same She said that
after the alteration on the train she
saw Padgett take a seat; that her
father went and sat down with him
and that they talked for while and
that Padgett then went to sleep and
did not leave his seat again up to the
time she left the train at Surrency.
V. NJ. Dean, of BaXley, testified that
he occupied a seat in the rear coach
near the front and that he never heard
any disturbance on the platform,
where the alleged trouble between
Padgett and Wynn is supposed TO
have occurred On the cross-examina-
tion by Attorney Dunwody, he stated
that there might have been fuss and
he would not have heard it.
J. o. Warnell, Of this city. was next
placed on the stand. His evidence was
to establish the fact that the difficulty
between the auditor and some of the
passengers took place Immediately
after the train left Brunswick He
said it occurred at Dock Junction.
The defense here impeached the evi-