The weekly soliphone. (Paragould, Greene County, Ark.) 1907-1918, 1916-12-15
Fatal Conflicts in Testimony Of Prosecut-
ing Witnesses Indicate Defendant
is Victim of Conspiracy.

eleven and twelve o'clock on Sat
urday night, July Is, he heard
screams issuing from the cabin. He
remembered it was July 15 because
it was his daughters birthday. jim
/ Sparks and Howard Ellis who had
been to Paragould, were returning
home in a buggy that night and
after they got beyond the murder
cabin they heard a woman scream
several times in the cabin. They
fixed the time between eleven and
! twelve o'clock on Saturday night,
July Is, because they had been to
Paragould to see about the ship
mant of a corpse to Marmaduke.
Mrs. MCGOWAN, who also resides
near the cabin, heard screams be-
tween eleven and twelve o'clock Sat
urday night, July Is. She remem-
bered the date because she had at
tended church at Unity which is
held regularly on the second Sat
urday in July. Another witness
named Adams testified to hearing
Il woman scream in the cabin that
night.
From all this testimony it APP
peared certain that Skinner was
murdered in the cabin on Saturday
night, July Is, between the hours
of eleven and twelve O'Clock.
The principal witnesses against
Brandon are Louie Brewer and Lii
lie McDonigal, two abandoned wo-
men, who testified that on Satur-
day afternoon, July Is, they came
/ TO Paragould, remained here until
nine or ten o'clock. attended a pic
ture show at the Majestic theatre
on South Pruet street, rode on the
steam swing on North Pruet street,
and then started home with some
on the Iron Mountain railroad track
in company with Jack Goode when
| Mum Brandon and Lon Bolin over
| took them. The Brewer woman said
she and Goode walked on up the
track while Lille McDonigal en-
Igagcd in conversation with Bran
don anu Bolin. Brandon and the
| McDonigal woman exchanged hot
words and Brandon slapped or
Istruck her. After some further par
Ileying Brandon and Bolin started
women and Jack Goode went north
to the Cotton Belt school house
where they stopped for short
time. Upon resuming their walk
toward their cabin they were over
taken by Harry Skinner in a bug
gy. The two women got in the
buggy, leaving Goode, and were
driven to their cabin home by
skinner. Here they left their gro
ceries and then drove to the home
of Bud Davis to get Lille McDoni-
turn to the cabin they ate supper
land were seated in the room talk
| ing when Brandon came in. Both
women testified he began cursing
and abusing Lille McDonigal who
was sitting on the side of the bed
with Skinner. Skinner remonstrat-
ed and asked Brandon not to curse
the women Brandon told Skinner
Iif he said another word he would
| kill him. Skinner left the bed,
walked to the door, turned with
his face toward Brandon and said,
"You can kill me but you can't eat
me-" Brandon advanced to Skin
ner and struck him in the face,
then drew his knife and began stab
bling him. The McDonigal woman
says she tainted and saw no more
of the fight. The Brewer woman
said Brandon continued to stab
Skinner, and during the butchery
| turned to her and threatened to
kill both women if they ever told
ON him. She said the two men
fought across the room and that
Skinner finally fell on set of
springs in the corner of the room.
Brandon picked up SINNERS body
and went out the front door, said
the Brewer woman. She saw no
more of Brandon and never knew
what he did with the body. Two
months later SINNERS remains were
found in PurcelPs woods lot mile
from the scene of the killing.
The Brewer woman said she