The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1916-06-02
HIGHl'S TEAMS USED
BECAUSE OTHERS WERE
MOI 10 Be OBTAINED
WERE NOT HIRED BY COMMITS.
sloNER TO HIMSELF AS
CHARGED.
DEFENDANT ON THE STAND
SHOWS That Lumber Hauled To BRIDGE
Was Pursuant to an Order of the
Court and Work Was Not Done as a
Road Commissioner.

SoAihAoolonOl clay 4. Hight was on
the witness stand at the road inyesti.
cation in his own behalf on Friday
afternoon. The commissioner made a
good witness He made prompt, clear
and straightforward replies to the nu.
merous questions asked him.
In substance, the commissioner tes.
titled that his teams had hauled on
the highway, but that they were hired
from his driver, who had a lease con.
tract for the teams; that under the ar
rangement between him and Gillian,
the latter had the use of the teams
and the right to hire them out when
ever not required in the crop; that
under this arrangement the teams
were worked on the road; that they
did good work and that he would not
as an original proposition care to hire
his teams for the price received.
Mr.. Hight also testified that there
was an emergency requiring more
teams in the construction of the high
way; that it was impossible to get the
people to furnish the teams neces.
sary; that work was dragging at the
work house and that the teams which
he owned were worked under these
conditions. His fellow commissioners
also testified to the same effect.
On the question of hauling the lum.
Der. Mr. Hight showed by the records
Of the county court that he was APP
pointed for the express purpose OF re-
pairing the bridge in question, and
that this work was done pursuant to
the orders of the court and not as a
road official of the county.
A question asked Justice of the
Peace Washington p Russell regard
ing a conversation he had with r. A.
Wilkes, that might have, if answered,
thrown food of light upon the mo
tives of the prosecution, was ruled out
as immaterial by the committee.
J. H. Murphy, county road commits
sioner, under the questioning Of Mr..
PEBBLES, stated that the road commits
sioners visited the work house while
Hicks Richardson was superintendent
and found the work dragging and not
progressing as rapidly as it should,
he said that upon questioning Mr..
Richardson as to the cause Of the
drag, that he stated that it was impos-
sible to get teams for love nor money,
that the farmers were busy with their
crops and would not furnish him teams
under any consideration.
4. G. Hughes, county road commits
sioner, was then called to the stand
and in answer to Mr.. PEBBLES ques-
tions, stated that he with Mr. Hight
and Mr.. Hill, had discussed the matter
of using Mr.. Nights teams and upon
being informed that If they were used
at all, they were to be hired from Mr..
Gillian, that Mr.. Gillian had con-
tract with Mr.. Hight to use the teams
at any time or anywhere he saw fit
when not busy with them on the farm
and that Mr.. Hight had nothing to do
with them, they finally decided to use
them. Mr.. Hughes also stated that a
wage of $3.50 per day was to be paid
for a driver and team. Mr.. PEBBLES
then asked him, if it was not against
the law to pay over that amount or
more than twenty-five cents per hour
| for ten hours day. Mr.. Hughes stat
ed that he thought it was. Upon being
cross -examined by J. H. Dining, Mr..
Hughes stated that it was impossible
for a team to work over eight hours a
lay in the winter time and at thirty
cents per hour the total would not be
over the amount allowed by law.
When asked as to the progress made
| IN the road after a meeting OF the
citizens in that vicinity and the road
commissioners together with County
Judge Mcknight and County Attorney
Toe Whitthorne, had been called at
Parks Station, Mr.. Hughes said, the
work progressed with more rapidity,
hat DR.. Orr had been placed in charge
# the organization and it was not SO
hard to procure teams.
At $40 o'clock counsel for the pros
acution announced that with the posi-
BILE exception of two witnesses the
case against Mr.. Hight was closed.
Hon. Wash P. Russell, justice OF the
peace from the Second district, was
called. Mr.. Russell was asked If ne
had not had on last Monday CONVEX
sation with R. A. Wilkes, the complain
ant and did not Mr.. Wilkes at that
time say to him that had the county
court not insisted upon re-elecing Mr..
Hight and ramming him down the
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