The Pensacola journal., 1917-07-08

Blackwell brothers and Mrs. AtweIl.
Mr.. Laird asked if it was not eco
operation" between attorneys, and
not witnesses meant-that the same
attorney or firm of attorneys should
handle the interests of all three de-
PENDANTS, arrested in connection with
the Davis murder. Mr.. McGeachy
understood it was the witnesses to
which reference was made; he was,
however, reluctant to give this testi-
mony, which was forced out by Mr..
Laird himself. Letter was not pro-
duced in evidence.
A Hand in the Dark.
Little Fannie Atwell, daughter of
the star witness for the state, just
budding into womanhood, went on
the stand for the second time and
told how on the night of the murder
she was sleeping with her mother in
Win Blackwell's room when about
daybreak she was awakened by Will
putting his hand through a broken
window light and swapping his
fingers. Fannie then left the room;
with great cheerfulness she acknowl-
edged that she "told the coroner's
jury everything but the truth" being
| coerced by her mother to give testi-
mony favoring Wills alibi.
DIR. E. A. Fleming, dentist, told
how the day after the killing. Will
although he had an engagement to
have his teeth attended to, did not
seem well, and put it off.
Bob's Alibi.
Rufus Cannon, marshal of Tallas-
i k1-.&
against Bob Blackwell, when he told
| how he had arrested the prisoner at
| that place under the name of "F
Black He told me he was not the
man when / arrested him." On being
! informed that someone would bG
there within an hour to identify him
Bob declared, according to witness
"Well, there amt no use to deny il
! no longer. Blackwell is by name,
| but added that he was in Alabama al
| the time of the murder for which the
| marshal told him he was being held
J Later he told me he was in Pensa
cola that night, and he said to me
| 4 wonder if they have caught tho
woman He said he knew the detec'
| tive was on his trail; that was the
reason he left Sylacauga'"
Sheriff Sutton also declared Boil
had denied being in Florida for some
months.
| Greater Sensations to Come.
At this point the state rested 1t!
| case; still greater sensations ar'
however promised for the rebuttal.
| Defense Scores.
The first witness for the defens'
was w. n. Hartgrove, who estab
| lished Wills whereabouts that Jan
uary day when the prisoner went II
Obie Adams automobile to Light
wood Knot creek, a few miles from
the Davis house. Will went to sci
him, witness testified, about the lat
election, both Hartgrove and Black
we'll had been candidates, and WI
was trying to crystalline sentimen
to contest them. This again bring
in the Sutton fight, the poitica
/ frame-up motive which is the Black
| wells principal defense. Oble Adam
had previously testified for the stat
that it was in February that vii
made the trip, but admitted whel
/ called by the defense that he nigh
have been mistaken. When vii
next went to that neighborhood II
! Obie's car, it was on election day
| March 3, when the county seat issue
was being settled, and viii with hl'
| huge automatic, II appears, slmpl!
went down there to do some election
eering. 1t is the theory of the state
| that he went down to reconnoltre th'
Davis home.
Mystery of the Snuff Drummer.
By I. J. Martin, prosecution wit
ness later subpoenaed by the defense
the defense attempted to prove tina
Bob Blackwell picked up a handcut
kew during the last trial, the trla
interrupted that same night by Wllft
sensational leap from flying auto
mobile. an escape which Will say
was bought and paid for.
The Key on the Floor.
Bob Blackwell, it appears, wa
seated on the left side of the bar
and a snuff drummer named Moor
was seated Immediately behind hin
Detective Moore was seated in tn
aisle of the court room, some feV
feet away. Mr.. Martin declare'
that he saw Bob Blackwell stoop an
pick UP a handcuff key from unde
his chair, a "little, fiat key"
| Whether the defense wishes t
prove that Moore the Detective CAV
Moore the Snuffman, the key to pas
to Bob, or whether it wishes to prov
that the latter Moore saw the forme
do it, was not clear. Upon motion o
the prosecution, the testimony wa
stricken, but may be again intro
, duced, as the state ordered a sub
poena to be issued for the Snuffmar
now in Pensacola. The defense ha
not summoned him.
. Babcock's Favorable Testimony.
L. H. Babcock, a boarder who cam
to Mrs. Eliza Atwell's house to li<
the day before the murder, testifet
that the woman had come to hi