The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1919-04-15

| unexpected turn this morning just
before noon when Virgil Kittren
the defendant, was placed en- the
witness stand in his own behalf and
told his story of the shooting OF
Scott
Kittrell's testimony served to in.
troduce a mysterious third party
into the case, who, according to Kit
trell, was a Ft, Sill soldier named
Edwards" and who, the witness de.
clared shot the officer Kittrel told
Of leaving F't Sill with Woodall and
how they met Edwards" at the
first station this side Of Ft. Sill, the
three coming on to Chickasha to-
gether. The defendant told of his
arrest by the officers and of the
chase after Woodall. He stated
that when Scott had him under ar.
rest and while they were on the
Rock Island bridge, Scott dubbed
him with his "billy" and that he
(Kittrell) called for Edwards, who
was still in hiding under one of the
railroad bridges. The witness stat
ed that Edwards came out of hid
ing, pulled gun and shot Scott
and that he (the defendant) turned
and ran back across the bridge and
away to the north
The witness showed disposition
to argue with County Attorney Cav
aness on cross examination and was
sharply called down by Moman Pru-
lit, counsel for the defense for the
practice. The defendant could not
tell where Edwards" hailed from
originally, stating that he met the
man only that morning.
During the recitation of his story,
lttrell told of his escape from FIT
Sill, but became somewhat mixed
under the cross examination fire of
the states attorney as to certain
happenings anu places.
The jury, at the suggestion of the
state. which was agreed to by the
defense counsel, went to the Rock
Island bridge this morning and view.
ed the scene of the tragedy.
Mrs. T. j. Morgan of Dewar Ok
Ia, Kittrell'j mother, is in attend
ance at the trial She sits at the
council table with bowed head and
rarely lifts her gaze from the law
books and papers that litter the ta-
BILE. While her son was on the
stand, however, she gazed intently
in his face and hung carefully toI
every word.
Tells Story of Shooting.
Jess Lillard, l''omot;.c fireman,
who has been in the employ Of the
Rock Island here for ten years, on
the stand told the story of the shoot
ing and the events Immediately pre-
ceding the tragedy.
Lillard said that he first saw
Scott and the prisoner standing on
the Santa Fe tracks and that he was
within four or five feet of the pair.
That he asked Scott if he had the
man under arrest and that the Off
Ger replied that he did.
He said that Scott and the prison.
er later walked down the track and
as they stepped on the Rock Island
bridge, the prisoner stepped back
and behind Scott, pulled a gun and
shot the officer from the back. The
witness said that at the time of the
shooting he was about $50 feet from
the men. He declared that the prls-
oner then held the gun on Scott and
drove him off the south end of the
bridge.
Il jumped of the engine and ran
to Scott" the witness declared "a
asked him if the prisoner had shot
him and Scott said Yes l asked
him to give me his gun but ne could
nit do it because he was holding his
side, so l took the gun hom. his
scabbard and chased the prisoner
who was running away"
Identifies Kittrel.
The witness said the prisoner wore
overalls and ne positively identified
Kittrell as the man. On cross exam
nation the witness was mistaken in
his testimony. He stuck to the sto-
ny that Scott held his side, after the
shooting while the prisoner held a
gun on him and marched him south