Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1920-09-25

Lawrence ha0 Sc IN ben GOOQ go up into
his (Haggard's) apartment about $50
at night.
| Haggard said that Nelson Strobe had
| told him that he had seen Mrs. Haggard
| in the rear seat of an automobile with
Ben Good; that Ben Good had told him
| (Strode) that he had taken walks at
night with Mrs. Haggard; that he had
been to the show twice with her.
Witness said Strobe gave the infor-
nation reluctantly.
Haggard was overcome with emotion
on the witness stand. He said he had
felt that his home was broken up; that
his baby was disgarEed.
Witness saIu was greatly disturb
ed in mind during his talk with Ben
Good.
Haggard said later while he and J.
Boone were talking on the street his
wife and the baby came up. and Mrs.
Haggard said the baby was making
them all cry by wanting to see her
daddy" He promised to buy her a
doll buggy and they went back to Mr..
Mullins
Haggard said his wife on August 26
confessed that she had done wrong
and urged him to forgive her for the
baby's sake. They cried and the baby
loved them both around the neck"
His wife said if he (Rodney) did not
take her back her daddy would attend
to him and Nelson Strobe.
Just previous to the killing, while he
and Good were in the restaurant, Good
'sneered" at him.
Witness said he was carrying the
pistol. because he believed from his
Wife's statement. that Mr.. Mullins
would attack him. Witness did mot
know Good was in town.
After buying the second cigar, wit
ness said he went out of the restaurant
had turned to strike a match to light
his cigar. and when he turned again
Ben Good was right in his face" {"
struck him and shot him." the witness
said. because 1 believed he meant to
attack me-"
Witness said at the time of the kill
ing he believed Good had created u
breach between him and his wife
After witness knocked Good down.
some one (whom he afterward found
out was Virgil Lary) held him (the
witness) and he fired the shots.
Witness was cross examined by John
r. Allen. He denied that he called his
wife bad names or that he had struck
his wife.
Witness said he had not seen his
wife at the home of his uncle, Gordon
Haggard, since she had been there but
he talked to her over the phone last
night. He said she had escaped from
custody" at Mullins home.
Witness said at the time he had kill
ed Good, he did not believe his wife's
relations were criminally intimate with
Good. He believed that Good had
'weaned his wife's affections away
FIR hi
had gone to his apartment during his
absence and he believed he went there
for no good purpose"
He said he had gone to the tent show
after his wife had left the note on the
curtain to see if she was telling. the
truth. He had not investigated to
learn if his wife had had any engage
ment with Mr.. and Mrs. Hunt HadIey
to go to the show.
After the occurrence he and his wife
lived together until June
Witness said that his wife told him
that her deposition in which she said
he had told her to take 'the damn
squalling baby" to he. fathers had
been given under "duress of Jim Null
Inns"
He said Mrs. Haggard had said she
had been told she would get a lot of
money out of him.
Witness said he did not know if his
wife was at home at the time Good was
reported to have entered his apart
ment.
Witness said that he believed that
the Say. Kid" note was not written
to Mrs. Albert Curry. That he beIiev-
ed his wifes sister and parents were
to be away when the four were to meet
at the Mullins home.
Witness admitted that he had never
seen note or memento sent by Ben
Good to his wife.
The only information he had was
what Nelson Strobe and Joe Frazier
had told him. He learned regarding
the length of time Good is said to have
stayed in his apartment from one of
his attorneys since the killing
Witness had never seen Good and his
wife together except twice, once talk
ing i'm front of Rupard-Stewart store
and again at the tent show.
1t may be safely said that there has
never been such interest in any case in
the Clark circuit court in many years.
When the doors weer opend after
the noon hour, there was ia grand
rush" by immense crowd which had
packed the lobby. The glass was
broken from the door women's hats
most taken off his feet in his attempt
to close the doors and keep order.
Rodney Haggard resumed his testi-
mony. He said hih wife had denied
ever writing line to Ben Good. She,
explained the name of Good on the
blotter by saying she was in a habit
of writing what she was thinking of,
while talking over the phone. He in
quired why the mans name was on her
mind.
He said his wife had asked him the
day before the killing to forgive her.
and be reconciled to her. He had re-
fused
Haggard had carried the pistol only
two nights Thursday and Friday
nights. He said his wife had threatened
on Thursday to "have her daddy attend
to him and Nelson Strobe"
Witness said he had had some di-----
Guilty with Mullins shortly after his
marriage with Mr.. Mullins, daughter.
T,,st boforo tho killing rd said