The Mena weekly star., 1920-10-28
ALVIN HUGHES IS

lu the CtUSiuE aIEulUttAtS bV tiAt Jt-S which were brief, Attorney A. Al. aic- Donald opened for the prosecution and Attorney DuLaney closed. Both men asked for the infiiction of the severest penalty allowed by law.
 Attorney McPhetrige made touch ing plea for mercy and asked the jury to consider the mental condition of the young prisoner. The attorney for the defense had an unpleasant duty to perform but he did it faithfully and well and his final argument before the jury was the closing portion of q hard days work.
 Story of Finding the Victim.
 Ernest Marshall, assistant at the forest rangers station at Eagleton, was the first witness called by the state He told of the search made in the foothills of the Blackfork moun- tains near Eagleton, for Ellis Man. kins. and the finding of the young Scott county farmers body Marshall located the place where the body was found in Polk county about one-fourth mile from the Scott county line.
 Marshall told of tracing the route taken by Mankins after he was shot to the point where the almost lifeless remains were found. He testified that the trail was marked by blood stains and by grass and weeds pulled up by the dying man as he painfully dragged, himself over the ground.
 The young forester stated that Man kins had moved "240 steps" after hav- ing been shot down. The place where the wounded man was found was about three-fourths mile south and west from Young's house in ravine.
 w. c. Mankins of Boles, an uncle of the murdered man, testified as to his nephew's failure to return home and of the search made for him He told of the finding of young Mankins' body and of it's removal to the Young house, where death occurred
 s. c. Payne, forest ranger, corro- boated the evidence given that the place Mankins met his death was in Polk county.
 Mrs. Hattie Mankins, widow of the murdered farmer, told of the first ap- pearance of the defendant at the Man. lins home near Boles. This was on Monday, the day preceding tbe mur- der. She did not know Hughes name but heard him ask her husband to bring his team to Eagleton and move him to Boles."
 At first Mankins declared he did not have the time to spare from his farm work and offered the stranger the use of the team and wagon. To this arrangement the visitor demur- red, saying that he didn't want to use any mans team when the owner wasn't there.
 It was not until the man on trial offered to pay the sum of $20 for the hauling from Eagleton to Boles that her husband consented, Mrs. Mankins testified. An agreement was made to start the next morning. Mrs. Man kins testified their visitor did not spend the night at their home, because of lack of accommodations, but was oIi hand early Tuesday morning. The last time shes aw her husband alive was when he and the defendant drove away together Tuesday morning. She stated she did not learn the defend ants name until after her husband had been killed.
 Bud Sims of Boles, brother-in-law of Mankins, corroborated his sisters testimony regarding the wis of the prisoner to the field where Mankins was working and requesting Ellis to take his team to Eagleton and "movev the visitor to Boles.
 Mrs. Eva Young, who lives near the sawmill camp, close to Eagleton, iden- tified the prisoner as having been known there by the name of Dunbar, and as having worked at the sawnill. She testified to seeing Mankins and the defendant pass her home late in the afternoon of October 5. Dunbar or Hughes carried a gun, and the Young's dog was with them. This was about 3:30 or o'clock Tuesday after noon. She supposed they were going hunting.
 Mrs. Young testified she did not see either of the men come back, but sometime after dark, some one passed her house, coming from the direction Mankins and Dunbar had gone earlier in the day. The Young's dog came back at the same time this unknown person passed.
 Shortly before this Mrs. Young heard shot fired in the woods in the direction where the dog and the two men had gone. It was probably 30 or 40 minutes after the shot was heard that the dog came home.
 Clarence Young, husband of the preceding witness, ssciss! eE knowing the defendant at the sawmill camp by the name of Dunbar. He also told of the body of Mankins being brought to his home and of the murdered man dying there the same evening.
 Tom Hutlow, also a sawmill worker at Eagleton, testified to knowing the defendant by the name of Dunbar, and of his working at the camp He told of seeing the accused coming from the direction of the place where Mankins body was found on Tuesday night. The next morning Dunbar came to the Hutlow home and offered to sell some household goods. The witness stated he declined to buy, but asked what be- came of the man Dunbar was with the day before.
 To this the prisoner replied. "I think he went to Rich Mountain to take train" Later in the day when Dunbar was seen in possession of team and wagon, the prisoner is said to have stated he bought them for $10O but didn't say from whom he made the purchase. When last seen Dunbar's wife was driving the team towards with the defendant follow ing leading a COW.
 Mrs. Hutlow, wife of the preceding witness, corroborated her husbands testimony regarding the name used by the defendant at the sawmill and of Dunbar's visit to her home Wednesday, morning and offering to sell some household goods. She added testi- fn {L<. x.{c 1.