Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1920-09-24

! The commonwealth rested and
| Judge Benton made the state
ment for the defense.
| The Defense
Judge Benton said only "skel-
eton case" had been presented SO
far, comparing the evidence of the
prosecution with an artists work,
who made sketches with a pencil
and left only an outline of the
real picture. Judge Benton charg
ed that Ben Good chad a reputa-
tion for popularity among young
married women of which he was
rather proud"
| The speaker said the fact that
Rodney Haggard's father in 1901
took his own life would have a
significance in the case.
| He said that Rodney Haggard
was left fatherless at II years OF
Iage, that he became an industri-
Gus and prosperous young law
lyer. He married Nancy Mullins
labout four and one-half years ago
lived happily until about the last
lof April, 1920.
/ Judge Benton said Haggard
| (his home broken up) had gone to
ia restaurant to get meal. He
said after Haggard ate his lunch
| he went into the pool room and
read the evening paper and later
returned and bought another ci-
gar and started to his rooms
when the shooting occurred.
| Later, in May, when Haggard
returned from Lexington he
found a note on the door saying
she (Mrs. Haggard) had gone to
the tent show with Mr.. and Mrs
Hunt Hadley. Haggard went to
the show and saw her seated with
Ben God.
| Judge Benton said in June when
Rodney was away from home
Ben Good was seen by Mr.. and
Mrs. Charles Long and Mrs Dal-
las Lawrence to go up steps lead
ing to the Haggard apartments.
He stayed there at least Is to 20
minutes.
Judge Benton said Haggard
found fragments of a note in the
handwriting of his wife with the
words, "Say, Kid. leave the chill
dren with Mrs. Locknane and
come down to Polly's. N S. and
B. G. will be there, and l promised
to have you there at least 10 min
utes.'
i Judge Benton said these ini-
tials referred to Nelson Strobe
and Ben Good.
He said Haggard found on a
blOtter, "Mr. Ben Good, City.
Another note read, "Who taught
you how to write such nice letters
and say the right thing to please
the feminine mind?"
Haggard then sent his wife's
j trunk to her fathers home.
Benton said, Nelson STROBE tolt
Rodney Haggard that he had seer
his (Rodney's) wife in company witt
Good had told him (Strode) that he
had walked with Mrs. Haggard {
number of times.
. Judge Benton said on the day be.
fore the tragedy, Mrs. Haggard hac
confessed to her husband that "she
} had done wrong" and asked for his
forgiveness.
He told her her conduct forbade
forgivness, that "his home was brok
en- up and his baby disgraced'
During the speech of Judge Bentor
the defendant broke down for tho
first time and wept quietly.
Just before the shooting, while the
two men were in the restaurant
Good had one hand in his pocket ant
Haggard believed he meant to attacl
him; that Good "sneered' at Haggart
as he went out, Judge Benton said.
Benton said the defendant was no
standing on "any unwritten law,
but that Haggard's mind was in sucl
state that the writtne law woult
Justify the shooting;- that Haggart
was proud and high spirited youne
man" and that he could not help bu
kill him
After Judge Benton closed tn,
statement for the Defense, Judg,
Shackelford announced that Benton
being the only lawyer for the defens'
who was sufficiently familiar with th'
defendants testimony, to examine
him, was physically exhausted, the
defendant would not be put on TIT
: stand until court was resumed OF
Friday morning.
uON1uHrr