The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1920-05-19
WIDOW TESTIFIES
AT MURDER TRIAL
Gives Details of the Triple Ira
gedy of Last Year Near
HazIehurst.

Hazlehurst, Miss, Mag 15,-When
court convened here Saturday morn
ing the case Of the state against J..
q. Robertson, charged with murder,
was taken up, and Judge Miller in
structed the sheriff and deputies to
keep the courtroom perfectly quiet
or arrest the first man who violated
the order. A large crowd was in at
tendance.
in securing the jury to try Robertson
who is charged in three indictments
for the murder of James Boutwell,,
Luther and Lonnie Boutwell,, on the
Robertson place here last May.
The first witness placed on the
stand was Mrs. Laura Boutwell,, wi
dow of James Boutwell,, who testi-
fed as to the location of the two
sons and her husband with reference
to the Robertsons at the packing shed
on the day Of the killing.
The witness testified
Robertson drove up to the gate
and said: Boy, don't drive another
nail Mrs. Robertson ran UP to
the packing shed and struck me on
the head. Mrs. Robertson said:-
Come on Ellison? Robertson said:-
Give them hell until get there and
I will do the rest Luther was on
the shed and came down off the
shed with hatchet in his hand and
came toward Robertson. Luther was
within twenty-five feet of Robertson
when he was shot. He ran short
distance and fell. Just prior to be-
ing shot by Robertson, Luther said
to Robertson: Let's reason this,
don't want any trouble Robertson
said: Reason Cd quick and
shot Luther.
Robertson killed Luther first and
then shot Lonnie and shot the old
man and he fell to his knees, and
Robertson pounded him over the head
with his pistol"
The testimony brought out by the
defense was that the Boutwells did
mot own pistol at the time of the
killing, neither was one found any
where near the bodies after the kill
ing.
The hatchet which Luther Bout
well had when he was killed was ex-
hibited and showed q SCARED handle
supposed to have been done by shot
from Robertson's pistol. Mrs. Bout
well was on the stand some three
hours and never showed any emotions
during the long ordeal of rapid ques-
tioning by attorneys for the defense.
except one time. That was when ref
erence was made by Attorney Nc
Neil, asking witness it she remem-
bered the day of the killing.
DR.. Catching, local physician who
made an examination of the bodies
of the dead men, testified as to the
location of the wounds, which con-
troverted the statements of witnesses
in the preliminary trial.
Mrs. Boutwell's testimony was
somewhat at variance with that giy-
en- in the preliminary, but in sub
stance was the same.
Mrs. Neely Boutwell, Morgan, sis
ter of Luther and Lonnie Boutwell,,
the first witness placed on the stand
in the afternoon, testified that Rob-
ertson armed himself at his home,
that she saw him going to where the
boys were working at the packing
shed, and went to where they were
and told them Robertson was armed,
and had been at the shed only short
time when Robertson and Mrs. Rob-
ertson came. Further testimony
corroborated that of her mother, Mrs.
Boutwell,. She declared she heard
Mrs. Robertson say that he wanted
tomatoes packed at his home or some
one was going to die
The clothing of Lonnie Boutwell,
was exhibited in court for the pur-
pose of locating shots fired into his
body.
Mrs. Nose Ashley, one of the eye
witnesses, testified that she lived near
the scene of the killing, had known
Robertson several years, saw Mrs
Robertson going in the direction OF
the packing shed, heard her say
| "Come on, Ellison" Mrs. Robert.
son grabbed Mrs. Boutwell, and 8
fight ensued. Luther Boutwell, came
down off the packing shed and walk.
ed within a few feet of Robertson
She did not see Robertson until he
fired the first shot. Then she saw
Robertson fire again and Boutwell,
ran some distance before he fell.
/ -