Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1922-12-13
HARDIE SMITH
MAIN WITNESS
Foe Commonwealth Wednesday,
at Trial of Hardman for
Renaker Murder.
GHy Associated T-essl

Icy Associated TEesSl
Manchester, Ky, Dec. 13-The
trial of 5cobee Hardman. charg-
eG with the murder of Leor
Kenaker, wealthy WINCHESTER
business man, entered the third
day today The hearing of tcst-
.mcny by commonwealth wit,
nesses, begun yesterday, was re-
sUmed. Court attTches saw a
possibility th;.; the introduction
of evidence by the common
wealth might. be completed by
tonight.
Hlardic Su .th was the out
standing witness OF the forenoon
session.
Other witnesses testified about
barge on which young people
gave a party as relating 10 tic
time l1ar,lman and Fax arc said
to have crossed the river.
The commonwealth attorneys
today fuueed the story that al
ifate husband whose wife wa
alleged to be friendly with Ren-
akcr. was responsible Tor the
murder and that it would be the
principal defense vi .FIardman.
1t was SAID in other quarters al
alibj and III attcl!.pt to prove I
good character for Hardman
was likely 20 be the principal dc
tense.
Witnesses were put on th,
stand by the commonwealth 10
support its contention thar
IIardman and Reese Fox drove
eli automobile from the kcnakcr
home on the night cf the muir
der.
Hardin Smith, fcrryman at
BooneSEoro, testified he terried
both men across the river after
midnight on July 9th. He sad.
both men we're in an automobile.
Thomas Blackey, of Winches-
ter, testified he heard a rapidly
moving automobile comm 8
down the street from the direc-
tion of the Renakcr home but
did not see it. He said it was
after midnight but he could not
fix the day Of tho week.
Testimony for the state. which
was begun yesterday. conferred
principally upon the character 0
the relations between the de
fendant and Mrs. Nancy Gather
inc Renaker, widow of the slain
commission merchant.
Testimony introduced by the
prosecution followed closely t;.aI
Of the examining trials. Emer,
vino lives near the !
home Of Tee Hardman, the de-
PENDANTS father. at Austcrlitz !
Bourbon county, and a brother ,
OF the young mans divorced |
wiic, testified that he had seen
Scobce Hardman and Mrs. Rcn-
akcr together frequently and in
tinated that their relations wer.
more intimate than the defense
assrtcd. Other witnesses testi-
fed having seen them together
at different times.
From 3 to + o'clock in the af +,
ternoun at the request Of Marr, |
Kcmper, CommonWealth's attor
rcy of Fayette county and spc |
cal attorney for the prosecution
the jury was taken to view the
lienakcr home. the bedroom in
which Renaker was murdered.
the back door from which the /
slayer left and the home. near
by. OF Mrs. Harry Prather, who
testified that on the night Of tic
she had been awakened |
by an automobile, leaving the
lot behind the Renaker home
and had seen a roadster leave /
and heard a mans voice say
have finished it."
1t was announced Tuesday ID |
attorneys that IIardman wil;i
take the stand i'll his own behalf
as the first witness for the de
fensc.
The first night session was
held last night, Mr.. Kimball hav-l
ing been the last witness before
the two-hour recess from 5 to Il
o'clock.
During the visit Of the jury to
the Renakcr home Judge w K
Shackelford took charge of the
jury and permitted only one at
torney from each 5 de to accom-
pany them. The defendant, i'll
custody of the jailer, as provid-
ed by law, was also taken on
this tour of inspection. No 9TH
ers were permitted to accompa-
ny them.
The first show of emotion OH
the part of any of the three de-