Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1922-12-18
SATURDAY. night.

Of the most important witnesses being
Hart Robinson, who stated that h.
saw Reese Fox and man he thought
to be Scobee Hardman in an automo-
bile on the Muddy Creek pike between
$50 and Z o'clock on the morning of
July 25th, following the night on
which the murder is said to have been
committed. FOx's grandparents tes-
tilted that he was asleep at his home
at that time, having come In about
three minutes to II o'clock the night
before, and Hardman's sister, Mrs
Clyde Douglas, stated that she heard
him come into her apartment when
her clock showed the hour to be 20
minutes to II the night before, and
that she saw and heard him there
about o'clock in the morning. Mr..
Robinson was mistaken in his teSti-
mony when questioned by the defense.
William Asher, who operated the
ferry at Boonesboro, was introduced
to testify that he and Hardin Smith
| were on the ferry all night, July "a
and that he was not awakened at $3.50
OF 80 a. NJ, by William Massie, who
! testified for the defense that he rowed
across the river ,awoke Asher, who
was alone on tn boat ,and had him taKa
the ferry back across to the Clark
| county side to take his automobile
over. Hardin Smith has been spe-
cial target for the defense, but has
remained firm in his contention that
he ferried Hardman and Fox across
the Kentucky river from the Clark to
the Madison county side long time
after midnight on the night of July
24th.
The defense has also been unable t.
introduce witnesses to discredit tho
statement of Ed Mckee, negro, that he
saw Hardman in a Dodge roadster
with another ma non the pike near
Clintonville about sunrise, the morn
ing following the murder. John Schu-
maker. a "lifer" in the Clark county
jail, has also been an important wit
ness because of his testimony that
Hardman, when "stewed" on whisky
given him by Isaac Miller, Fayette
county man, imprisoned on a whisl<
charge told him that Renaker was
killed with blackjack which
fendant and Fox threw into the keG-
lucky river, with some clothes, frcm
q cliff on the Madison county side III
Fox waited outside of the house VIII lie
the crime was committed, and tn
''now that we have the keys, | don't
give a damn what they know about
the case"
Chief Of Police James S. Mul'is.
rebuttal witness, contradicte1 the tes-
timony of HardrGan'S sister, Mrs. !
Clyde Douglas, saying tht aafter the
investigation of the murder was be-
gun Clyde Douglas called him (Mul-
lins) out of GilliamS drug store to
talk to Mrs. Douglas. She stated on
that occasion that she knew nothing
abou: her brother being in her apart
ment on the night of July oath until
she saw him there the following
morning, Mr. Mullins said: When Oh
the stand, Mrs. DOUGLAS stated that
Hardman came in at 20 minutes to II
o'clock and that she looked at her
clock at that time Clyde Douglas
told officers that Hardman changed
color when told by his sister that de-
tectives had been to AusterlitZ. where
he lives, Chief Mullins said in con- :,
tradiction of Mrs. Douglas testimony. !
Douglas stated that he awakened his
brother-in-law about o'clock, not
having known that he was in tn
house before and denied telling of
Gicers on a previous occasion that : !
saw Hardman asleep there at 2:30 a. !
n. when he was up to get his baby
drink
Mrs. Henry A. Cook a rebuttal wit
ness, stated that Mrs. Douglas tol'
her of having driven Mrs. Renaker in
tho latter'S automobile to Cincinnati
and back, but did not mention that
Hardmsn was in the party. Mrs.
Douglas had testified that at LeonI
Renaker's request she had Hardman
drive Mrs. Renaker and herself to Gin
cinnati, and. that they stayed. three
davs.
Hardman has retained his compNs-
IRE throughout the trial and nervous
Hess during his long period Of direct
testimony and crcss-eXaminaticn WIS
not evident evcept to close observers.
FOX was not so good a witness, it was
sid by sneriators. rs he several
times contradicted himself and his1
previous testimony and had greater
tendency to explain and become con-1
fused.
Mrs. Douglas withstood thu strain
of severe cross-e%amination with few
indications Of confusion, but her hue-
hand crumpled in his chair'and tremb-
led and blanched when informed that
he would be confronted with every
member of the September grand jury
to prove that he has changed his
story.
When court reconvened for the az
ternoon session saturday 1T 1870 |
o'clock. the defense announced it had
finished its testimony and witnesses
were introduced in rebuttal by the
Commonwealth. /,
William Asher. the first witress j.
troduced by the Commonwealth. said
he Onerated the Boonpsb"ro ferr~;I,
that Hardin Smith was his son-in-law,
and that he and Smith were on The
ferrv FL night Monday, July Oath. +
said William Ashcraft was not Oh the I
boat that night. as he hadn't been {
working for Asher for several d9vs.
MY. Asher said he did not remembers ;
William Massie or ANYBODY else cross
ing the river in rowboat. waking him {
Up to get them on the other side. H
said there were two cots on the boot :
Miss Grace Snapp, who has boe"
telephone oDerator at Clintcnvil'"
three miles from Austerlitz for some
time, and has known Scobee Hardma7