Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1923-04-19
FOR REQ

fshff@'"
tomobile from Wilson, was allowed to
testify to a conversation he had with
Wilson in Seville, on identifying Will
son as the man who had sold him the
car, later claimed as the property of
Sappington.
Judge Crum here retired the jury
and in detail explained the nature of
the evidence to be allowed to be intro
duced to show cause Of the ill-fceling
between the parties
Court adjourned after O'Clock until
= o'clock Wednesday morning.
The Rev T. NJ Elder, Methodist
minister, was first to take the stand
Wednesday. Mr.. Elder was the first
to arrive at the scene Of the trag-
cdy. accoding to his testimony. hav-
ing heard the shots from a near
by store. He said he saw VIII
son with pistol i'll his hand, APP
parently reloading. l.. p. Wilson
brother of the accused man, arrived
and hailed Wilson with: my God!
what hove you been doing?' to which
the defendant replied: 81 had to get
him or he would have gotten me, -
ne testified.
Mr.. Sappington lay on his back
barely breathing. and expired in a few
minutes. His head lay within a few
inches OF the post office partition, hold
ing the boxes. Wilson was standing
over him, near his head, the witness
said.
c. l.. Johnson witness at the
trial in 1920. now a resident of Flor
ida, being absent a transcript of his
previous testimony was read by Soil
citor Wall
Lloyd Pass, present at Seville in
June 1920, corroborated testimony
relating to difficulty between the
slain man and Wilson and his father
w. w. Wilson, relative to stolen au-
tomobile, during which w. w. Wilson
is said to have approached Sapping-
ton with an open knife and threatened
to cut him when Sappington drew a
pistol and caused both to withdraw
from the bank.
Amos Odds, a blacksmith of Sc
vile, testified he saw ]. c. Wilson
on-the evening of the murder leave
the office of DIR. Dorminey, going in
the direction of the post office. and
heard shots from that direction with
in five minutes.
c. p. Tyson a farmer said he saw
Wilson come to town on the afternoon
of the killing and met him afterwards
in town. He was on his way to the
post office when he heard shots and
saw Miss Alma Mashburn run from
the building screaming When hi
reached Miss Mashburn and asked hel
what was the trouble, she said: "Ches
ter Wilson killed Mr. Sappington."
"I then ran to the post office ant
found Wilson standing by the body o
ISappington," he said. =.
"Sappington had pistol in hi
pocket. which was about half out OF
the floor. Wilson had his pistol il
his hand when l first saw him. A
entered the building heard Wilson
saw. as to himself; IF | had not go
Siin he'd of got me-" | saw 10 on
near him and heard no one speak t.
him."
Mr.. Elder being recalled, fired tn,
time of the shooting at about SEQ t.
$50 D. m. The court then took
recess. 49,,
P. f. Olds:- nephew of J. c: VIII
son testified that he saw Sappingtoi
with pistol week before the killing
at dipping vat tnear Seville and 81
rotified ]. c. Wilson, who was als'
present at the vat,
w. NJ. Elder of Florida, testifie'
that he formerly lived in Cordelc ant
had a conversation with the deceased
at a drug store at which time Sapping
ton told him on being asked il he ha'
recovered his car, that he had his ca
ard that he had the stuff with wh'cl
to get the fellow who stole it, pattini
something in his pants pocket, whicl
appeared to be a weapon.
This closed the testimony OF the de
fcndant who then took the stand t.
rake a statement.
Defendant Makes Statement
In a IS miaute statement, delivered
with diction and delivery fitting TO
a lawyer, J. c. Wilson delivered wha
is said to have been the most dramatic
statement ever heard from prisoner
in the local courthouse. In part Wilson
said.
Going over his boyhood days, hi: