Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1925-12-18
ROCKVILLE. MARYLAND FRIDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 8 1895

GUS, In the course Of the trial.
The testimony Of Morrison and Judd
was as different as possible from that
Of Mrs. Hatch. According to their
statement, which the ingenuity of OPP
posing counsel tried In vain to break
or shake, they had not reached Hatch's
house when they met him in the road.
In a country where every man knows
and values a good horse they had at
once noticed the fine mount of Hatch,
and had engaged him in a converse
tion which ultimated In a horse race,
with twenty dollars up, between Hatch
and Judd.
I'll give you a good beating" shout
ed Hatch, as Morrison started them
down a strip Of level highway. But
his fne-looking horse was just bit
too fat to 90 up against Judd's wlry
broncho, and he was beaten by a short
length. Seeing which, Hatch hit his
horse upon the head with the Quirt,
causing him to rear and fall upon his
rider.
That was the whole story the men
had to tell-succinct. complete, but not
convincing. Over and over, on cross.
examination 1t was repeated by both
men like a well learned lesson. Look
Ing and listening, make up my mind
that this evidence was false; ergo, the
woman's was true.
After the arguments Of counsel and
the verbal fireworks of the imported
lawyer, who never made arguments,
but always and everywhere stump
speeches. the learned Judge charged
US at great length to find the defend
ants guilty II they were guilty. and not
guilty II they were innocent, and we
were locked up.
In the jury room Judd, of course,
was acquitted on the first ballot. The
feeling was strong, but not unanimous
. against Morrison He had a friend or
two who were stout In his defense.
They urged that Morrison might kill
man on occaslon-had done 80 per-
haps-but never from behind.
There was much argument and no
agreement until, late In the evening
contrary to every rule Of law and in
contempt Of cOurt, some new evidence
vas submitted to the jury. 1t came In
the form Of note to me from my
friend the doctor, showed under the
door OF the jury room behind the
bailifrs back. II read as follows:
George:-At noon today DR.. Mars
ton and myself operated on Job
Hatch. 1t was only one chance In
a hundred that the man would
stand IL. but as he could not possi-
bly, recover without II, we took that
chance. and lost. He died within an
hour. After trepanning he spoke q
number Of words indicating excite
mont The only connected sentence
was: TIL give you a good beating"
thought you ought to know.
WILL
Those were exactly the words testi-
lied as used by Hatch at the alleged
horse race, and the note, thrown into
the scale Of conflicting opinion In the
jury. turned the balance In favor Of
Morrison. and he also was acquitted.
In another part Of the West, years
later, made long wagon journey
with Morrison. l came to know his
brave nature well, and proved his
worth on many occasions. One night,
under the summer stars, when the
,'ampfres burned low, said to him
without prelude:
Ben, who killed Job HatchY
After 4 silence, His wife,"
Are you sureT
II saw It. went out there to ar
.'est him and he was beating his wife.
vs. rode up she grabbed the gun
from his holster and hit him. II was
chance blow, but the woman was
frenzled and 1t felled him like an OK.
lie got about what he deserved and /
rold the woman that I'd see her
through. OF course, any jury would
have cleared her on the facts, but she
had been girl well connected and
said she'd rather die than have her peo-
pie know. SO I did what I did"
But" cried, "what was the occa-
aston for her bad faith2 Why did
she try to fasten the deed on your
After another pause and the light
ing Of another pipe Ben replied slow
~: Il don't know. ! have tried to
follow good many trails into wom-
ans mind, but they are always blind
trails. They lead nowhere. My guess
IS that she tried to do me up because
/ went there to arrest her husband for
"A thief. No sooner was he gone than
she begun to ldsalize him, and she was
NJ fierce against me In his defense as
She had been against him In her own.
That's my guess, but all I absolutely
know is that she seemed very crate
ful to me for my promise to shield her
And two days after ! got the worst
Jolt Of my life when | was locked up
to answer her charges"
You must have known before the
trial came on" said !, "what the WON
an meant to testify. Why not then
have given the court the facts? Why
did you stand by her In spite of her
self"
No answer.
wanted to get from him an avowal
that he thought he had done brave
md generous thing ..
"Supposlng you had been convicted
IN her testimony l persisted.
But Morrison only said quietly,
Then you would be making this Jour
ney alone"