Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1927-09-02
TRIALOF Cain
ANDERSON IS
BEGUN TODAY
Tried to Break Every
Bone in My Body
Aged Man Declares
On Stand

TYLER, Texas, Sept. 2.--tRI-J. X.
Richardson, 50-year-old tenant farm
er. took the stand nc the trial OF Cain
Anderson here today and told the
jury Of alleged incidents leading up
10 the flogging Of himself, his wife
and their daughter-in-lAw, Mrs. W,
"A. Straps, last June.
Wearing a blue denim shirt and ov-
erals, Richardson said Anderson, a
wealthy Harrison county farmer now
on trial for alleged participation In
the floggings, employed him and his
family last December to pick cotton.
In March w. "A. Straps and his wife
and baby arrived nc the Anderson
farm. Shortly after this the witness
said Anderson refused to pay grocery
bills for Richardson, ordering him 10
get out OF the country Straps
was given the work Richardson had
done and moved into the house vaca-
ted by the latter, according to the
witness Richardson said he moved
across the road and began working
for another farmer.
Describing events on the night OF
June 8, Richardson said:
Children In Bed.
any wife was sick in bed, my four
children were asleep, and was In tha
hall Of the house when four menr.
wearing masks and carrying guns
suddenly entered the house.
"They ordered me TO put up my
hands and my wife to get out OF bed.
My wife and I were marched from tha
house TO n nearby wood. was caught
by the hand and Serked to the ground
on my side and whipped with a rope
Dewitt Osborne (under indictment
with Anderson but not on trial) fin
ally took the rope and tried to break
every bone in my body.
They then jerked my wife down
and whipped her"
Richardson said Mis- wife asked
what was that for?" and one Of the
floggers replied. because you won't
wcrkl"
Witnesses testified the party re-
turned to the Richardson house where
he was told 20 leave the country BIZ
Sunday.
BY their exposed features and rIo-
thing, Richardson said he recognized
two Of the masked men as Cain An
0erson and Dewitt Osborne, a tenape
on AndersonS farm nnar Marshall.
Osborne is 10 be tried later i'm Up-
shur county.
Under cross-examin9tion Richards
son admitted me told two Harrison
county officers on June y lie did not
know who administered the whipping.
He stoutly resisted defense afforta
10 get him 40 admit he told otker
persons he recognized che voice ct
Osborne but no other member Of the
flogging party.
The prosecution took the witness
again and he was still un the stand
when court recessed for lunch.
Enter No Plea
Counsel for Anderson sprung n sur
prise by announcing that the defead4
ant would not enter n plea. Ike an
nouncement, by Nat Gentry ST.. chief
defense counsel, followed reading "a
the Indictment and was based on tha
fact that Anderson yesterday unBuc-
cessfully challenged jurisdiction of
this court.
Judge U. R. Warren immediately
entered plea or mot guilty" FOR An
deraon and instructed that taking "
testimony begin
anderson iB specifically charges
with being n member on party nf
four masked men which on last Jurs
8 fogged J. r. Richardson and hls
zxife and their daughtar-in-law. ten
ants on the defendants Harrison coun
ty farm trial OF which was brrught
here on a change Of venue.
The jury, completed late yesterday,
consists Of nine farmers all land
owners and some with tenants on
their property two merchants and au
electrician.
The first witness was Henry Richa
urdson, 6-ynnr-old son of J. Tx. Riehs
srdscn. Questioned BY Galloway Gale
houn, assistant attorney general oi
Texas, the boy said Andersen run
our family out" of house on the An4
derHon farm I'm which the Richardson
famlly live. He ordered them TO @puli
ont" the lad testified.