The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1951-03-23
CAUSE
Continued from Page One)

state naQ 0HereQ no clear eVlOenct
that Tillett had been the driver o.
the machine when the wreck oc
CURED: that the only testimony Il
that effect had been given by thu
patrolmen who said that Tillet
had admitted being the driver
while in dazed condition" at ths
hospital; that "after he had re.
covered" he denied that he haC
driven the wrecked truck. Mr.. Nc.
Gown commended that Jack Tillett
had been questioned three times
by highway patrolmen at the hos
pital on the night of the accident
without knowledge that he might
be giving self-incriminating in
formation, for the reason that he
did not know that his cousin had
been killed at the time when he
was questioned.
Solicitor Martin Kellogg re-
minded the court that the issue
before it was only to determine
whether or not there was a crime
committed in the death of Leslie
r. Tillett, that the guilt or limo
cence of the defendant was not
being tried; he requested the courS
to keep in mind that Patrolman
Sanderson, who had testified that
Jack Tillett first told him that he
had driven the machine and later
denied being the driver, did not
himself know that there had been
a death when he questioned Jack
Tillett; that, therefore, his ques-
tioning was merely routine.
After the lawyers statements,
the Judge dismissed the case with
the words above.
Summary of Testimony
DIR. John F. Weeks of Elizabeth
City was first to take the stand
to offer evidence for the state. He
said that he was called to the
emergency room of the Albemarle
Hospital on the night in question
to treat Jack Tillett. He said that
he did not believe Tillett was I'M
conscious when he first examined
him; later, Jack Tillet refused to
be treated, was uncomfortable, OBJ
scene and obstreperous; he com
planned particularly about being
cold. "There was nothing too SER
ious about his condition." DR..
Weeks said. When he became un-
comfortable, the doctor had a po-
liceman summoned to handle the
youth, and the doctor meanwhile
left the room. By the time the doc
tor returned, "He was quite CO.
operative in every respect and re-
manned so throughout his stay at
the hospital" After saying Til
lett was completely rational when
he heard him talking to the pa
trolman, DR.. Weeks said he could
remember of their conversation
only that there was talk about
"their drinking fifth of whiskey
and something more" ri
Mr.. McCown asked the doctor
whether conduct such as Tillett's
at the hospital was usual in his
experience of similar cases and,
upon being told that it was not at
all usual, he asked DR.. Weeks
whether or not he would say that
it "could have been caused by the
shock of the accident" The doc
tor said that it might be so, al
though he had never seen such a
reaction under similar conditions.
DR.. Weeks said, at was my i'm
preston at the time that he was
just being uncooperative to q
large degree" He added, II have
seen many brought in when in
toxicated who acted very similar
ly to Tillett."
Before leaving the stand the
doctor, replying to a question of
Mr.. Kellogg's, said that he had
found no evidence of cranial in
juries.
Other Witnesses
Mr.. Kellogg next called o. C.
Sanderlin of Kitty Hawk, who had
been the first man to arrive on the
scene after the wreck. Mr.. San
derlin said that he was just finish
ing dinner at his home, a few
hundred feet from the place where
the wreck occurred, when he
heard the sound of squealing tires
on the highway and, then, a loud
crash. He thought a collision Of
two cars had occurred. He immed-
lately rushed to the scene, taking
a. fiashlight with him.
At the wreck, Mr.. Sanderlin ties.
titled, he saw Jack Tillett in 8
crouched position in the center Of
the truck. He called to him but
got no answer. He went to the
other side of the truck and there
saw the body of Leslie R. Tillett
lying on the floor, feet sticking
up. He could see the marks on tn,
sand, he said, which marked tbs
course Of the truck after it lef;