Opinion ID: 1671765
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: the defense witnesses

Text: ¶ 48. The defense called five witnesses. The prior transcript of Roy Jones, deceased, was read to the jury. According to Jones, he served in the Greenwood police auxiliary in 1963. He had known Beckwith for about three years and had visited in Beckwith's home on two occasions. Jones stated that he saw Beckwith at a Billups Service Station in Greenwood, Mississippi, in a little alley near the station at 11:45 p.m. on June 11, 1963. Jones was on duty that night as an unpaid member of the Greenwood police auxiliary. ¶ 49. The defense also presented the transcript of the prior testimony of Hollis Creswell who was a police officer in the city of Greenwood in June of 1963. He stated that he had known Beckwith for approximately eight or ten years maybe longer. Creswell stated that he was with Officer James Holley on the night of the murder of Medgar Evers, which he first learned of around 4 o'clock in the morning from the radio. He stated that he saw Beckwith at the Shell Service Station just south of the underpass in Greenwood, Mississippi at approximately 1:05 a.m. on June 12. He stated that the Shell Station adjoins the Billups Station and that he was approximately 75 to 100 feet from Beckwith when he saw him. He stated that he was Beckwith getting gasoline for his car. Creswell said that Beckwith was driving a white Valiant and that his view of the vehicle was not obstructed. Creswell stated that although he knew that Beckwith was being investigated by the Jackson Police Department and the FBI from the time of Beckwith's arrest, that he never gave this information to the FBI or the Jackson Police Department. ¶ 50. James Holley, a Greenwood police officer, also testified on behalf of Beckwith. He stated that he was on duty on the night of June 11 and 12, 1963 with his partner, Lieutenant Creswell. He stated that he had known Beckwith for many years but did not have any sort of a personal relationship with him. Holley stated that he saw Mr. Beckwith at 1:05 a.m. the morning of June 12. He stated that he was in the Billups Service Station which adjoins the Shell Station with Officer Creswell. He testified that he was within 30 to 40 feet of Beckwith whom he saw standing beside his car with the attendant putting gas in the car. He identified the car as a white Plymouth Valiant which he had seen many times before. Holley also stated that it is a distance of between 90 and 95 miles from Jackson, Mississippi to Greenwood, Mississippi. ¶ 51. John Book, from Yazoo City, testified that he worked for Delta Liquid Plant Food Company in Greenville, Mississippi, in the 1960's. In June of 1963 Book was training Beckwith as a salesman for the company. Book stated that on June 10 in 1963 that Beckwith came to Greenville to view a farm with Book. Book stated that on that date, he observed a cut over Beckwith's right eye which he described as a round, circular, halfmoon type cut. ¶ 52. The defense also presented further testimony by previous transcript of Martha Jean O'Brien, a car-hop at the drive-in. Ms. O'Brien testified that the man she saw driving the white Valiant on the night of June 11, 1963 was a very tall, handsome man in dark clothing who was in his twenties.