SELECTED PASSAGES FROM VOLUME II
Editor’s Note–Part 51(b) in a continuing series.
Witness was closely questioned, counsel for defense repeating his direct testimony along the line in which the two conversations took place before the San Saba trip, and witness repeated that it was correct. Witness denied that he had ever made a statement to Finis Wade that he intended to shoot down Ford and make his family cry out, as he had Turner’s. He denied that he ever told his wife he was going to kill Ford. He denied ever saying to anyone that he intended to prosecute Ford to the bitter end, nor that he ever told anyone he had sworn enough against Ford to sent him to hell, and he intended to send him there. Re-direct, to a question by Mr. Burleson, witness said that the conversation in which Ford told him he would kill Turner because he was furnishing information to Murphy and Davenport was some time after the San Saba trip. Mrs. Eula Barnes testified about Matt Ford asking her to come to his house to stay all night, as his wife would be alone. She went and there were ten or fifteen men there with guns, and after supper they left, Ford going with them. She went to bed on a pallet, and late some time that night Mrs. Ford woke her up and asked her to get in bed with her, as the men had returned and some of them wanted the pallet. The next morning Ford told her he wanted her to testify that he was at home, as he expected old man Turner to be killed that night. On crossexamination, witness said this was in the fall of 1889. She was positive about it and was certain it was in the fall of 1889, because she had been attending a certain school during the year 1887-88- 89, and it was the last year she was at school. She stuck to this. Mr. Tuner, was killed July 19, 1889. Afternoon Session Mrs. Alice Roberts, daughter of Mr. Turner, testified she saw Ford and Trowbridge the morning her father was killed. He was plowing his cotton. He was killed early in the morning. Ford lived a mile from him. She had known Ford for many years, as he was her second cousin, and she was familiar with him. Witness told of the visit of men who had ordered off her father and her testimony along this line was the same as that on the Trowbridge case. Her father after being warned left home and was gone two or three months. Three weeks after his return he was killed. She saw Ford and Trowbridge the morning he was shot. Cross-examined, witness said she recognized them by the outline of their forms. She could not recognize their featured nor tell what kind of clothes they wore. She was questioned about her testimony at the inquest over her father and at the first grand jury, and her testimony was about the same as on the Trowbridge trial. The first time she ever swore that Ford and Trowbridge killed her father was before the grand jury that indicted the men in 1895. Re-direct, witness said at the time of the death of her father, over his body she told her mother that Ford and Trowbridge killed her father. She also said this in the presence of Mr. Hendricks. Her statement was almost identical with that on the trial of Trowbridge last week. Mrs. Tuner, widow of Mr. Turner, testified her husband was killed by a band of men known as the mob. She heard the shots, ran out on the gallery and saw three men running away from her husband. Two of the men she did not know. The other she did know, and it was Matt Ford. She had known him all her life. When witness reached her husband her daughter Alice said to her: “Ford and Trowbridge killed father.” Her sister told her to keep it to herself. Her testimony was about the same as it was in the Trowbridge case. Cross-examined. Witness stated Ford and herself were close neighbors for five years and were friendly. She was certain she saw three men. One of them ran.
To be continued-