Freestone County, Texas History News of 1916 Dallas Morning News Nov. 9, 1916 Page: 5 State Nearing Close in Watson Testimony Witnesses for Defense are Expected to Begin Testifying This Morning Signatures are Denied Sulphur Springs Man Declares He Had Money to Watson Bank and Was Unable to Withdraw it on Check Staff Special to the News Waco, Texas, Nov. 8 - Such rapid progress was made by the State today in hearing the testimony of its witnesses in the trial of T. R. Watson, indicted for the murder of State Banking and Insurance Commissioner Patterson, that it will probably rest early tmorrow and allow the defense to present its side of the case to the jury. Additional witnesses were called by the State this morning to testify in regard to alleged spurious notes payable to the F. and M. State Bank of Teague, and all who took the stand denied that signatures purported to be theirs attached to the various notes were genuine. During the afternoon Sheriff Burleson of Freestone County testified in regard to his visi to the bank the night of Aug. 28, several hours after the shooting, as soon as he reached Teague from Wortham, and of finding J. E., W. R. and Leslie Watson behind the teller's window. He afterward locked the fron door with a chain and padlock, he said, and nailed up the back doors. O. E. Cobb, a road contractor of Sulphur Springs, testified to having deposited $4,000 in Watson's bank in January, which he was never able to draw out, although he made three attempts before reporting the trouble to Commissioner Patterson a few days before that official was killed. L. C. Webb of Teague, the first witness this morning, stated that he is a farmer; had done business with the F. and M. State Bank of Teague and now owes that institution $800. The County Attorney handed him a note bearing his name for $505, dated April 20, which, after scrutizing, he said he did not sign or authorize anyone to sign for him. The note had been torn and the County Attorney stated that it was one of those picked up in a ditch after a boy had seen T. R. Watson tear a number of papers into fragments and throw them away. It was offered in evidence, the defense objecting, and was admitted. Signatures Denied E. F. Ezell, the next witness, testified that he did not sign a note for $480, dated June 24, to which his name was attached. W. E. Wills testified that he owed Watson's bank a note three or four years ago, but had paid it. He was shown a fragment of a torn note bearing his signature, with T. W. Bond as surety, saying that he had never been on any note with Bond as surety. The defense objected to the introduction of this part of a note, on the ground that the name of the men on a detached piece of paper expressed nothing. Overruled and excepted to by the defense. R. F. Biggs testified that he did not sign a note for $350, dated March 7. Fred Gilliam testified that he had a small note at the Watson bank during this year, but it had been paid. Shown a note for $175, dated June 3, apparently signed by witnes and his father, R. B. Gilliam, he said they did not sign it. S. H. Wills testified that he did not owe the Watson bak $746, as indicated by a note dated April 6, which was shown to him, bearing his signature. J. W. Bond denied that he had signed a note for any sum to the Watson bank jointly with W. E. Wills. Negro Denies Signature Denni Blakeley, a negro, testified that he once owed the Watson bank $219 and also a land note, but had paid them off, after being sued. During the past two yeas he had nt owed the bank anything he said. When shown the fragment of a note bearing his name, witness declared he "couldn't write as good as that if he had to do it" and had not only signed the note, but had not authorized anyone to sign for him. Peter Burrell, a negro, stated that he made a note last year to the Watson bank for $20 and another note this year. "Do you owe the bank anything now?" asked Lud Williams for the State. "No, sir; the bank owes me," replied the witness. He was shown the fragment of a note bearing his signature, and stated that he did not write it. The fragment and witness' genuine signature were introduced in evidence. "Pete, you said the bank owed you; what do you mean by that?" asked Mr. Williams. "Well, when the bank went kerflunk I had all my money in it," replied the witness. "How much did you have on deposit?" asked the State's attorney. "I had $113.63 on deposit when it went kerflunk," he replied. W. A. Bonner testified that he did not sign or owe a note for $215, dated March 12, 1916, which was handed to him, and said he knew of no other man of the same name in his locality. L. E. James testified that he did not sign a joint note for $640, dated Jan. 7, 1916, to the Watson bank and had not made a note to that bank during the present year. A. J. Norris, when shown a note for $178, dated Dec. 12, 1915, purported to have been signed by him, denied that he signed it. L. P. James denied having signed a note for $640, dated Jan. 7, jointly with his brother, L. C. James, brother of the other two, also denied having signed the joint note. L. R. Hudgins denied that he had signed a note for $106, payable to the Watson bank, and introduced into evidence. Claims He Never Saw Note N[elson] A[lexander] Willard [Jr.] of Fairfield testified that he had an uncle named B[enjamin] Willard. He was shown a joint note for $525, dated Jan. 12, 1916, purporting to have been signed by him and his uncle, which he denied having signed and said he never saw the note before. J. W. Claridge denied having signed a note for $220, which was exhibited and introduced. Noah Weaver, who resides three miles north of Fairfield, in Freestone County, testified that he now owes the F. & M. State Bank about $270, evidenced by note due in November, made some time in January. A note for $190, dated February 1m was shown to him by Mr. Williams. It bore the purported to be his signature, but stated that he did not sign. Another man of the same name had lived near Fairfield, he said, but he did in 1873. "Then he didn't likely execute this note the early part of this year?" asked Mr. Williams. "I suppose not," replied witness. T[ilden] L[afayette] Childs was shown a note for $110, dated Jan. 10, 1916 and signed with the name of Otto Childs, his brother, which he said was not genuine. Newspaper Man Witness Witness on cross-examination said he made his living as a road contractor, but edited a paper at Teague, also. He had noticed a change in Watson's mentality or poise a few months prior to the shooting, he said, and the change, he thought, was for the worse. Witness had always transacted his business with the bank through the two boys. The president did not appear to participate in the management, he said. On redirect examination witness stated that he did not regard Watson as insane, and believed he knew the difference between right and wrong. "If he killed Patterson to keep the public from finding out the condition of that bank, then you think he would know he was doing wrong, don't you?" asked Mr. Williams. "Yes, sir," replied witness. During the year witness said he had borrowed about $1,700 from Watson's bank. He conducted business with the boys. He stayed in the bank a good deal while buying cotton, and from what he observed the boys were running the institution and looking after the details. He had not seen Watson soliciting deposits during the present year, he said. Sheriff George W. Burleson of Freestone county testified that he was at Wortham, twenty-two miles west of Teague, Aug. 28, when he heard of the shooting of Patterson and went to Teague as soon as possible thereafter and took charge of the F. and M. State Bank that night. He found J. E., W.R. and Leslie Watson there, but T.R. Watson was not present. Objected to by defense, overruled, excepted. Witness stated that the three Watson boys were behind the teller's window. The front of the office was not lighted, but a light burned behind the teller's window. Witness said he entered a side door by means of a key procured from McKinnon. This testimony was objected to by the defense as immaterial, irrelevant and prejudical to defendant, T. R. Watson. Overruled and excepted. Mr. Williams for the State explained that the testimony was being introduced to show the surroundings and conditions as having a bearing upon the disappearance of the note register and other things. Found McKinnon's Hat in Bank Witness said he took McKinnon's hat from the bank and saw the examiner's commercial pouch, but did not take it then. He returned to the bank about 10 p.m. and found J. E. and W. R. Watson there. McKinnon's pouch was then carried by him to the hotel and given to its owner. Witness said he went to the bank again later that night, bored holes in the front doors and fastened them with a padlock and chain. He nailed up the rear doors. He did not go to the bank again until 5 o'clock the next evening, when he was accompained by J. E. Watson, Examiner Slaughter and others. That night men were placed to watch the bank. When witness first visited the bank the shades were down, he said. Cross-examined by Patt Neff for defense, witness said he did not see T. R. Watson at the bank at any time after the shooting. He was given McKinnon's portfolio to examine and was asked to look at a broken brad of the lock that had figured in the testimony at the habeas corpus hearing, but the brad had disappeared from its position and could not be found. This incident was the cause of a prolonged controversy between the attorneys for State and defense. A juror asked witness to state where he found McKinnon's hat when he went to the bank to get it; whether it was behind the fixtures or in front. He replied that he couldn't remember, but knew that he got it from the inside of the bank. Failed to Get Money on Check O. E. Cobb of Sulphur Springs, a contractor and road builder, testified that in January, 1916, he placed $4,000 in the F. and M. State Bank at Teague. He drew a draft from Lewisville for the full amount March 1, but failed to get his money. He made a second draft three months later and again failed to get his money. He then got on the train and went to Teague. He had an attorney to present a check at the bank window, but it was not honored. Young Mr. Watson said his father was in Fort Worth arranging to get some money then and he would pay it the next day. That was about Aug. 1. He did not get the money the next day and returned to Mexia. Another effort was made to get the $4,000, which was unsuccessful. Witness said he reported his failure to get his money to State Banking and Insurance Commissioner Patterson a few days before the Commissioner was shot. Witness said he had not succeeded in getting his money. Cross-examined by Jed Adams, witness stated that he knew C. B. and Tom Sowell of Dallas, but they had not induced him to deposit his money in the Watson bank. He placed it there because some road work was to be done in the vicinity of Teague and he wanted to obtain a contract.