Charleston Gazette
Margaret Adkins Tells Different Tales In Court
Sensational Evidence From Government Witness in Adkins Case
December 10, 1907
The sensational suit of the United States vs. Fred Adkins and others on trail in the federal court, began its fourth day yesterday, and at the close, all the defendants had testified, the government had offered its rebuttal evidence and Mr. H. D. Rummell, for the government, had offered its rebuttal evidence and Mr. H. D. Rummell, for the government, had concluded his opening address to the jury. This morning Mr. Blackwood will open for the defense. He will be followed by Hon. Lace Marcum, who will close for the defendants, and then Hon. Elliott Northcott will close the case for the government, Judge Keller will change the jury, and at 3 o'clock it is more than probable the jury will have the case for their consideration.
The fourth day of the trail opened with Albert Davis, one of the defendants on the stand. He swore that he was at his own home on the night of the robbery, and flatly denied the sworn testimony of several of the government's witnesses, who claimed that they saw Davis at the Adkins store on the night of July 5th. Davis admitted on cross-examination of Mr. Northcott that he had gotten goods from the culvert on either the 3rd or the 4th of July, but his was before the robbery occurred.
Bob Flemming, the second witness is charged with conspiracy, but in his direct examination, he stated that he knew nothing whatever of the robbery until the day after. To this point he swore positively. He also said that the only time he saw the goods was when employed by Mr. Douglas and Captain Cunningham, and this was who the store was in the hands of the receiver.
William Fleming swore that he saw no one armed the night of the robbery, and that he stayed at the house of Charles Brumfields the very night the store was robbed.
John Flemming, who is a paroled prisoner, and who was sent tot he state prison for killing a man named Mullins, the father of one of the government's important witnesses, testified substantially the same as the witnesses preceding him. The entire witnesses preceding him. The entire list of the defendants swore to very near the same thing.
The government had a star witness in Margaret Adkins. The district attorney sent Capt. Sam Davis, said to be one of the shrewdest deputy marshals in commission, and one of the men who worked up this important case to Harts Centre late Saturday night to bring this woman to Charleston. They had to ride on a freight train in order to reach Charleston in time to be at the court yesterday morning. It will be remembered that Fred Adkins swore that the store was the property of his sister, but several witnesses say that Miss Adkins denied ever having an interest in the place.
In the presence of Mr. Douglas, the receiver, she made the statement that she received this money from Fred Adkins, and there were present also Deputy Marshals Cunningham, Davis, and Major Lyons, together with Mr. Northcott. The district attorney questioned her closely on this point, and she admitted in the presence of all the witnesses that she never received a cent from the defendant, Adkins. She was turned loose until the court convened in the afternoon, but a close watch was kept on her. She was approached by one of the defendants, and when she gave he testimony in the afternoon, she gave directly opposite testimony as to what she gave Mr. Northcott in the morning. It was only necessary for the government to place on the stand the officers who heard the answers to Mr. Northcott's questions to contradict her evidence. This was one of the sensational features of the day's proceedings.