W W MATTHEWS, Sworn In For The Defendant, 36th To Testify

Search for:

Reading Time: 4 minutes [532 words]

W. W. MATTHEWS, sworn for the Defendant.

I work for the Georgia Railway & Electric Co. as a motorman.

On the 26th day of April I was running on English Avenue.

Mary Phagan got on my car at Lindsey Street at 11:50.

Our route was from Bellwood to English Avenue, down English Avenue to Kennedy, down Kennedy to Gray, Gray to Jones Avenue, Jones Avenue to Marietta, Marietta to Broad, and out Broad Street.

From Lindsey Street to Broad Street is about a mile and a half or two miles.

We make frequent stops.

We were scheduled to arrive at Marietta and Broad at 12:071/2.

We were on schedule.

We stayed on time all day.

Our car turned up Broad St. Mary Phagan got off at Hunter and Broad.

It takes generally from two and a half to three minutes to go from Broad and Marietta to Broad and Hunter.

That is a very congested street and you must go slow.

I was relieved at Broad and Marietta by another motorman, but sat down in-the same car one seat behind Mary Phagan.

Another little girl was sitting in the seat with her.

We got to Broad and Hunter about 12:10.

Mary and the other little girl both got off and walked to the sidewalk and they wheeled like they were going to turn around on Hunter Street, both of them together.

The pencil factory is about a block and a half from where they got off at Hunter and Broad.

Nobody got on with Mary at Lindsey Street.

There wasn't any little boy with her.

The first time I noticed the little girl sitting with Mary was when we left Broad and Marietta Streets and I went back into the car and saw this little girl sitting with her.

I know the little Epps boy.

I have seen him riding on my car.

He did not get on the car with her at Lindsey Street.

I saw Mary's body at the undertaker's.

It was the same girl that got on my car.

CROSS EXAMINATION.

I did not tell one of the detectives that we might have been running three or four minutes ahead of schedule that day.

I remember that Mary did not get off the car at Broad and Marietta because there was a street car conductor sitting behind me, an ex-conductor and he had a badge on his coat and I looked at it and it had a little girl's picture and I reached over to where Mary was and said, "Little girl, here is your picture, " and she said, "No, it is not."

I don't know who the other little girl was sitting with her.

The other little girl was dressed something like Mary.

I didn't pay much attention to their dresses, but they looked sort of alike.

Mary's dress wasn't black.

It was light colored.

I know Epps since this case came up.

I could identify him.

I never paid much attention to her hat.

It was light colored I reckon but I am not sure.

It just seemed that way.

RE-DIRECT EXAMINATION.

I identified Mary's body Sunday afternoon after the murder at the undertaker's.

There was no doubt about her being the same girl.

I knew her well by sight.

She rode on my car lots.

RE-CROSS EXAMINATION.

I can't tell you whether that is the hat or not she wore.