Interview: Mrs. Dan Welch

Mrs. Dan Welch, a neighbor, and witness for the State being first duly sworn, testified as follows in the Circuit Court of Lafayette County during a special December term in 1901.

Q: You are the wife of Dan Welch?

A: Yes sir.

Q: Did you know Mr. John A. Montgomery?

A: Yes sir.

Q: Did you know Mr. Hugh Montgomery?

A: No sir, I never seen him until that evening before they were killed.

Q: Where did you see them then?

A: At my own house, they called there.

Q: For what purpose did they call?

A: To leave a summons for my husband.

Q: Did they make any inquiry for anything else?

A: Mr. John Alex come in and got some water.

Q: You call Mr. John A. Montgomery -- Mr. John Alex or John Alex?

A: Yes sir.

Q: Do you know where he went from there?

A: To Mr. Mathis'.

Q: Did he make any inquiry?

A: Yes sir he asked me the way to go there.

Q: How far did you live from Will Mathis house?

A: About _ of a mile I think.

Q: Did you know Will Mathis well?

A: Yes sir.

Q: See if you can see him anywhere in the Court room.

A: I don't see him now -- but I have seem him since I come in here.

Q: Probably you are looking too far off?

A: Yes sir I see him now.

Q: Where is he?

A: He is right there (indicating defendant.)

Q: Tell the jury whether his house was close enough from your house to see?

A: Yes sir it was in plain view -- we could see anyone walking in the yard.

Q: How about hearing noises?

A: I could hear them talk if they were talking loud and I could hear the baby cry.

Q: After John A. and Hugh Montgomery came to your house what did they do?

A: They went out and got on their horses and went on over to Mr. Mathis'.

Q: Did you see them arrive there?

A: I seen Mr. John A. Montgomery -- I supposed he was the one as he was on the black horse -- I never seen Mr. Hugh go up there.

Q: But you saw Mr. John Montgomery?

A: I supposed it was Mr. John -- I couldn't see well enough to be positive it was him but I believe it was him.

Q: Did you ever see them again?

A: No sir.

Q: Did you ever see them after they were dead?

A: I think I did.

Q: Did you hear anything that night about the house of Will Mathis?

A: Yes sir. I heard 2 large guns fire.

Q: Where were they?

A: It seemed to me they were at his house.

Q: What time did those men go down there that evening?

A: Near about sundown.

Q: Do you know whether Will Mathis was at his home or not?

A: No sir I didn't know it but I believed he was there.

Q: Did you see anything going on about the place -- any work of any kind?

A: Nothing only him fixing to kill a hog.

Q: Had you seen Will Mathis shortly before that?

A: Yes sir I seen him -- he come to our house inquiring for his hog and I told him I hadn't seen it.

Q: Before you heard the 2 large guns did you hear any other shooting at Mathis' house that night?

A: No sir.

Q: Now after the 2 large guns did you hear any shooting over there?

A: At 2 o'clock in the night I heard 2 more large guns fire.

Q: Where were they?

A: They seemed to be at his house.

Q: Did you see anything with reference to that building that night -- as to its burning or anything of that sort?

A: No sir, I didn't see anything but a light on the wall at my house.

Q: Was it shining through the door or the window?

A: Through the window.

Q: Did you get up to see what it was?

A: No sir.

Q: At day light what did you discover the next morning?

A: I discovered that Will Mathis' house was burned down -- it was our house but Will Mathis lived in it.

Q: Did you go over there that morning?

A: Yes sir.

Q: Who went with you?

A: My husband and family and Mr. Roebucks family.

Q: What did you find on getting over there?

A: I found two persons burnt up.

Q: Was Mrs. Roebuck with you?

A: Yes sir.

Q: Had the house been entirely consumed or was it still burning?

A: It was still burning but it was almost all burnt down and nothing left hardly, just fire coals.

Q: Were the two bodies burning?

A: Yes sir.

Q: What did you do if anything to rescue the bodies?

A: Mrs. Roebuck and myself wanted water poured on the bodies -- and some one spoke up and said they thought it was against the law to go near the bodies -- and I told them that I didn't think that the law would hurt anybody to throw water on the bodies and put out the fire -- and Mrs. Roebuck said yes she would do it if they didn't, so my husband and Mr. Roebuck poured water on the bodies and put out the fire to stop them from burning.

Q: Could you tell whether or not they were human bodies?

A: Yes sir I think they were.

Q: Did you see the bodies removed?

A: Yes sir.

Q: What direction did that house face?

A: South -- the shed room was on the West and the dining room on the North.

Q: How many chimneys?

A: One chimney -- it was in the large room.

Q: How many doors in that room?

A: Three. One into the end room and one on the South side and one into the dining room.

Q: Were there any outside doors to the side rooms?

A: There was an outside door to the dining room.

Q: That opened North?

A: Yes sir.

Q: Did you ever see Mr. Will Mathis anymore after that house was burnt?

A: No sir.

Q: Where were the bodies lying with reference to the large room?

A: It seemed to me that Mr. Hugh had just started to the front door and might have been shot back and he just fell back.

Q: How close were his feet to the door?

A: Tolerable close.

Q: Where was Mr. John A. Montgomery's body lying?

A: He was lying back a little ways from Mr. Hugh.

Q: About how far?

A: About as far as that little rise there (jury box)

Q: Were there any clothes on either of the bodies?

A: Yes sir there were clothes on them -- I think they had on all their clothes but they were badly burnt.

Q: Was there anything on top of them at all?

A: There was straw on Mr. John A. Montgomery.

Q: Was it entirely consumed or still burning?

A: Still burning -- just the ashes.

Q: When you first got there could you tell whether there was but one body there?

A: No sir, not hardly.

Q: What did you do before you discovered the second one?

A: Someone drew water and poured on Mr. John A. and I don't know who first discovered Mr. Hugh Montgomery.

Cross Examination 

Q: Did these officers tell you their business out there?

A: They brought a summons to my husband.

Q: Did they say anything about Will Mathis?

A: They said they was going over there.

Q: Did they say what for?

A: No sir. Not particular.

Q: Did they say in a general way what they were going after him about?

A: No sir, I don't think they did. I don't remember.

Original Questions

Q: Do you remember what the date of this occurrence was?

A: It was in November of last year -- last November.

Q: In what County and State?

A: Lafayette County, Miss.

Q: And in November 1901?

A: Yes sir.

Q: Was there anything said at all by the Montgomery's about the state of feeling existing between John A. Montgomery and Will Mathis?

A: No sir not a word.

Q: Was there anything said as to the friendship existing between them?

A: No sir.

Q: How late did you stay up that night?

A: Ten o'clock

Q: And the two shots occurred before you retired?

A: Yes sir.

Q: About what time?

A: Between nine and ten -- nearer ten.

Q: How many shots did you hear?

A: Two.

Q: Did both sound the same?

A: Yes sir.

Q: How quick in succession were they?

A: Tolerably quick.

Q: Was there as much as a minute or two between them?

A: There might have been.

Q: They were fired far enough apart for you to distinguish that there were two?

A: Yes sir.

Q: Was it the sound of a pistol -- shot gun or rifle?

A: I don't know -- it was just a large sound.

Q: It didn't sound like a pistol then?

A: No sir, it wasn't a pistol.

Q: Or rifle?

A: I couldn't say about a rifle -- for I don't know anything about guns much.

Q: Did you get up and go to the door or window to see?

A: No sir.

Q: Did you have any conversation with the officers about the negro Orlando Lester?

A: No sir.

Q: You say you saw the bodies of Mr. John A. Montgomery and Mr. Hugh Montgomery in the ashes?

A: Of course at the time we didn't know who it was but since everything has gone like it has I believe it was them,

Q: You saw no marks of identification on them?

A: No sir but I believe it was them.

Q: You just saw two human bodies?

A: Yes sir.

Q: Did you hear any shots at all before you heard the big guns?

A: No sir.

Q: You did hear more shots later on in the night?

A: Yes sir, two more large guns about the same size noise as the others.

Q: Did you hear any more shots that night?

A: Not until about 3 o'clock in the morning.

Q: How many did you hear then?

A: It seemed to me several pistols.

Q: Had you prior to that heard any conversation in the neighborhood as to the killing of some negroes and who were charged with killing them?

A: I heard the negroes were killed but not who killed them.

Q: Had you heard in a general way of any suspicion of anybody?

Counsel State Objected: -- By the State: -- I. Question

Q: The officers said nothing to you about looking for anybody except Mathis did they?

A: No sir.

Q: Were people out there looking for the officers to come out to investigate the matter?

A: I wasn't looking for any.

Q: You don't know of anybody else who were looking for them do you?

A: No sir.

Q: Did you say those bodies had clothes on?

A: They seemed to have clothes on but burnt badly -- I didn't see the cloth on their bodies but I heard others say -------

Counsel State Objected -- Objection sustained.

Redirect Examination

Q: Knock on the table giving your idea how close together those two shots were .

A: Knock ----knock (three or four seconds between)