J. G. Hunter testimony
(transcriber may have made spelling and punctuation changes)
J. G. HUNTER
Direct Examination. By Mr. Ossenton.
Q: You have been sworn as a witness in this case, have you?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: What is your name?
A: J. G. Hunter.
Q: Where do you live, Mr. Hunter?
A: Logan.
Q: How long have you lived in the town?
A: Eight years this January the 10th past.
Q: What is your business?
A: The undertaking game.
Q: Were you living in Logan the latter part of August and the early part of September last year?
A: I was.
Q: Do you recall learning of the death of John Gore and a man by the name of Munsey and one by the name of Cafego?
A: I do.
Q: What was going on there about that time?
A: We called it a war in the town of Logan.
Q: Did you learn the neighborhood in which these men had been killed?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: Tell the jury what you did, if anything, in connection with that?
A: Well, they called me to go and get Mr. Gore to come to Georges Creek, that is a mining town near the foot of the mountain. I went after the body and when we got to the store the superintendent met me and said
Objection.
Sustained.
A: (continued) well, anyway the body was not there and I had to go up to the top of the hill and when I got there I found out the men were still in the woods. Captain Brockus asked me if I would go in and get the body and I said I would.
Q: Did you go and bring the body out?
A: I did.
Q: Who went with you?
A: I don't know who they were, four colored boys and two white boys.
Q: Did you find the bodies and bring them out?
A: I found the body of Mr. Gore the first time.
Q: Was there any one with the body?
A: There was some men within forty or 50 feet of where it was.
Q: Did you know them?
A: I would know their faces.
Q: Did you find the other bodies?
A: I found them about two hours later.
Q: Did you have any difficulty in reaching the point and securing the bodies?
A: Not Mr. Gore, but I did the other two.
Q: Did you have information as to whether Mr. Gore's body had been moved?
A: I did not.
Q: Did you make a second trip?
A: I made a third trip before I got the last two.
Q: Which one of the bodies did you recover first?
A: Mr. Gore's.
Q: Where did you take the body?
A: Down to the county road to my hearse.
Q: Then what did you do?
A: We rested.
Q: Did you go back?
A: Yes, sir in about 20 or 30 minutes.
Q: Did you have any trouble in going back?
A: We got back to the top of the hill and there was some shooting going on and we did not go any further.
Q: Did you go further later?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: Did you find the bodies of Munsey and Cafego?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: Describe what you found there Mr. Hunter?
A: Well, I found the two bodies lying about 12 or 15 feet apart Munsey was lying up and down the hill and Cafego was lying a little ways from him across the hill.
Q: What did you find on the ground?
A: Nothing except where Munsey was shot through the head. When I picked him up his brains all fell out the back of his head, and went in a hole that his head was lying in.
Q: Did you examine the wounds on Munsey?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: Describe the wounds you found?
A: He was shot through the neck and once between the eyes.
Q: In examining that wound did you find any powder burns on his face?
A: Yes, sir, there were burns all over his face.
Q: Describe the size of that wound in the front of his head.
A: There was a hole there nearly as large as a hen egg, both in front and in back, and his brains had fallen out.
Q: How did the hole where the bullet went in compare with where it came out?
A: It was about the same.
Q: Could you determine from your examination whether the bullet entered from the front or back?
A: It went in the front.
Q: Which side of the neck did the bullet enter?
Objection.
Overruled.
Exception.
Q: You said Mr. Munsey's head was broken, his face had powder marks on it, and the back of his head was in a hole in the ground? Was there any other wounds except on his head and neck?
A: No, sir.
Q: Did you examine the body of Cafego?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: What did you find on his body?
A: One bullet hole.
Q: Where was it?
A: Through his heart.
Q: Did that bullet go through his body?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: From your examination could you determine whether that bullet entered from the front or back?
A: From the front.
Q: You say you examined the wound of Gore, what did you find on his body in the way of wounds?
A: He was shot about one or one and a half inches over the left nipple.
Q: Any other wounds on him?
A: There was a wound on his knuckle here (indicating the knuckles on right hand) and the hide was broken.
Q: Where did you move the body to finally?
A: To my morgue at Logan.
Q: What is the distance to the point where you found the body of Munsey and Cafego to Logan Court House?
A: Something like twelve miles.
Q: Was it in Logan County where you found these bodies?
A: Yes.
Q: Where, with reference to the mountain, on the Guyan or the Coal River side did you find them?
A: Right on top of the ridge.
Q: Do you know the ridge running up toward Etherl [sic]?
A: Yes.
Q: Is there a county road from Ethel across to Blair?
A: Yes.
Q: How far were these bodies from that road?
A: I suppose Gore's body when I found it was three quarters of a mile from the road - between a half and three quarters of a mile. The others were about three quarters of a mile or more.
Q: Did you examine the clothing of the men at the time of moving them?
A: I did not pay much attention to the clothing.
Q: Describe to the jury the best you can their condition?
A: I don't remember much about their clothes except that I noticed that Mr. Gore had on a very heavy pair of tan shoes with heavy soles.
Q: Were his pockets empty?
A: Yes, and turned wrongside out.
Q: How about Munsey's pockets?
A: The same way.
Q: And the other man's too?
A: Yes.
Q: Did you find any valuables or money on any of these persons?
A: The only thing I found was on Munsey and that was four loaded shells.
Objection.
COURT: He can describe the body as it was at the time the point of the indictment that they levy war against the state and any evidence that was there on their levying war would be admissible, if it should be an incident of war it could be evidence to determine whether it was war. If they can show the men were killed any evidence that pertained to the dead body would be permissible and the condition of them and the clothing and all that surrounded and the condition of them and the clothing and all that surrounded them would be admissible as evidence, so I over rule the objection.
Exception reserved.
Q: Did you see any weapons on the bodies or around them on the ground?
A: None.
Q: You stated awhile ago that you went on the mountain and did not move the bodies because you heard some firing, in what direction was that firing?
A: Up toward where the other two bodies were.
Q: How much shooting did you hear?
A: I suppose there was twenty-five or thirty shots.
Q: How long did the shooting last in that neighborhood? Before you went for the bodies?
A: I suppose something like two hours, from the time I got there until the shooting ceased and I got the other two bodies.
CROSS EXAMINATION
Q: When did you first get the information about Gore being killed?
A: About twelve o'clock.
Q: What day of the month was it?
A: A long about the 30th or 31st day of August, the last of the month.
Q: When did you understand he had been shot, the same day?
A: Yes.
Q: That morning?
A: Yes.
Q: You say you got the information about twelve o'clock?
A: Yes.
Q: Can you not fix the date?
A: No not exactly, just to tell you here.
Q: Is there any way you could fix the day of the month or the day of the week?
A: I have it on record in my office but not here.
Q: Will you supply?
A: Yes, if you require it I will.
Q: I would like to have it. Can you get it by wiring for it?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you remember the day of the week?
A: I am pretty certain it was Wednesday.
Q: What time in the afternoon did you get that? You say you left home about twelve o'clock?
A: Yes something like that, it was about two o'clock when I got to the top of the mountain.
Q: How many went with you?
A: The first time there were four colored boys and two white boys.
Q: How did you do in an automobile?
A: No we went in a hearse, only three of us went to the top of the mountain in the hearse.
Q: Were the bodies on the Blair side of the mountain or the Guyan River side?
A: They were on the Guyan River side.
Q: You say the Guyan River runs through the town of Logan and this is on the Blair side?
A: On the Blair side it runs into the Coal River.
Q: How far was Gore's body found from the top of the mountain?
A: It was right on top of the ridge.
Q: Was it on the Blair or the Guyan side of the mountain?
A: It was right on top of the ridge.
Q: How far from Gore's body did you find the other two bodies?
A: About 250 or 300 yards.
Q: On what side were they?
A: Straight up the ridge.
Q: Were they also on top of the ridge?
A: Yes, right on top of the ridge.
Q: Cafago's and Munsey's bodies were together within about 10 feet of each other were they not?
A: Yes.
Q: Gore's body was three-quarters of a mile from them?
A: Yes, when I found it they had carried him back that morning, so they informed me.
Q: That is just your information but you don't know it yourself do you?
A: No.
Q: You did not see anyone carrying it back?
A: No.
Permission is granted for the recalling of witness for the purpose of obtaining the information asked for.