February 6, 1906
[Hixon was examined by District Attorney Matt Whitaker:]
WHITAKER: Tell us your name?
HIXSON: Will Hixson.
WHITAKER: And how old are you, Mr. Hixson?
HIXSON: Twenty-two.
WHITAKER: Where do you work?
HIXSON: Chattanooga Medicine Company.
WHITAKER: Have you ever seen the defendant in this case, Ed Johnson, before?
HIXSON: I believe so.
WHITAKER: Have you ever seen this strap before?
HIXSON: That one or one like it.
WHITAKER: Tell the jury what you told the sheriff.
HIXSON: At 5:50 o'clock on the evening of the assault, I saw the defendant with a strap in his hand closely resembling the strap vou showed me, near the scene of the crime. I know the Negro's face, for I have known him for about a month when he worked on the rock church four or five blocks away from where I saw him that night.
WHITAKER: Wasn't it very dark?
HIXSON: I saw him in the light made by two electric cars which passed each other at the Cemetery Station, where Miss Taylor alighted from the car. I saw his face well and could not be mistaken in it. This defendant here is the Negro I saw.
The Negro looked me full in the face for a minute and then turned away and walked up toward the cemetery gate. saw him before, on Monday morning, for he asked me for a match at that time. I looked for the Negro good, for I had heard that on the night before a purse had been snatched from a lady's hand in Mountain junction. I helped find Johnson, for I remembered seeing the Negro with the strap on the night of the crime. I hunted for him from Wednesday morning at 10:00 until Thursday at 1:00 or 2:00. I finally saw him at the rock church talking to a Negro.
WHITAKER: What did you do then, Mr. Hixson?
HIXSON: I telephoned Sheriff Shipp and he came out with some deputies. However, I followed the Negro, who turned and walked away when he saw me. He led me to Red Row, where I lost him. The sheriff and I found the Negro to whom Johnson was talking, in Red Row, and arrested him. We then went on and found Johnson riding on a wagon in front of Foust's stockyard. Deputy Kirkland arrested him.