Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-07-19

Nat Moore in the Prisoners Dock
PrOcIaIms his Innocence.

Yesterday afternoon in the Superior Court
a solemn scene was witnessed. Nat Moore,
the young negro man who was convicted on
the 9Osh Of May last Of the murder Of Isaac
Keebler in September, 1881. was placed in
the prisoners dock to receive the sentence
Of the law.
A negro named Dave Roberts was in
dicted st the same time with Moore for the
same murder, and after his conviction
/ Moore had requested the Judge 70 suspend
his sentence until the trial Of Dave Rob
erls, which request was granted, and ne was
re manded 10 jail.
Yesterday Roberts was placed on trial,
and shortly after five O'Clock, alter argu-
ment by counsel for the prisoner and bY
| the Solicitor General, the jury were charged
| by the court and retired
Whilst the Jury were out Nat Moore, who
| had been brought from jail and was IN tAe
| court room, was placed In the dock. JUDGE
/ Tompkius then stated to him thet on Ihe
| 80 h Of May he had been convicted OF the
| murder OF Isaac Keebler, and ST tnAI time
| had requested that sente1 nee De nOb passeu
! up9p him until Dave Roberts had oeen urea.
| He gave 10 reason for this re- quest men, DG
/ n was granted. Roberts had been trled,
| end notbino had been developed by tlat
| case which fn any way a1ecJed lls lhteIe5f.
| The Ju1pe then asked the prisoner II ne
had anything TO say why sentence shoulu
| NOT now be pronounced .hor de-
/ Moore in an earnest manner, uheh ue
| la his innocence. He stated that ne was
| drTInE on the night the murder was con mt my.
| - ne felt that he had been drawn INTO
| tEfs trouble by Dave Roberts, that ne ulu
/ not know Keebler, the man VINO was AiIIeu,
| ana had no evil Intentions when tney went
/ - EeebIerls house. He did not know now
| r. crot there. or why they went there, and
| had no recollection about 1t. BE was very
| es-rest in his prOtestatiOns of innocence,
attributed his present condition to drln6
and being ia bad company, and decidIeu
his life was row doomed through the laulls
OF Others. He might be hug Out ne WAS
innocent. ~ eo,,o. u,,,,,tos
az &C. reitarsting his declarations Of in
-ll,,ea saSeral times In q dislointed, inco-
teSe,t enough feeling and earnest slYIe, ne
aooed The court then asked MIN II ne
vas through talking, to which ne rephed;
'sYss. sir, I've nothing more 70 say'
Judge TOmpkIns remarked tuas slmlial
/ statements hGd previously OeeH uIaue - on0
| DrfzOner. that drunkenness was not an eA-
/ enea for mt an aggTsVatiOn OF crime, sn1 II
- - gotten into this trouble through
| Istj- 80 had associations he had to
/ 49,, himself. Ii now devOlved on him 10
-,-,nounce the sentence Of the law, which
| tvss that the prisoner should De cOnnueu IN
/ IN An until the l9.h day Of August next,
| y-h-n he should be hanged in The Jail yard
| between the hours of 2 a. m. and p. ~,
and that tie execution should be in private.
Moore received the sentence apparently
upmoyed aud on being taken from the
dock was conducted to a corner near the
window, where he was given seat, when he
commenced chewing cigar which had been
given him, A few minutes after he was
sentenced the announcement was made that
the Jury in the Roberts case had agreed, and
at tilis point Moore showed considerable In
terest. Roberts was sitting near him, but
they exchanged no words, and apparently
avoided looking at one another.
As is stated elsewhere, the jury found
Roberts not guilty. What effect the an
| nouncement OF the verdict had on Moore
was not apparent, as his expression did not
/ charge.
In tne gallery, while he was being sen
| fenced, was the wife OF Dave Roberts, de-
Gently dressed colored woman, who wept
| bitterly.
Whilst the evidence addueed at the trial
| was very positive against Moore, there were
| circumstances which have aroused some
sympathy for him, as he had previously
I borne a good character. and It IS stated that
an effort will be made to have his sentence
committed to Imprisonment for life.