Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-01-26
GUILTY OF MANsLAUeHTER.

.Rulv'' Graham Tried for the Murder OF
Patrick ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS the fehl-
Tertiary for Three Years.
The greater portion Of the sitting OF the
superior Court yesterday was occupied IN
the trial of the negro Billy Graham,
under indictment for the murder OF
Patrick Reagan. The prisoner was one
of a marty of seven young negroes VINO
were engaged in gambling IN Ine
western portion of the CITY On sun
dav. Nav l, 1881. During the progress Oh
the rame Emanuel Jones and John smith
got into an altercation over ~ cents q
s..io- =, the stakes for which some Of
The nartv were playing. Smith asserting
that the money in question was due
him nv Jones. It seems that Jones
cave Smith the 20 cents, when the
latter continued to abuse him. and
finally drew a large carving fork
as a weapon Of attack. whereupon Jones
took a revolver from his pocket and COM
meueed firing at Smith, but did not wound
him. At that moment Graham passed
around Jones, and also attempted TO shoot
at the latter, the weapon, however,
merely swapping. Jones' attention was
attracted to Graham by hearing
the pistol snap, and thereupon
began shooting at the latter. when one OF
the bullets passed Graham and struck Mr..
Patrick Reagan. who vas walking on the
west bank of the canal in company with
a boy and a friend, Mr.. John Knox. The
wound was fatal, Mr.. Reagan expiring
almost Immediately. Smith soon alter
disappeared and has not since been seen
in this vicinity.
The grand jury during the
foTlavr~i1or Innn term oil InD
Superior Court indicted Emanuel
Jones. William Graham, John Smith,
Isaac Savage. John Williams, Harrison
Williams and George Miller for murder.
But il was some time before any OF the
parties were arrested. The first one tried
was Emanuel Jones. The jury, on the
18th of February, 1888. returned a YER
dict find ng him guilty OF lnVOIuh,
/ tarv manslaughter in the commission oil
I an unlawful act, and he was sentenced
to Imprisonment in the penitentlary, or
/ the list of the following March, for tern
/ of three wears, The remainder OF the
party indicted, with the exception oil
/ smith and Graham, were found to be
/ witnesses, when nOlle prOsequ
/ was entered as to them. Graham
/ was subsequently arrested ana nnallS
/ tried as above mentioned. The witnesses
/ who testified Yesterday were DR.. Il. f
] L
/ Harris. George Robinson and Isaac
! Savage, colored. The testimony clearly
/ established Graham's participation IN the
/ alteration above referred to, but showed
! that he was not the man who shot MIR
| Reagan. Under the law, however, when two
/ or more persons engage in an alterca
| ton such as Graham, Jones and Smitl
were, they are termed rioters; and 1
| during the riot any person is killed unt
! participants are liable to Indictment Iol
! murder, even if a party not connected II
/ any way with the riot is slain. The pris
! Oner was defended by Messrs. M. )
| O'COnnor and James H. Lewis. while
| the State was represented by solicitor
/ General Charlton, and the case, aitel
/ charge from the court, was given to The
1 Jury shortly after ) O'Clock in the after
! noon. The jury were out but few MN
| utes and returned verdict hndlng th'
| defendant guilty of ''invOluntary man
/ slaughter in the commission OF an unlaw
| full act" the punishment for which II
J imprisonment in the penitentlarY Tor
! term not less than one nor more than
| three years.
! The prisoner was placed In the box anc
! sentenced by Judge Adams to the pen
/ itentiary for the term of three years. IL
I passing sentence the Judge took occasion
! to remind the prisoner Of the distress
which his participation in the violation
| Of the law had caused not only U
/ the family, but the friends of the deceased
| He sought to impress upon the mind o
the prisoner, as well as upon all who wer
in the court room, how easy it is for per
son who violates a law by gambling
especially on the Sabbath day, to become
a greater transgressOr. He expressed
the hope that the prisoner, who is com
paratively young man, would, at the enc
Of mis- term of imprisonment, lead an IN
| dustriOus and better life, and that h
would strive by his good conduct to maxi
partial amend at least to society, who's
| laws he had transgressed.