The Asheville citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1885-1889, 1886-03-28

Jonathan Morgan. Il was some
month from this last talk to the
murder. Why should he beck
cited9. Gentleman, Jones told you
the truth on the stand. Every word
uttered by Jones, was between 18th
ard 2Sth of February. evidence of
the family IS Jones did not hear Of
this trouble forr several days after
the 18th. Sd that, you see, the whole
difficulty was embraced within less
than ten days The truth is, the
only fear Jones ever had was on the
9th when Fayior brought word
from Gambler and that was removed
on the next day when he saw Jona-
than Morgan. But, says the State,
Jones was afraid the affair would
bringd disgrace on his family. Did
he not know the disgrace had Al
ready befallen thenn2 Rumor had
carried il far and wide. Jones is
accused of aElFder, but nobody
accuses him of being 3 fool All the
disgrace was inflicted that could be;
trial would have vindicattd d Ii s
sou, whom he believed inn,,cent,
Jones knew it; knew that killing
Mary Rice would not help things.
But State says, week before deed,
Jones said to Taylor, you need not
be uneasy, don't think the case will
have to 90 to court What else
could he have said? He had infor-
nation, that the way could not be
identifieJ;;he could not have thought
the case could 60 to court. He got
a message though that very man
that very day from Mary Rice that
she would not carry the case to
court: all she desired was that the
boy should be corrected. She did
not say what amount oil correction,
did not demand he should hang up
and cowhide the boy, but such cor
reetio1l as he thought proper,
that was all she demanded.
Yet, you are told that, rather than
correct the boy, Jones would go
and kill this whole family. tits not
true, it cannot be true. II is con-
trary to all human experience. But
they say he made threats. Did he
mean to say to Joyce's son>in-law,
Taylor, II mean to kill Mary Rice?"'
Do men ON murder bent, proclaim
it to the world? It cannot be. Bill
Jones made no threats; he only
meant, in all that he said to Tiny
Howard, James Rutherford and
Taylor, that Mary Rice could not
testify against his son, for that she
had told stories on his family, and
could not become a witness in court
Perhaps he was not right as a mat
ter of law, but that is what he
Thought. In saying that Mary Rice
had grudge against his family and
told stories on them before, he want
ed to break off the sharp edge ofthe
report against his son, and thereby
render it as harmless as possible.
Was it not natural he should have
desired to satisfy his neighbors of
the malice and enmity of the wo-
man who circulated the damaging
reports against his son? He want
ed to maintain the respect of his
neighbors.
Law books don't place very great
Importance on threats. Reads from
Wharton on Homicide, chapter Xxx.
paragraphs 53i, 693.)
Witnesses who snatch fragments
from conversations are not to be be-
lieved, unless they show the con-
nection in which the fragments stand.
What words mean. depends on their
relation to other words used in the
came conversation. Let me show
y. u: Jones may have said ''She
shall never testify against me, hut
suppose he added, because she is
liar, bad character, and I can
break down her testimony" The
first words might, standing alone,
mean something. but when they are
seen in the light of the other words,
they become harmless. A man
makes a threat to~day, and re.ents
Tomorrow. Attach all the import
ance to threats YOU may. let them
grow as large. as lofty as Pisgah, yet
if Jones repented, for Heaven s sake,
give him credit for it. Let not ell
oquence of counsel, clouds of suspi
sion, prevent him from having the
benefit of his repentance. lie tells
the court and you, that after the
conversations in which it is claimed
he made threats he saw Jonathan
Morgan, and became satisfied, and
never afterv ards uttered one worl
that looked Ikea threat. Can he
have no credit for this? Men may
make threats, and afterwards not
only repent, but do acts ofkindness
to those threatened We see this
every day. Batpoor Bill Jones can
not be allowe.i to change his mind.
If Jones desired to kill the woman
he would have sought II more FL
vorable opportunity. Men unused
TO crime would not kill q whole
family when they only had enmity
against one. The human heart does
not turn black in the twinkling OF
M eye. It grows corrupt by slower
degrees. A man engaged in pur-
suits of honest endeayor, with most
pleasant and elevating surroundings
cannot at once bring himself to
commit such crime? And, even
if a father could do this, could he go
to a young and innocent son, whom
he was led in the paths of virtue