The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-07-20
MENENANY NOT GUILTY.
FRANK DOBsON's SLAYER AC-
Quilted OF MURDER.

The Story of the Fatel Quarrel at Kate
Barnwen's Place Told on the Wit
ness Stand-Selt Defense, McEn-
enany's Plea-The Fight in the Street
That Ended in Dobson's Death
Judge Falligant's Charge to the
Jury and the Jury's Deliberations
The Verdict.
Prtrick McEenany was acquitted this
morning at 1890 o'clock Of the murder Of
Frank Dobson on Sunday morning, May 5.
The trial occupied all Of yesterday in the
superior conrt At 5:45 o'clock the court
concluded its charge and the jury retired.
At midnight word was sent TO the court
room that the jury had agreed, and Officer
Goldman was dispatched for Judge Fall
giant.
The Judge reached the court room at $50
O'Clock this morning aud the jury was
brought down ThomasS. Morgan, Jr., rep
resented Hon. P. w. Meldrim, McEnenanys
counsel, and the court, before calling for
the verdict, said that he would not send for
Solicitor General Fraser until the verdict
was passed up to the bench, and It might
not be necessary to have him present.
Deputy Clerk Molina called the jurors.
Each man answered to his name, aud in
reply to the usual question Of the court, the
Jury answered that it had agreed upon
verdict Deputy CLERK Molina received the
verdict from the foreman, A. q. YDanez,
and passed it TO the court, II was as follows:
1--WE, the jury, find the defendant not
guilty"
Mr. Morgan then moved for the discharge
of the prisoner and tine order was duly
taken and the prisoner discharged
AN AcQUITTAL NOT EXPECTED.
There was belief almost general that
McEnenany would either be convicted of
manslaughter or there would be mistrial,
but Judge Falligant, after leaving the
bench, said that while he thought the YER
dict might be for manslaughter there was
room for the verdict of acquittal.
There was some trouble in getting jury
and out of panel of sixty-three the Jury
box was not filled until the fifty. seventh
juror had been called, when neither the state
nor the defense could strike as both sides
had exhausted their privileges, each having
struck ten men.
The argument of counsel was able, neither
Solicitor General Fraser nor Mr.. Meldrim
attempting to be oratorical, but solely argu-
mentative, with no citations and references.
Solicitor General Fraser never did better
before a jury, and his exhibition of the
knives belonging TO the prisoner and to
Dobson, and the comparison as to the
effectiveness of McEnenany's knife
with the small penknife used
by Dobson was very shrewdly done, for
while Dobson's closed knife was small, the
large blade of the knife was an ugly one
sharpened to a needles point and nearly as
long as the handle but the solicitor general
exhibited in a dramatic way the larger
knife, which killed Dobson, aud held up the
closed knife, which conveyed no idea of its
effectiveness.
THE STORY OF THE QUARREL.
Tho fret xuitpacS oaIlad bxy fha otata ,rna
Richard Morrissey, who testified that he had
never seen McEnenany before the night of
the killing, when he met him at Kate Barn
wells, at Bay and Montgomery streets
Morrissey went there at O'clock Sunday
morning, May s. McEnenany and Frank
Armstrong were there with Dobson,
BARLEY Smith, the Blrnwell woman and
Mrs. Stevens. He heard the argument
between McEnenany and Dobson. McEne-
many said that he could whip any man in
the house, and asked Morrissey if he didn't
, think he was right. Morrissey answered
that probably he could but as it was very
late, he asked him not to make any
noise. Dobson got up and walked
can whip you" Mrs BarnwelI
got between them and asked them not to
make a noise at that time of night; that
they had to get out if they were going to
continue the fuss. She opened toe door and
McEnenany passed out. Some time had
elapsed when Dobson said he would go out
anyhow. he went out, followed by Arm
strong. Morrissey heard a cry of police, -
three times ten minutes after they left
None of the rest went out, as they didn't
want to be involved in any difficulty Nor
rissey didn't leave the house until daylight.
He saw Dobson after he was killed, lying
on the south side of Bay street. Dobson
and McEnenany were apparently both
pretty well intoxicated
DoBsoN AND M'ENENANY BOTH DRUNK.
In reply to question by the solicitor
general the witness said that he would cali
Dobson very much under the influence of
liquor. be thought Dobson was drinking
to the extent that he was stupid: he ap.
peared very stupid McEuenany was also
intoxicated; he was more intoxicated in a
lively manner. He looked like he hadn't
been drunk as long as Dob5on. Morrissey
didn't see Dobson attempt to strike Mem
enany, and no knives were displayed in the
house.
The Barnwell woman was called She
couldn't remember the details of the trouble
in the house. Dobson came in about Il
O'Clock aud McEnenany and Armstrong
about half and hour later They were Quiet
enough for awhile. McEnenany, Armstrong
and Mrs. Stevens were playing cards to-
gether, and when McEnenanv and Dobsor
began to get NOISY she said: Boys, if you
are going to have fuss you must get out
They said they would 90 out
McEnenany said: "Well, Frank
come out" Dobson said: "I au
coming out in minute" The witness put
Dobson back and kept him inside eight OF
ten minutes, thinking McEnenany would e
Off and everything would be quiet again
but she got busy and Dobson went out witt
Armstrong. About ten minutes later sh,
heard some one call police" bu
she didn't look out, and went in the bacl
part of the house. The witness said sh,
would say that McEnenany was the drunk
est of the two. She went out after day
light and saw Dobson lying dead across the
street.
THE CORONER ON THE STAND.
Coroner w. d. Dixon testified that tn
large blade of McEnenany's knife fitted thu
wound in Dobson's chest, and had gone il
to the hilt. The wound was on a line be
tween the nipples and to the right. anc
there was cash on the dead mans RICH
thigh. The knife was very bloody.
Policeman j. c. Neve testified that Mr.
Smith took him to the place where Dob
sons body lay at 4:l0 O'Clock in the morn
ing. He found little knife and a pip
stem by the body. The sight of the cash i
Dobson's thigh made him feel sick TIL
witness identified McEnenany's knife as tn
one turned over at the barracks. Dobso
was dead when he got 10 him, but he didn'
L. hraw lou