The morning news., 1892-03-19
TRIED FOR HER LIFE.
CARRIE LEE ACQUITTED OF BURN
ING ABRAM BROWNS House.

The First Women Tried for Capital
Crime In Chatham County In Many
Years The Jury Returns a Verdict
Of Not Guilty After Thirty Minutes
Delibsratiou.
For the first time 10 many years, Chat
ham county's couf thouse was the scene yes
terday Of the trial OF a woman for her life.
IL was the case OF Carrie Lee (coloredl,
| charged with arson in having burned
Abram Browns house at West Rroad and
Maple streets, on the night OF Jan. g. The
trial consumed the attention of the court
until $50 O'Clock, at which time the Jury
retired. After being out cOout half al
hour the jury returned with g verdict Of
not guilty.
The trial attracted large crowd OF spec
tators. The gallery was packed with ns-
groes, and the whites comfortably filed the
court room below.
~, There was little trouble in getting jury.
The state only struck one. The prisoner
struck four and one went of for cause. The
jury which tried the case was:
Robert I. Barbour, Hardwig Loewenthal,
b. l.. Owens, Percival r. Cohen,
| Osgood N. Berry, Joseph L. Audessey,
Morris Is. Ketchum, Michael j. Barrett,
| John II. Cannon. George Helwig.
Adam b. BROOKS, Frank ]. LaRochs.
The state produced several witnesses who
swore to having seen Carrie Lee coming out
OF the yard OF Browns house about the time
The fire was discovered. 1t was also shown
that she had been living with Browns
brother-tu law for quite awhile, and he had
| deserted her short time before Browns
house was burned. The eudeavor of the
state was to show that the Lee woman fir ed
the house to get revenge upon the man who
had deserted her and who was living in
Browns house.
Mounted Policeman McCabe, who ar
rested the Lee woman, was put upon the
stand by the defense. He said the night Of
the fire was very dark one. aud, In his
| opinion, it would have been almost inn
possible to recognize anybody even three
feet away, In Maple street. unless one was
NEST intimately acquainted with the person.
The officer said bis prisoner seemed quite
surprised at being arrested, but made no
resistance.
The prisoner made a statement in her own
behalf, denying emphahcally that she knew
anything about the fire. She said she was
at Lindsay & Morgan's furniture store when
the fire was discovered.
Attorney William Pease defended the ao-
cused and made good speech. He ridi-
culed the idea Of recognizing any one In
place like Maple street on a dark night.
The state witnesses veracity was picked
pretty well to pieces by Mr.. Pease.
Solicitor General Fraser, after summing
up the evidence Of his witnesses, took up
the evidence of the defense aud treated the
jury to dissertation on astronomy to show
that the moon was shining brightly at the
tune of the fire. The solicitor displayed an
almanac to back up bis astronomy.
Judge Falligants charge occupied only
ten minutes and the jury retired at $50
O'Clock. AT 6 o'clock it came in with
verdict Of aoquittaL
Adam Gates. an 1S-year-old negro, was
convicted Of the burglary Of Mills & Tay-
lor's barn on the night Of March 9, and
sentenced by Judge Falligant to Ave years
in the peniteutiAry.
Gustave Kiesling, George c. Hummel
| and George Blumnea yesterday petitioned
the superior court for incorporation as the
Savannah Piano Company. The amount
Of capital stock actually paid in is S25, 900,
and privilege is asked to increase iu at any
time to S250,000. Twenty years ia the term
OF incorporation asked for.
Judge Falligant yesterday reappointed
Isaac Beckett, Esq, a notary public.
This morning at O'Clock Judge Falli-
| CANT viii hear argument on the petition Of
the minority stockholders for the sale of the
Coast Line railroad now in the hahda nf