The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-04-13
HENRY FUTCH ON TRIAL.
HE Is CHARGED WITH KILLING
ALFRED KENNEDY.

"
Mrs Sarah DsLoach and Her Daughter
Held as Accomplices in the Crime-A
Colored Boy the Most Importsnt
Witness for the State-Strange jail
Life ofthe Women.
REIDsvILLE, Ga, April 12. Tho case of
the state VS.. Henry Futch, charged with
the murder of Alfred Kennedy Oh the nights
of AUg. Z. 81, 1891, was called in che supe-
rior court Of Tattnall county this morning.
About two hours was consumed In selecting
a jury. The prosecution is conducted by
Solicitor General B. d. Evsns, Jr.. assisted
| by P. W. Meldrim and II. J. Notice. The
defense is represented by #. g. duBignon,
Hines & Fielder, and Lee Giles.
The court house was crowded to overs
| flowing. The prisoner Is a man about 25
years Of age, Is rather stout and has dark
\ hair He wears a mustache and short side
| whiskers. His complexion is quite pale. He
| appeared to be quite nervous, and his eyes
moved continually among the crowd, but
without expression.
Seventy-1ve witnesses were called for the
state The defense offered forty witnesses.
Mr.. Meldrim conducted the examination
for the state. The first witness called was
| Shepard Smith, who stated that the de=
ceased had been working with him duri8g
the morning OF the day of the shooting, and
| went hunting during the afternoon and re-
turned to supper. He also stated that KEN
| nedy went away that evening, riding bis
| mare, accompanied by a colt. As he did not
| return by the next day he tracked the mare
to within COO yards OF Mrs. DeLoach's
| house.
j. O. Strickland testified that he went on
a search through the woods and found al
oak which had been broken, apparently
| about four or five days before, TO which he
concluded a horse had been hitched. This
was about 200 yards from Mrs. DeLoach's
house.
AN IMPORTANT WITNESS.
William Spencer was tho most important
witness for the state. He is negro by
! l6 years of age. He was hired at
Mrs. DeLoach's house. He knew Futch,
who was working there also at the sau1s
time. They quit work and he went home.
Futch said he was going down the road to
his fathers. Spencer was In the house and
heard gunshot and saw a flash through
the window, which issued from a position
near the buggy shed outside of the lot. Mrs.
DeIoach and all the children who were Ia the
| shed ran in the house, and he
followed. The DeLoaches did not cook sup
per that night. but it was unusual. and the
witness did not know why. After the shot
he heard some one crying "On sop Mrs.
Sarah DeLoach came into the house and
whispered to me. saying: Nobody need
be afraid, they can't be hurt; it's only
Horny Futch has shot Alfred Kennedy"
| Futch came In a moment after, dancing,
| and began TO play the organ. Futch in
| quired what was the matter, and the chill.
| dren said somebody was shooting outside.
| Futoh said that he also heard shoots
| log down the road he came along.
| Mrs. DeLoach and Miss Mary Jane and
| Futch went out together through the gate,
after a short consultation. They then re-
turned to the house. Mrs. DeLoach told
Futoh to go with Mary Jane TO see how her
| niece was, who was Hick. They left in a
buggy, and returned in about three hours
The witness was then told by Mrs. Futch
to 20 70 bed, which he did, bu5 be did not
| sleep, because he was afraid. lie was
awake when Futch and Miss Mary Jane
DeLoach returned. Miss DeLoach
went to bed and Mrs. DeLonch and
Futch stood in the house and talked
IN low voice for about an hour. He did
not hear the convers alton. The next morn
ing the witness fed the horses, and went in
the kitchen, and had a conversation with
Mary Jane. THE conversation was objected
10 by the defense The witness saw Futch,
whose pants we're wet up TO the knees, aud
he went out to the buggy shelter, and saw
blood on the ground. The witness and
Futch, while saving wood together. had a
conversation. Futch asked the wi =
ness not to say anything about
the gun shot. Futch as Ied the witness If l. Q
would kill a man. The witness replied 10,
and Futch replied that he (Futchl would,
and was going to kill some ono soon. Futch
told the witness to say that, il asked about
the shooting, he and Futch quit work to-
gether on the evening Of the shooting.
On cross-examination by Judge Hines the
witness was shown a shirt which he ao-
kno wledged to be his, ana claimed that 10
tuaa In, hfa trttu af ha ma of no Hfitino
He denied that he had washed the sleeve Of
the shirt the morning after. lie was ar
rested about wesk after and was taken to
jail by some men. He staid there two
months
One interesting incident connected with
the Futch- Del I.oach case is that the DeRoach
women have been annoyed by visitors sew
eral times during their confinement in tne
county jail. For several nights parties
called at the Jail aud asked TO see them.
Tho women became frlg tened
They concluded that conspiracy
was organized to lynch them. They in-
formed the sheriff of these proceedings and
the sheriff proceeded to give them protec-
ton by presenting them each with a
7-shoo.er With which TO greet their would-bs
callers The same night brought delega-
tion to the jail. They were not allowed to-
enter but received a warm reception
through the bars. The women used the full
battery upon the retreating visitors, and
they never came back.
The DeLoach women have had the
privilege Of coming out OF the Jail to get
fresh nir, and on one occasion were allowed
to 90 to the funeral OF a relative twelve
miles In the country.
The cases of the state vs. Mrs. Sarah De-
Loach and Miss Mary Jane DeLoach for
murder, will be taken up as soon as the
Futch case Is disposed Of. The cases will
DrObablV OCcuDY the eEkira weak