The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-08-24
FREED IN FOUR MINUTES.
HENRY CRAIG AND JAMES M'LEAN
ACQUITTED OF ARSON.

of RIVALS stables-The States Case
Breaks Down From Its Own Weight.
Judge Fanigant Instructs the Jury
to Acquit McLean-Attorney Way
Pronounces the Case One Of Ma
uclous Prosecution.
Henry Craig and James Mclean, the two
Oolored men charged with firing Lewis
Ryals stables on the night of March %,
were acquitted In the superior court last
night.
The jury was out only four minutes in
reaching the verdict. The case brought out
q peculiar state of affairs, if true, regarding
the prosecution Of the negroes, who Were
among the first to try to rescue Mr.. RyaIs'
mules at the time Of the fire.
Atno point in the trial did the state make
out even a weak case against the prisoners.
In fact the defense practically proved an
alibi Il was one of the himsiest prosecu-
lions ever brought into court room.
There was not much time consumed in
securing jury. Mr.. hyals testimony was
to the effect that the reason he had harry
Craig arrested on suspicion Of setting fire to
his stables was because Craig had down"
cast look.
Charles Fields Ccoloredl swore that he
passed Rysls' lot the night OF the tire aud
saw Craig stopping down with can In his
hand When he asked what be was doing
Craig replied that he was looking for a
board. Fields said that he looked back
few moments aftervard and saw blaze
burst from the spot where Craig had been
STOPPING.
AN ACCOMMODATING swEARER.
John Smith testified that Craig made
confession TO him in the Jail about setting
the stables adre. Il. L. Way, Esq, who de-
Tended the prisoners made Smith out TO De
gigantic contradiction. He seemed 70 Dc
willing TO swear to anything.
When the state closed its case 1t had COM
pletely failed to connect Mclean with the
crime, and Judge Falligsnt asked II 1t
meant to insist on holding Mclean under
the evidence Solicitor General Fraser re-
piled that the state WAS not prepared to say
anything on that score until later.
London Segur testified for the defense |
that John Smith had told him that RJals |
had offered him $50 TO give testimony |
against Craig and Mclean, and |
that Smith stated that he intended to make |
that money although he knew nothing |
whatever of the circumstances Of the fire.
Segur swore emphatically, facing Mr.. |
Ryals, that he had been discharged from |
his service for not kno wing anything about |
the fire, and that he had been told by Mr.. !
Ryals that he would give him $50 IL he |
would swear that Harry Craig set the |
state to break down Segur's testimony |
failed.
CRAIG's CHARACTER.
Mr. D. V. Lebey testified that he knew |
Craig for years and always knew him to be |
negro Of irreproachabfe character.
Mrs Krautler, who lives near the scene |
of the dre testified that she heard Crags |
wife calling Mclean and Craig the night Of |
the fire and saw both run into the lot and
save Mr. Ryals' mules.
Mr.. Way had many other witnesses he
could have put up to testify to the good /
character of the men, but as the states case /
had fallen from its own weight he did not
require them.
Craig made a statement which bore the
impress OF truth In every word. He showed |
his kindly natrue when he related to the jury |
how he had rushed into the fire to save the
poor dumb brutes who were in danger of |
being burned 70 death.
McLean's statement corroborated every |
thing said by Craig, and there was not a |
person in the court room who doubted for a !
moment that he was telling the truth.
In rebutta to the defense Mr.. Ryals |
denied Segur's statement. He said he had
never offered money to any one to become
witness.
Mr.. Way made an eloquent and scathing
speech IN defense of the prisoners Judge
Falligant stopped him at the outset with
the statement that he need only contine his
argument TO Craig's case, as he proposed to
instruct the jury to acquit Mclean, as no
evidence had been produced against him.
CONSIDERED 1T MALICIOUS PROSECUTION.
Mr.. Way told the jury that In his expe-
rience of eleven years at the bar he had
never seen such himsy case brought be-
fore a court, and be would not make any
argument were it not fsr the fact that be-
sides asking for Craig's aequittAl he wished
kn ask tina iurv IN find that the DrOsncutiOn
was malicious.
He scored Mr.. Ryals severely several
times and brought H. Z. Wilson, Esq.
who was assisting the state, to his feet
when he referred to him as "the paid at
torneyn Of the prosecution. Mr.. Wilson
emphatically denied that he was paid, and
said the reason he appeared In the case was
because Mr. Ryals is his brother-iu-law
"Wel. that makes matters even WORSE"
replied Mr.. Way. The whole family
seem impregnated with this malicious pros
ecution."
The attorney was very plain Ia his re-
marks about the colored witnesses for the
prosecution and frequently referred to them
as liars.
Solicitor General Fraser only spoke few
minutes. He did not make much OF an
effort, because he realized as we'll as every
body who had listened to the evidence that
the state had nothing to base its case upon.
He only performed the duty of prosecuting,
as his position required, but he lacked the
enthusiasm which he usually displays in
such matters.
M'LEAN's ACoUIrTAL ORDERED.
Judge Falligsnt's charge was brief. He
demanded an acquittal for Mclean, and
told the jurymen that as far as the case
against Craig was concerned he would leave
it to their Judgment. They had listened to
the evidence and could construe 1t as they
saw fit.
The jury retired at $50 and four minutes
after filed into the court room with a YER
dict of acquittal for both prisoners IL was
the quickest verdict rendered in Savannah
in years. The colored people began to ap-
plaud when Clerk Carr read the verdict.
but Judge Falligant quickly suppressed It.
Craig and Mclean were met by their
wives outside the bar and given a hugging.
while both white and colored people
crowded around to offer congratulations.
The ex-prisoners were given an ovation un-
til they got outside the court house. aud the
jury was congratulated Cd all sides for
their promptness in freeing the men.
Craig and Mclean were confined in iail
five months under the charge brought
against them by Mr.. Ryals.