The morning news., 1894-02-06
HILL GIVEN SEVEN YEARS.
EChOlS EzOnerated Of the Charge Of
Writing the Confession.

Hills Lawyers Assert That He Has
Deceived Them All the Way Through,
And They Refuse to Have Anything
More to Do With His Case-He se-
cures a Lawyer From Marietta and
Applies for a New Trial.
Atlanta, Ga, Feb. 5.-Harry Hill was
sentenced to seven years in the peniten-
tiary by Judge Richard II. Clark to-day.
Every stage of the noted case has had it's
particular sensation. The passing of the
sentence was no exception, bringing out
one of the most dramatic and unexpected
scenes of the whole trial. Hills lawyers
openly announced that he had grossly de.
ceived them throughout, and hence
forward they will have nothing to do
with his case. This was sensatio on mum.
Der one.
Following on the same line, Ben Hill,
who put the court and public on notice
that he and Col Rucker had washed their
hands of Hill, publicly withdrew their
charge that John w. Echols had written
the letter containing Hills alleged confes,
sion, which had been made the main issue
of the defense on the trial.
MAIZE NChOLS WEEP
Echols cried like school boy as the
weight of this grave accusation was
voluntarily lifted from him by the man
who made it, and when Hill stood up for
sent ence, the voice of Judge Clark him-
self was shaken with emotion, and tears
fell from his eyes. The scene would have
been dramatically affecting If the con.
temptible character of the prisoner could
have been lost sight OF, but as it was, it
was more on the order of an opera bouffe.
Every new light that is thrown on the
case, adds to Hills infamy in dragging
through the mire the name of the woman
who all but sacrificed her fortune TO help
him live life of ease and luxury.
JUDGE oLARK's EMOTION.
Judge Clark felt for the family Of the
prisoner, with whom he has been an inti-
mate friend all his life, and he was moved,
not by the justice done Hill, but for the
disgrace he has brought upon a hitherto
stainless name.
All the lawyers in the case were in
the court room when Hill was brou ght in
for sentence except Col. Rucker, one of
his counsel. When called upon by the
court Hill arose and asked that the sem
tence be deferred until he could ask for a
new trial. b. II. Hill was present, and
the fact that he did not make this mo-
tion, created surprise. Hill concluded his
little speech to the court with the declar-
alton that he was not guilty.
Mr.. Benjamin Hill then explained that
he was no longer attorney for the pris-
oner, but made plea for mercy in his be-
half.
ExoNERATIoN OF EoHoLs.
At the conclusion of the sentence the
attorney again addressed the court and
created a further sensation by apollo
gizing to Attorney Echols for the charge
that he had written the alleged confes-
sion of the prisoner and forged his
signature to it. 1t came out from his
statement that Harry Hill has not only
proven himself an migrate to Mrs. Porter
but that he also persistently refused to
tell the truth even to his lawyers. MIR.
Hill said that he had learned from an
outside source that Col. Echols did not
write the alleged confession (which
meant that Harry Hill had written it,,
and therefore he wanted to absolve Col.
Echols.
HILL DECEIVED THEM.
He said that the prisoner had persis-
tently denied any knowledge of the letter
of confession. 1t is understood that the
reason HilPs attorneys gave him the
shake Is that he lied about the confession.
Late this afternoon Hill secured the SER
vices of H. B. Mass, of Marietta, and
filed q motion for a new trial. Judge
Clark has set Feb 16 on which to hear
this motion. Until Feb 16 the sen tence
Is suspended. Hill says that he will en-
ploy Charles Blackburn, of Chicago, one
of the foremost criminal lawyers of the
country, to defend him if the new trial is
granted. Hill thinks that, properly ham
died, he can be cleared on the evidence.