The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1895-07-18
THE SHEMWELL VERDICT
THE COURT ROOM WAS THRONG
ED WITH PEOPLE.
ShemwelI Congratulated by .Ris
Friends-Great Joy of His Wife
and Little Son-Cy Watson EN-
braced by Friends,

Mr.. W. E. Christian reports the
closing scenes of the Shemwell trial.
| at Lexington. as follows:
The bell rang from the court house
| in Lexington about o'clock, and the
| people from far and near hurried to
| the building, some driving their carts
| Oh as they ran. The prisoner, Shem
| well, was sent for and the judge press
ed his way through to his seat.
'"There is one juryman who wants
Instructions" said Foreman Prim, the
| Quaker, and Immediately there arose
Warner, another juror. Warner said
the solicitor had charged or said that
they must find either that Shemwell
should hang or that he should go free
Then the Judge went over the charges
the second time in brief way, where
upon it was observed that Foreman
! Prim nodded to juror Warner in a way
that seemed significant, and the jury
returned to the little side room.
Then all those who had come began
leaving the building, and as the judge
was on the stairway going down, the
Jury knocked at the door, and were
again admitted to the court room, and
the judge was summoned back and all
returned, some of the counsel, how
ever, getting no further than the door
in the crush: for even defender Wat
son said he did not then expect the
jury to return before night.
All was still. The prisoner stood up
and faced the jury; his face was white
and steady, free from all emotions.
Without formality Foreman Prim in
answer to the formal question, said
mot guilty"
The prisoner sat down. There arose
a hubbub, and the beginning of d
shout, and the judge was prompt to
tell the sheriff to arrest all who had
joined in the uproar, and all became
passably quiet again, when the Judge
said: ''The prisoner is discharged. :"
Then the people crowded about him
in great numbers, and presently there
came through the crowd, his wife, who
at last reached her husband, and
threw herself upon him and wept
copiously, and Dermott also, Shem
wells little son, had his arms about
his father, and he was weeping too,
and then the father wept. And the
wife repeated her embraces several
times, until she was somewhat sub
sided in her parOXysm of JOY. That
was all.
The Paynes were not present at the
time of the rendering Of the verdict,
of the entering of the wife. "He
knew she would come in moment"
he said, and he escaped from the
building, for he said he did not wish
to see that meeting. There was an
orderly, but crowded passing from the
court room, and the people wondered
what would be the result in the VII,
lage. And when they had scattered
about and talked for awhile, there
seemed to spread over the place feel
ing of calm satisfaction, not only that
the case was ended, but also that the
prisoner was free. There was no MUIR
muir, nor sign of discomfort among the
people. Many taxed in the streets.
many went to their homes, many went
to the depot to take the trains both
ways. Shemwell's words were these:
'"Thank God" DR.. Lee Payne's were
these 81 have nothing to say except
that l think there has been great
miscarriage of Justice
Shemwell and his wife went to their
home; DR.. and Mrs. Lee Payne, and
the widow, Mrs. DR.. r. L. Payne, took
the southbound train for Black Noun
tain. Also on the southbound train
were Judge Armfield. Cy. Watson and
j. g. Buxton who had been telegraph
ed for from Greensboro. Watson was
embraced at Salisbury by friends who
had caught the tidings from the wire
one hour before. Judge Boykin had
boarded the ncrthbOund train for
Greensboro to begin his special term
there