Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-06-13
GETS TWELVE YEARS
ibis The Result Of the Long and
Tedious Trial Of Vim. MeadOrS.
HOST EXHAUSTIVE ARGUMENT.
The Prisoners Counsel Contendcd
That There Was No Motive for the
Crime, and That the Prisoner Was
Insanc-Mr. Smiths Speeches.

1nsanc-Mr. smiths speeches.
William Neadors who, on the night OF
January 18th last. shot and killed Maggie
+. Driver In Girolarnis oyster saloon. at
the corner OF Fifteenth and Franklin
streets. will serve term OF twelve years
in the penitentiary. This was the result
OF the long and tedious trial which ended
in the Hastings Court at minutes after
o'clock last night. The entire DAY had
been devoted TO the argument. when en-
braced a most exhaustive review OF tne
case and a very elaborate treatnept OF
she connection between insanity and cpl
Iepsy. Il having been shown by the testi-
nony that several members OF the pri-
soner's family had been insane. while
Meadors himself had suffered from epi-
lcptic fits.
When court convened the accused occu-
pied his seat between Mr.. George II. WISE
and his mother Next TO MIS-. Meaaors
sat the three sisters Of the accused. me
first hour OF the day was spent IN arguing
the Instructions, which were hnaliy nkeu
up and submitted by the Court. Ihey
dealt with the distinctions between muir
der and homicide the question OF SANITY,
of motive. &c. The most important ana
significant instruction. so far as this par
ticulfr case is concerned. was the nrst'
which provided that every man is sup
posed 80 be sane unless II IS sausiac-
tofily shown TO jury that he is insane
MIR SMITH OPENS.
The argument was begun by Mr.. II. Nj.
Smith. Jr., the Commemorative Attorney
MIR. Smith complimented the jury and the
prisoner for having such representative
body Of men to try the case. He compli-
rnented Messfs. Wise and Coalter for the
way in which they had handled the case
and EXPRESSED pleasure at being able 10
say that no one could deny that Meadors
had been well defended The prisoner
attorneys. Mr. Smith said, had tried hard
10 make out that their client was insane
and he would call the attention OF the jury
10 the instructions.
MIR. Smith applied the instructions to
"a Testimony He said that Meadors had
snft b;p home and mother and sisters anu
brothers and brought bushes TO thelr
cheeks. The Commonwealth Attorney
dwelt at some length upon the expert tes-
tlmony, putting the evidence OF the physl-
clans together and pointing out the az
ference The Commonwealth admitted
that the young man had epileptic fits. Mr.:
Smith reviewed the evidence, law, and
tnstructsons and asked the jury To look
at the case with common sense. ana thd'
~ they believed Meadors TO have been
sober when he made the threat 10 XIII
Maggie and II he was drunk When the
crime was committed that he was guilty;
Mr. Smith made n strong argument. ana
smoke In an easy way Of how the attor-
news for the defence had tried to make
ont the whole Anthony family insane.
Mr.. Smith said he knew several mem
hers OF the family, one car-inspector
and the other a merchant who were as
sane men as anybody.
Mr. Smith said that the tears shed by
the Young ladies showed how much they
thought of their brother, but he ala not
deserve IT,
NOT MENTALLY RESPONSIBLE.
Mr.. II. ST. John Coalter, in behalf Of the
prisoner. followed Mr.. Smith He review
cd the testimony and argued that abun-
dant proof had been offered TO show that
Neadors was not mentally responsible for
his acts. and particularly this one. Tor
which he is on trial. Mr.. Coalter. In the
beginning OF his argument said that ne
would not deny that the prisoner killed
Maggie. but he did deny that he was IN
his right mind.
Regarding Mrs. Meadors's testimony as
40 insanity I'm her family. Mr.. Coalter
said that other evidence had been SUBMIT
Ted TO bear out her statements.
This testimony" said Mr.. Coalter mot
only shows that the prisoner comes from
n family tainted with insanity, but II FUR
Their shows that he has had epileptic hts
which indicate that he has inherited the
disease"
HAD NO MOTIVE.
Mr. Coalter said that Meadors had no
motive for killing Maggie Driver, save
that she would not tell him good-by, ana
she did tell him. He held that Meadors
showed no malice towards the woman,
either before or after the killing.
MIR. Coaltor was followed in the after
noon by his associate. Mr.. George II.
Wise. who made a strong appeal in behalf
of the prisoner at the bar. He said that
Moadors had no motive on earth for Kill
ing Maggie Driver. and that II did not
stand TO human intelligence that he would
have shot down the girl in the way III
which she was Killed II he had been a
sane man. Meadors certainly entertained
no malice toward the girl, as the evil
dence showed that he had been begging
her TO kiss him good-by. Ten minutes De-
fore the shooting the accused and Maggie
Driver were laughing and talking, aud
were perfectly friendly. Mr.. Wise dis
cussed at great length the question or
hereditary insanity. Great stress was laid
upon the fact that the young man had had
epilepsy, and that other members OF his
family had been insane Meadors, he de-
clared. had labored under delusion. He
felt that he had 10 commit that crime
unless the woman would kiss him good
by.
Mr.. Smiths closing speech was mas
ferly effort. II pointed 10 the law and the
evidence as the things TO guide the jury
in its decision. Mr.. Smith declared that
II was not necessary for the Common
wealth TO prove IA motive for crime; the
motive was always implied.
MURDER IN THE SECOND DEGREE.
The ease was submitted shortly before
7o'clock, and a little after S the jury re-
turned with a verdict of guilty of murder
in the second degree. The ladies had been
taken from the court-chamber when, IL
became known that an agreement had
been reached. When told 20 stand up 10
receive his verdict Meadors arose and
looked listlessy around him. He did not
appear to be very much interested In
what was going on around him His coun-
sci entered motion 10 set aside the YER
dict as contrary 10 the law and the evil
dence I'm the case, but this was promptly
overruled by Judge Witt. who remark ed
from the bench: ''rhe Court thinks this
prisoner has good cause TO thank the jury
for its leniency"
Meadors was then sentenced.
CLOSE OF NoLLEY's SCHOOL.