The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-26
A VERDICT OF AcoUITTAL.
THE FIRST OF THE wALTERBORO
TRIALS AT AN END.

The Finding of the Jdry Presented
TO the Court mt MfdniEht-rhe
Scene In the DimIy Lighted Room
n Most Impressive One-The ReIa-
lives and Friends of the Prisoners
shower the Jurors with Con-
gratuIatfOns.
Walterboro. S. c., Feb 25.-"Gehtlemen
Of the jury, have you agreed upon a YER
dict2"
1--WE have"
1t IS midnight. The old court house of
Colieton is dimly lighted. the body Of tho
building being in semi-darkness.
The figures of Dr. W. b. Ackerman.
Frank Jenney. Frank Brant and wyman
Kearse are imperfectly seen in the dock.
which is elevated five feet above. the
floor At the rail dividing the bar from
tho public portion of the han, there is a
wall Of white faces. Men have been
pushing and struggling for an advan-
tageous position, but now a hush falls
upon the assembly.
A few minutes before when the news
that the jury had agreed was heard on
the quiet streets, men had seemed to
spring from the ground. and in an in
crediby short time hundreds were surg
ing and pushing up the winding stone
steps of the court house. surging into the
building and almost overpowering the ex-
ira force OF deputies stationed along the
railing
But Judge Aldrch had arrived and the
stiffness of a vault now regned.
Around a table, lighted by one OF the
three kerosene lamps in the hall, were
three or four special correspondents.
The Rev. Ackerman, the father of DR..
Ackerman, sat by the side Of his wife.
his white hair and beard being conspic-
uous In the uncertain light. The devoted
mother who has so faithfully attended
the court, was bent forward a handker-
chief pressed to her eyes. Several girls
relatives of the prisoner, were seated
about the dock, serious, but not deeply
moved
The prisoners looked straight ahead.
Wait a moment. Mr., Clerk" said the
Judge, who then warned the audience
against any demonstration.
lie, LET the verdict be read he said.
The state against w. y. Ackerman,
Frank Jenney, Frank Brandt and Wyman
Kearse, indictment for murder. Not
guilty.
A smile spread over DR.. Aekerman's
face as the words fell from the clerks
lips. His father let his face fail in his
hands with sob: his mother seemed to
press the handkerchief closer to her eyes.
The other defendants were unmoved.
Perfect silence remained for second
when some one tapped the floor with his
feet, but stern command of silence, cut
The court was then adjourned.
hundred men pressed about the dock
from all sides, while the prisoners stood
up and received their enthusiastic con-
gratulatiOns.
Mrs. Ackerman was overcome, and she
| and other ladies Wept aloud.
The jurymen then filed by Rev. Mr..
| Alderman, who still weeping, took each
one by the hand, with fervent God bless
The mother was the next, with tear be-
/ dimmed eyes, TO give thanks to the twelve
men, and then they shook hands with the
\ four occupants OF the dock, and several
dozen friends Of those men.
The prisoners we're remanded to fail,
being under indictment for the murder OF
Such is human nature and so IL ever Will
| be. In the friendly circle the conviction OF
these men would have been considered a
| crime almost too terrible TO contemplate;
| the enormity of the offense charged
/ against them is overshadowed, forgotten,
| in the moment Of danger to those for
| whom they have love or regain, and all
| the influence of a powerful connection has
| been eXerted TO spread that feeling to the
| minds of neighbors.
why should our friends be the first to
| fall before this newly aroused public SEN
| timent, when If they killed these people
| they did not intend to take life."
on the other side, those living beyond
| this little circle Of friends and acquaint-
ances Of the defendants. those who know
| that neither the leading counsel nor the
| prisoners viii deny that the latter commit
| ted the deed of whipping, those who have
| given intelligent and unbiased attention to
|
| ed lawyers make a desperate struggle to
create the shadow of defense must re-
| alize that this Is another case in which,
| from Whatever cause.-the eyes of justice
| have been found, the unbalanced scales
| torn from her hands, and in the sight OF
an enlightened order-loving country lib
| erty Is unprotected, truth is without hon
| or and justice is a mOckery.
| motion for bail was made by the coun-
| sci for the four men who had Just been
| acquitted of the murder of Hannah Walk
| err in the case of Isham Kearse the son
| of the woman who was beaten to death
| at the same time. They also asked for
! bail in the case of three others not in
| dicted in the former case.
| Col. Aldrich argued that the cases were
| practically Identical and that the verdict
| Of the jury should be constructed to show
that the proof was not evident nor the
presumption great"
Solicitor Bellinger earnestly opposed the
! motion, claiming to have additional evil
| dence that the cases were dissimilar in
| several features. He read an affidavit
from one Of the unindicted defenda1ts
saying he was present when these negroes
were whipped, that the other defendants
were there and that he begged them not
to whip the deceased so severely. This
was one of the witnesses who when put on
the stand by the state in the case just
/ closed refused to testify because he might
| incriminate himself. The Judge declined
| to entertain the motion for bail, but ii is
! probable another effort will be made be-
fore another Judge The amount of the
bond is immaterial to the prisoners. The
state may move for change of venue.
1