The morning times., 1896-04-02
JOHN LUCAS CONVICTED
Verdict Of Manslaughter Re-
turned by the Jury.
NO NEW TRIAL DEMANDED
Prisoner Expressed Himself as Sat
isfied With the Verdict u udge
Coles Charge Indicated the Sen
tence That Would FOllow-PrIsOner
Tried for Olive TayIor's Murder.

The jury in the case of John Lucas,
coIored, who has been on trial for two
days for the killing of Oliver Taylor, at
s O'Clock last evening brought in Il YER
diet of guilty of manslaughter, after being
locked up for little more than two hours.
The case went TO the jury at 5:43 O'Clock.
Judge Cole went home at that hour and
directed the marshal TO call him at 7:30
O'Clock. BY 6:15 O'Clock 4 verdict had
been reached, but the Judge could not be
notified until the hour specified.
When Judge Cole arrived Lucas was
brought into court by deputy marshal;
the Jurors were called and the verdict heard
less than five minutes later. Lucas cx-
pressed his qualification at the verdict
and, it is said, no new trial will be de
manded.
PRISONER ON THE STAND.
The trial opened yesterday morning with
the placing of the prisoner himself upon
the stand, as told in the Evening Times,
among the first witnesses. Further ex-
pert testimony was introduced 10 show
that death might have been caused by
pneumonia, and DR.. James Kerr of the
Emergency Hospital, testified that he be
leyed death did result from that disease
instead OF from the blow.
The government waived lis privilege of
making the opening argument and the case
ofthc defendant wasargUed b Y Mr.. Ke arney
and Mr.. Curtis respectively. Mr.. Birney
closed for the government.
Judge cole consumed almost half an hour
in his cha rye TO the jury. 1t was considered
10y many or the members of the bar who
heard it Us an unusually able and I'M
partial one. He said that malice and not
necessarily premeditation was the keynote
| IN n
serious bodily harm if done ma!iciOusly
ana resulting in death to the victim was
also murder.
The question OF malice was of course to
be determined by the jurors, but the use
or Il deadly weapon OF any character was
uresumptivc evidence OF intent to Kill or
inJure maliCiOusly.
QUESTION OF JUSTIFICATION.
If the man was justified in strking the
bio W, said the court. he should be acquitted.
He claimed TO strike the blow in self-dc-
Tense. If you believe That you should
acquit him.
IF the man had an honest belief that he
was in great danger or his life, but that
was Il belief that a reasonable man would
not have formed, he is not guilty of
murder, but of manslaugtiter. If the blow
was the partial cause of death 1T would
be considered the immediate cause and be
the same as if it had been the sole cause
and the person that administered i would
be guilty of murder"
The jury retired at 5:43 O'Clock.
The history OF Lucas crime has already
been recited in The Times. He had been
separated from his wife for nearly nine
months, and on the night of October q
last tie went to her home on Olive street
Georgetown, where he found Oliver Tay-
or living with her When he sought adj
mission 10 the house the wife refused lim
and lie beat down the door. He found her
partly undresSed and, rushing up stairs.
discovered Taylor In bed.
All three OF the party descended 10 the
floor below where n quarrel unexplained
by confusing testimony, ensaed- Taylor
left the house for policeman and subse-
quently returned without one. Another
affray followed and Lucas struck Taylor
across tue forehead with a potato mdsheT.
He then struck him With brick aud his
victim was carried off to the hospital.
where he died four days later without
regaining consciousness