The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-12
FORD'S PLEA SELF-DEFENSE.
NJ GOT TEN YEARS. HOWEVER,
FOR KILLING HIS WIFE.

ali
u.tehet-A PIaintin in a Divorce
S,ft Names the Correspondent
,nsee Norwood Gives Three Long
r.ru,s for steaIing-ApplicatiO in
,b. United states Court for n Man
a.,,us Against the WriEhtsviIIe
- TenniIIe RaiIrOad-SOme Fees
for Temporary Receivers and
Their Counsel.
thomas Ford, who was indicted for the
.,nrIer Of his wife. Susan Fora. was
,rfa5 in the superior court yesterday, and
fornd guilty of voluntary manslaughter,
s,r which he was sentenced by Judge
rauigant TO ten years in the penitentiary.
r,r5 was defended by Kenan & Hart
-i3pe His plea was self defense, which
g considered a rather unusual plea in
1be case Of a man killing his wife.
The case was not a hard one for the
iurv to deal with, as there was a very
small amount of contradictory evidence.
II appeared that Ford had been separated
from his wife Tor some time. One wit
ness stated that he owed her p cents.
because Of this debt or for some other
reason she claimed she was entitled TO
receive either the money or to have some
Il
from a certain party. and on the day in
question she went about establishing her
right.
The killing occurred at a place out on
the Augusta road, near the Lathrop plan
tation. Susan borrowed a Ratchet
from a friend, Lizzie Chisholm, and went
after some of the palings. Her husband
objected, and according to one witness he
q str bar
the back with it, though another witness
did not mention, but rather denied this
fact The women then struck at Fora
twice with the Ratchet, which she haG
borrowed for the purpose of cutting the
Ialings. Neither blow hit him, but be-
lore She had an opportunity OF striking
at him again he pulled his pistol and shot
her through the middle of the forehead
This practically is the evidence in the
case and the defendants statement does
not differ materially from the facts herein
contained. He, of course, denied striking
her, and stated that she came at him
with a Ratchet. and he shot to protect
The argument was made for the defense
by Mr. Walter G. Hartridge, ond for the
state by Solicitor General Fraser. The
jury was out about three-quarters of an
hour after which verdict OF voluntary
manslaughter was returned. Judge Falli-
CANT sentenced Ford to spend ten years IN
the pentenuary. The punishment in such
cases is from one to twenty years in the
discretion of court.
The trial of the case did not begin until
about Z o'clock as the defense filed de-
murrer to the indictment, claiming that
it was defective in that il failed to charge
Ford with the killing of any one. 1t APP
pears that in the last section of the in
dictment, after the words did kill and
murder" the words her the said Susan
Ford" were omitted Judge Falligant APP
peared at first inclined TO sustain the de-
murrer, but some time was spent in hunt
ing up decisions on the point, after which
it was overruled.
Mrs. Willie Q. sturtevant, through her
attorneys, McAlpin d DaRoche, filed suit
for divorce in the superior court against
her husband w. b.. Sturtevant. She
charges improper conduct on his part,
cruel treatment, and squandering her
money and property. Among other allie
cations she states that she started a
boarding house, and that when he re-
turned from a sanitarium in New York
he notified all the boarders that the house
would be closed March /, which caused
them to leave. The correspondent named
in the libel is Ann Wilson. -isf
In the alimony suit of Minnie I. against
BurreH sweat, Judge Falligant set Sat
lrday, March q, as the date for the hear
In the divorce suit of Theresa Eliza
beth Dillon against David r. Dillon,
second verdict and decree were granted.
Peter Morrison, the jury rendered a first
In the certiorari case for damages to
some plumbing brought by James H. Nc
Kenna against Sarah F. Dreamer, or, as
it appeared in the justice court, Sarah
F. Creamer against McKenna & Welsh,
the court sustained the traverse to the
answer of Justice Goldman, and this
morning the case win come up for trial
On its merits
Isaac Williams charged with the muir
Ger of his step-father will be tried in
the superior court to-day. The stepfather
whipped him because he would not go for
4 he J.
young Isaac pulled his knife and dealt
Inc old man death blow.
Augusta Badenbach was given a YER
diet for $500 in the city court yesterday
IN her damage suit against the Central
Of Georgia Railway Company. She sued
Tor $1,000. She was travelling from Atlanta
10 Savannah on what was claimed to be
scalpers ticket which the conductor re-
fused to take. He asked, so the defend
anus claim, that she let MIN nave charge
OF her baggage as security for her fare.
She states that the conductor violently
}erked the baggage checks from her
nand and detained them from her, and
mat other indignities were heaped upon
The sealed verdict in the case of of Liz
Ae Pinsky against Rhodes & Walker was
opened and found to be for $40 for the
plaintiff. A consent order was taken al
lowing new trial.
George Hayward, colored, was found
suuty OF stealing a copy of the Morning
141"S from Harry Lang s door. InlS is
HayWard's third offense, and he seems to
nave been making a regular practice of
steaIng newspapers, in consideration OF
which Judge Norwood sentenced him to
spend twelve months on the chain-gang.
Jim Banks pleaded guilty to the charge
VI simple larceny and was sentenced to
serve twelve months on the gang. Charles
Jackson, who pleaded guilty to the same
ondIge, was sentenced to spend six months
on the gang.
MT Leonard Phinizy, representing the
augusta Southern railway, filed a petit
U9n Tor mandamus against the Wrights-
SS.Ie and Tennille railroad in the United
ossales court yesterday for the purpose
" requiring the defendant corporation
J." accept freight from them on the same
CHS on which they accept it from the
E}1etnIral The point is raised under the
nlesIstate commerce law. The papers
4 ere ordered served at once, and Judge
peer viii hear argument on the ques-
m mon OF granting the mandamus this
co IN the case of Joseph W. Bennett, re-
ever of the Oglethorpe National Bank
b % brunswick against Mrs: A. E.. Bur-
50 maker, and w. E. Burbage indorser,
NJ note for $500, after argument by
niai Ny. h. Kay, who appeared for the
. Aie4HllU, and others q verdict iI1dp-