The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1898-08-02
"NOT GUILTY."
VERDICT I'm THE MURDER CAsE
REACHED FRIDAY NIGHT. n
The Seven Defendants After Spending Six
Weeks In the County JAN Arc Declars.i,
By Jury ofThefr Peers Not Guilty
n Legal Hnttle From start +,
: XG..tyyS ". (, - To Finish. ..... ., ..... :. .

Ihe murder case ut POmaria is ut
an nj. Tie five white men and
the t. 70 negroes charged with tho
mufder: of iIlovett Williams in Janu-
ary 1905 have ebeen declared by q
jary5pot guilty. @# a. 81
There was considerable interest in
the case from the beginning. Tho
CONT room was crowded almost to
suffocation. If it had not turned q
little cooler on Friday it would have
been almost impossible to stand the
heat. '>.,
The cnse was hardly fought on
both sides. The evidence as brought
out by the State raised at most only
a suspicion of guilt. Whero Lovett
Williams is or what became Of her
after she was tied to tho seat and
locked up in the waiting room Mt
Pomaria on that Friday night is
still a mystery so far as the testi
mony goes. She may be dead or
she may be living. ..tr.. T..
In Fridays paper we gave the
testimony and the proceedings of
the court up tothe adjournment on
Thursday night. The State had not
concluded it's testimony. When tho
court convened on Friday morning
the testimony FOR the State was re.
sumed. ( &.'f g..
Willie Holley recalled: Saw
Wash Wicker next morning, 300 or
4OO yards from canebrako. Said ho
was hunting rope. Asked mo if |
heard them that night in canebrake.
Said they were hunting woman, that
she had broken out of waiting room
end he was hunting rope, it wonld
make good plow line. Went on to
Pomaria with Wash. Next saw him
and Mr. Hatton walking down rail
road towards canebrake.
No GROSS examination.
Jno Cauthen, Mr.. Johnstone said,
was material witness and was in
town and is now absent He want
ed ofo'ce the issue and know why
it is he left this town.
The court said that if it could ho
shown that either side was doing
anything unfair or using improper
influences to secure the absence of
material witnesses who have becn
bound over it will give the court
pleasure to ISSUE bench warrants
and wait here until the warrants were
served. But it turned out that
Mr.. Cauthen had not been bound
over. He had been in town hnt
had gone. Mr.. Hunt and Mr..
Culbreath said they did not know
Mr.. Canthen and Mr.. Ragsdale did
not know that he was witness. /,
Mr.. Ragsdale said that the court
could dadjourn for today and let nll wit
nesses be brought and they would
get through as he did not like tho
suggestion Of unfairness made in tho
case.
Mr.. Johnstone said he wanted 10
be perfectly frank and .ho thought it
was duo his friends on tho other
sIde to say that he did not think any
Of them or the Sheriff or any QUO
connected with the case profession.
ally had had anything to do with
Keeping witnesses away but ho
thought there were othcr persons
who we're keeping witnesses away.
.5.55{isa 4 g MI orneys for tho State held
consultation -rand after it was over
came in tho court and announced
that the State rests. a2,. ,
Then the attorneys for tho defenso
held one or two conferences and final
ly; decided to pnt up testimony and
called Mr.. Robt Blair ono Of the do
PENDANTS rs the first witness. 30
TESTIMONY ron DEFENsE.
Robt. e. Blair sworn says-By Mr..
kagsdale: One Of tho defendants in
this case. I. First saw I,ovett vii.
llauis at my place in November, '0l.
Some of my hands said had woman
who wanted to work for him. Put
her to picking cotton. She got into
fight. And l asked her if she want
ed TO. cook for me. aud ] took hor
down and kept her thore until 22l
December, '04. Wife and I went off
10 spend Christmas and when [ re.
turned found aho had stolen goods
from mo and gone. Tried to find
her. Ny brother sent me word abe
was near him. Got warrant and had
my brother appointed ( constable.
Went {" negro woman's, Seals,
house and sho said she had been
there but had goho with lot tno
things. She had stolen goods from.