The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1899-06-13
W. R. CRAWFORD WAS
FOUND NOT GUILTY,
ABSENtE or FATAL BULLET WEAK
ESED pNOSECll llriOS
Jury Was Out Fifteen H"u's-Jury Asked
Judge Burhmnan to Churr" ,hem
again "n Certain Points Of Law.
Especial to The Statp.O


Cumdon, Juno S.-For tho want
Of ballet!
The non conviction Of W. II. Craw~
ford was duo in a great measure to
tho fact that the prosecution failed
to put IN evidences the fatal bullet,
which took tho life Of Mrs. Elizabeth
Stuart, Saturday evening, February
25th.
At ~ o'clock yesterday the jury
announced that it had arrived at Il
verdict. Judge Buchanan was not
in the court house at tho time, but
WAS summoned immediately.
In order to prevent any demon
strution in the court room, ho ordered
tho sh"r'I and his deputies to tako
stations III different parts of tho hall,
and to preserve ortor
Mr.. l.. l.. Block, foreman, arose
and announced that the verdict of
the jury was mot guilty.'
There was no show of excitement.
There was no change on tho express
sionloss face Of w. Il. Crawford.
The Crowd in the court Lousc was
dissolved in few moments. Cruw-
ford and his friends hurried to the
telegraph Office where they wired to
friends in every country that the trial
had ended and the accused OK con
stable had not been convicted.
Tho Jury was out - hours AT
first, SO it is reported, and generally
accepted in Camden, thcrc wcro n,no
for nc1uittal and three for convc
ton. 1t ls stated that, when the
jurors went to sleep at midnight, two
Of those for conviction had given in.
This morning at 9 o'clock thrro was
largo crowd gathered around the
door Of the court hou awaiting th"
arrival Of the judge.
Crawford was sitting on the stone
curbing of the iron fence around the
court house yard. He was smoking
cigar and there WAS the sumo placid
expression on his face which there
had been all through the trial.
He said that he had slept better
the night before than for somo time
previous.
The opinion Of every ono present
WAS that when the judge arrived the
jury would announce that it hud been
unable TO agree, and "mistrial"
would bo ordered Judge Buchanan
arrived at 10 o'clock. The doors OF
the court house wcro thrown open.
When the jury had been pollrd,
or"maN Block said they wanted
further information in regard to
certain points in the jnlgcs charge
lie asked the Judge to explain the
rights OF an officer in enforcing the
execution Of warrant where he is
opposed by violence. The jury did
not understand the charge of the
court on this point. ave wish to
find out if Mr.. Crawford had the
right to search tho house with vloIcn,
forcc," he snid.
Solicitor Thurmond rose to object,
bnt was ov"rruIod by th" Judge, who
then addressed the jury:
"That involves mixed question
Of law nnd fact. The court instruct
eel You that an officer could use force
in reasonable circumstance to meet
force with force; but unless force
was necessary he should not exercise
any force at all. Whenever the law
gives Il man n process and tells hin,
to search Il house, il gives him ever,
thlh9 TO accomplish that purpose,
and if he meets with force, being an
thorjzcd by law, bclug II law officer,
he may overcome that forca using &"
much force as is necessary to do that.
ellis first duty is 10 use gontIc
means if gentle means Will avail, and
when gentle means will avail, he can
not use violent means.
"Aftcr ho uses gentle means, if
that does not suffice to overcome the
resistance. he may rs" such forco as
is necessary even to the extreme of
taking life, because h" comes clothed
ut n thn ,unrrnni ,,f fhn lam ,.l