The times., 1899-05-09
GEORGE G, SEWELL
GUILTY OF MURDER
A Qualifying Verdict Render
ed by the Jury.
Life Imprisonment and Not Death
the Punishment.
From Arrangement to Com
viction.

George Grant Sewell colored was con-
victed of the murder of Susie Mahoney,
also colored yesterday by jury in Grim
inal Court No. l, Justice Clabaugh presid-
ing. The jury, however, qualified its ver-
dict, adding to the finding guilty as in
dicted' the qualifying words without cap
ital punishment" According to the act of
Congress January 10, 1897, vesting jury
with the authority to thus qualify its YER
dict, in such instances the punishment shall
be imprisonment in the penitentiary for
life instead of the death penalty. 1t is also
worthy Of note that since the law was so
amended as to give the juries in capital
cases the power to qualify their verdicts,
yesterday was the first time it was taken
advantage of by jury in the District.
Another circumstance in connection with
the trial of Sewell is that II is probably the
first murder case tried in the District in
which verdict was reached on the same
day upon which the impaneling of the
jury which was to consider the evidence
was begun. The work of selecting the mem
bers of the jury was begun about 10:30 a.
m. and in less than an hour the panel was
complete and the taking CT the testimony
was commenced. All the evidence was in
at 2:30 p. M, and the arguments of coun-
sci for the Government and the defence
concluded at p. m. The charge of JUS
tice Clabaugh was brief and the case was
given to the jury for consideration few
minutes after o'clock, and a verdict was
reached about 5.
The accused was represented by Attorney
Z. NJ. Hewlett, and the Government by
Assistant District Attorneys Joseph Shil-
lington and Ashley NJ. Gould. The pro-
ceedings were attended by the parents of
the defendant.
Sewell was charged with the killing of
Susie Mahoney at her home at $40 Twen-
ty-seventh Street northwest, on the night
of October q last. by shooting her with
pistol. The evidence offered by the Gov
erDment as to the shooting was positive
and direct, and was not denied by the de-
fendant, whose defence was that the shot
which killed the woman was accidentally
fired
The principal witness for the Gov
ernment was Zachariah Brooks, colored.
who was within a few feet of the Ma
honey woman when she was shot. Accord
ing to his version of the affair Mary
Plummer, William Thornton, and the dead
woman's ten-yearold son, Joseph Maho-
ney. were in Susie Mahoney's room at the
time the shooting occurred. When he
entered the room he said Sewell was lying
down asleep on the bed He soon after
awoke and they all laughed and talked
together for some time. when Sewell asked
for his hat, at the same time announcing
his intention to depart. In connection with
this announcement Sewell is said to have
stated that the reason he was going was
that the place was "too cold" for him.
After Sewell left the room, the witness
said, he took a seat on the bed near the
head, and that the Mahoney woman sat
near the foot. The conversation continued
pleasantly for about ten minutes, he said,
when it was brought to a sudden termi-
nation by Sewell shooting the woman.
Sewell, the witness stated, had not been
gone from the house more than FIVE or ten
minutes when he returned and without
saying a word to anyone stood in the
doorway and reaching around Brooks, who
was between him and the deceased, fired
point blank at her. The bullet took effect
in the womans forehead and she expired
in few moments. AS soon as the shot
was fired Brooks said that the woman
cried out, I'm shot" and he turned TO
pursue Sewel, who started to retreat
down the stairs. He said he caught Sewell
before he reached the bottom and fight
eDsued between them.
The other eyewitnesses to the shooting
corroborated Brooks version OF the affair.
1t was also developed during the examina-
tion Of the witnesses that before the de-
was killed that she lived in Teneytown.
In speaking of the visits of Sewell to his
mother while she was in Tenleytown, her
little son, Joseph Mahoney, said that he
heard the defendant say to his mother
that if she moved into the city he would
kill her.
When Sewell took the witness stand to
testify in his own defence he stated that
he had no i'll feeling against the woman.
| and was indeed very sorry that he ma
harmed her. He said he merely pulled the
| pistol out of his pocket and flourished it
for the purpose of frightening the people
| in the room, but that he had no intention
of firing it at anyone.
large number of witnesses were ca'lel
for the defence and testified to the good
! reputation of the accused for peace and
! good order among those who knew him.
| The opening argument for the Govern
ment was made by Mr.. Gould. who vas
| followed by Mr.. Hewlett for the defence
The closing argument for the Government
was by Mr.. Shillington.
| The jury was composed OF the following:
| James ]. King Thomas +. Faine, John NJ.
Harry, Charles II. Peters James A. Tai
bert, Frederick S. Smith, John f. Dono-
hue, Rufus b. Youngs, Clarence E. Fr.cs.
| William H. NJ. Pearson, E. w. Yunt, aud
Emmett Hopes