The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1900-06-26
THE aIIIIaAN MURDER TRIAL.

A letter was handed Judge Hint0nin
which young lady from distant
county Ia the State, and whom Judge
Hinton does not personally know, Wfltos
him. shat she had been carefully read
ing the newspaper reports Of MIR Oil
llgan's trial and from reading these
accounts she had become very much in
terested in Mr. Gilligan's being fair.
ly tried. and that she would take pleas
ore in helping 10 raise parse for that
pupOse. A" IL Is also said that oitizen
Of Isle Of Wight stated openly that If
Gilligan is convicted he will give 500
towards taking An appeal TO a higher
court
IL Ia angular. but true, that the sym
patty Of most Of the women seem TO be
with Gilligan Women are slow 90
forgive "A girl for writing quite 80 gush.
ingly az Miss Turner did TO the prison.
or, and somehow or other in their in
scrutable makeup they never forgive q
girl for being young, pretty and ihdis
Greet at the same time
The poor boy" and the "rich girl
changes have been running with more
or less effect and both sides. for such
II has gotten 10 be-. are not without
supporters.
THE INSTRUCTIONS.
The Court instructed the jury that in
order 70 make ont a case OF elf-defense,
the prisoner. A o Gilligan. must
show 60 the Jury that the shooting Of
o b Turner was necessary 90 preserve
his own life or prote 1t him against
serious bodily injury aud with regard
60 necessity that will Justify Gilligan
must not have unlawtully OcC8siOned
the necessity that If they believed
from the evidence. the accused, Gill
gan. went upon the premises Of Tur-
ner on the evening or night Of Deem
Der Z, 1899. to seek an interview with
the daughter OF the said Turner, and
that before going upon the said prem
Uses he borrowed a gun with the intent
0f shooting the deceased In the event
he was discovered upon the promises,
and that having been 30 discovered upon
the said premises shot the said Turner
thereby killing him in pursuance Of
said purpose. then they viii find the
said Gilligsn guilty Of murder In the
first degree.
The Court instructs the jury that II
they believe from the evidence that the
accused had been clandestinely and At
night meeting and oaressinR the
daughter upon the latter's premises,
contrary 20 the known wishes Of the de-
ceased or otherwise, and that the &C
cused had reason 60 believe and did be.
lieve that II the deceased caught him
upon the said premises at night in the
act Of caressing his said daughter, he
would make an attack upon him, and
that on the night Of the homicide the
accused was upon the premises OF the
deceased. armed with gun. caressiug
said daughter a1d was discovered by the
deceased, aud that the accused immed
lately shot the deceased. killing him.
without retreAting or making any real
attempt 10 do 80. such killing was not
in self defense and Is not excusable in
the eye Of the law.
FOR THE DEFENSE.
A reasonable doubt Of the guilt OF
the prisoner can be raised by the evil
dence or ingenuity Of counsel upon the
whole case or az 20 any fact essential 20
prove the charge made against him Ia
the indictment, IL is their dnty TO give
the prisoner the benefit Of that doubt
and TO find him not guilty. IL is not
sufficient that the evidence creates a
suspicion Of guilt The accused IS en-
titled Of every reasonable hypothesis
consistent with his innocence
If the jury believes there Ia no evil
dence 20 show q quarrel. combat or Of.
fray upon consideration Of the whole.
case, then they are instructed that the
question Of voluntary manslaughter Is
not involved in this case
II the prisoner acted from reasonable
and honest conviction he will not be
held responsible criminally for mis-
takes in the extent Of the actual dan.
ger. when other and judioious men
would have been alike mistaken.
The Court instructs the jury that men
when threatened with danger. must
Judge from appearances and the actual
estate Of things surrounding them as 20
the necessity OF resOrting 10 ielt.detense +;
and If the act from reasonable and hon.
eat convictions they will not be held re-
spOnsible for a mistake In the extent Of
the actual danger where other judioi-
GUS men WOO Id have been alike mis-
taken. The conduct Of the prisoner
must depend upon the circumstances as
they appear 90 him at the time
The Court instructs the jury that be-
fore they can convict the accused Of
any 0ffense whatever they must be
satisfied by the sworn evidence, beyond
l. r.-t1rv that the
circumstances are consistent with the
prisoner having committed the crime,
but they must also be satisiied that the
facts are such as TO be inconsistent
with any other rational conclusion than
that he is guilty.
GILLIGAN CONVICTED.
At Isle of Wight Oourthouse Satur
day the jury in the case Of A. D Gill
gan charged with the killing Of o.
Beverly Turner. returned verdict Of
murder in the second degree and fixed
his punishment at IS years in tho pen
itentiary.
His counsel announced that they
would take the case 20 the Supreme
Court Of the State. The jury was out
an hour and ten minutes, while the
prisoner awaited the result smoking
cigarettes and apparently in a content
ed frame Of mind He took the YER
dict stoically and seemed, to the judge
by his expression, relieved that it was
no worse.
Gilligan's plea gas self-defense,
and he stated that Miss Turner was
with him when the shot was fired
This statement, however, was unsub-
Stimulated and was fatty oontradioted
by Miss Turner and her mother
r1fr oTnrfkT rnty III nuTuA