The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-16
coOSBYS SENT TO GALLONS.
,,,vo NEGROES TO BE HANGED FOR
MURDER OF MINIS.


confessed on the stand That the
Crime Had Been Deliberately Plan
ned. But 1t Was Not Completed as
Intended.
Baxley Ca, March liking and Lewis
coosbv were convicted of the murder of
MIR Dan Minis, a prominent farmer Of
This county, and his child on March s. and
santenced to be hanged April 6.
one of the men confessed the crime and
e7fd il was their intention TO kill Mr.
Minis. outrage his wife and burn the
mouse TO hide the evidence of their crime
The trial of the two Goosby negroes was
besun in Appling Superior Court, before
Judge Joseph w. Bennett this morning,
The prosecution was ably conducted by
solicitor John W. Bennett, assisted by
col. Joseph H. Thomas of the local bar.
The defendants were represented by Coils.
". w. Bennett and Charles Parker
for King Goosby, and Judge T. A. Parker
and Col. NJ j. Halton for Lewis Goodsby,
The oldest negro.
Upon the call of the case in court this
morning Col w. w. Bennett announced
that the defendants elected to sever and
he tried separately, and thereupon King
COSBY. The youngest of the negro boys,
was placed on trial. The object in sever
ing the defendants seems to be an effort
10 secure recommendation TO mercy for
the younger.
After canvassing some forty-six jurors,
Jury was secured composed OF some Of
the most substantial citizens of AppHnS
county Mrs. Minis, the wife of the muir
dered man and who was also brutally
beaten and left for dead by the two ne
eroes was first placed upon the witness
stand Although Enthusiastically suffering
great physical pain from her many
wounds and great mental distress on ac-
count of her sad bereavement, Mrs Minis
who is quite a young woman, and lady
of high refinement, under the questioning
of the lawyers told in all of its narrowing
details the history of the crime:
How on the night of the murder
these two young negroes came 10 the
house Mr. Minis, who was sitting with
his wife on the front piazza playing the
violin, stopped at the gate and asked per
mission TO come in and get drink OF
water. which was granted by Mr.. Minis;
that after they had gotten the water the
two negroes came up to where Mr.. Minis
was sitting and began talking with him
in reference to securing employment on
his farm Shortly after this conversation
commenced Mrs. Minis went into the house
and went to bed and while lying there
nursing her infant she heard the first lick
struck her husband She Immediately
called out and inquired what the matter
was and receiving no reply from her nus
band she went TO the door, where she
was met by the two negroes, who beat
her to the floor with CLUBS, and leaving
her for dead, went back to the body OF
her husband. Although badly wounded,
Mrs Minis rose and went to the the bed.
took her baby in her arms and made her
escape TO a neighbours home, where she
gave the alarm
other witnesses were placed upon the
stand to prove confessions of the crime
made by the defendant, and with the IN
deduction of the club with which the
murder was committed and testimony as
10 the nature and extent of the wounds
producing DEATH the state closed It's case,
and the defendant went upon the stand
10 make his statement
Crime Carefully Planned.
This defendant while his appearance in
dlcates that he is hardly more than II or
Is years of age was proven TO be, in TACT,
Il years old, and is one of the most in
tellgent little black villains in this sec
ton He was as cool upon the stand as
If ne were at his home, and went into de-
tails in his statement, as to how he and
his brother while out rabbit hunting on
the afternoon of the day of the murder, !
planned to go to the house of the deceased
that night, and to kill Mr.. Minis, his wife
end baby, to rob them, to place the bodies |
in the house and set fire to the house and
thus destroy all evidence of their crime. |
He also stated that his brother, who is
about IS years of age, contemplated the
rape of Mrs Minis. He stated thar shortly
after Mrs. Minis went in the house TO re-
tire his brother arose from the step where
ne was sitting, and stated that he was
going home, and stretching himself he
struck Mr. Minis a blow upon the head,
which feled him to the ground, where |
upon both of them began beating the de-
ceased with clubs, in which they were in
terrupted by the appearance Of Mrs. Minis, |
whom they at once assaulted, and belieV- |
ing they had killed her, went back to com
petc the murder of Mr.. Minis. He said
that he then took the knife of
his older brother and stabbed Mr.. Minis.
He claimed that the idea of the murder
originated with his older brother, that he
demurred to the commission of the crime
at first, but finally was forced to partici-
pate in it by the threats of his brother,
and u on this his plea for mercy was pre-
dicated
Tho state showed by witnesses that he
had confessed this crime upon number
Of occasions since his arrest and that this
was the first time he had claimed to have
been forced into his participation in 1t
ty the threats Of his brother.
After all of the evidence had closed. Mr..
Parker made the opening argument for
the defendant, pleading for a recommen-
dation to mercy, because, as he claimed
the defendant was led into the commits
sion of the crime by his older brother.
He was follow ed by Solicitor General
Bennett and Mr.. Thomas Solicitor Ben
nett made one # his strong pleas before
the jury. Begging the jury to maintain
the law ana mete out its fun measure TO
the defendant.
Col. W W Bennet closed for the de-
PENDANT in a strong plea for mercy
Tht jury was only out for about Ten
minutes, when they returned a verdict OF
guilty, without q recommendation.
Older One Convicted, Too.
The trial of the older negro Lewis
a)osby was taken up this afternoon. The
60 1ence and proceedings was about the
some as in the other case.
Judge Parker made for this defendant
one Of the strongest pleas ever heard in