The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-11-22
BEFORE JUSTICE MAROON
For the Murder of Pete Griffin Near
the Falls of Neuse.
TWO WITNESSES EXAMINED YESTERDAY
Jeff TIey and William Jackson Gave Evidence.
Griffin Said TO Have Been Drunk and
Disordery On the Night Of
the Killing.
the Killing.

The preliminary hearing of evidence in
the case of Samuel Mangum for the kill
| ing of Pete Griffin was begun yesterday
at II o'clock before Justice ]. G. Maroon
Mangum is being defended by Messrs
| Argo G. Snow and Col. ]. c. l.. Harris;
while Mr.. S. G. Ryan appeared for the
prosecution. great many witnesses
have been summoned, but only two gave
testimony yesterday. The evidence so far
seems to be that Griffin. John STAMINA
han and Charlie Lyon were drunk and
dsorderly on the night of the killing;
| that Mangum ordered Griffin off his prem
| Uses. He refused to go and used threat
enng language, whereupon Mangum shot
] him.
| 1t will be remembered that the shoot
| ing occurred in October near the Falls
of Neuse, on a Sunday night.
| Mr.. jeff Tilley was called to the stand
| by the prosecution. His testimony, as adj
mtted by the court, was as follows:
l saw Pete Griffin between 10 and II
O'Clock on Sunday night, lying dead in
the path, about thirty-six yards from
Sam Mangums house. He was lying face
down, with the left leg drawn up and
the right leg stretched out. His coat
was off, and he was lying partly upon 1t.
AS | was going on toward Mangum
house | met Mangum near the little
bridge that is between my house and his,
30 or 25 yards from Mangum's house.
Mangum told me he had shot Pete Griffin,
and did not know whether he was dead
or not / told him l would see if he was
dead We went to the body and turned
his head to see If he was breathing. lie
was not and | said: Sam, he is dead.
| There is bridge between Mangum
house and where the body was found.
Between this bridge and Mangum's house,
| on the left side of the path going away
| from the house is a small house in which
Oscar O'NeiI lived. 10 or Is yards from
| the bridge. l saw some tracks on the
| left hand side of the path going from
Mangums house to the road, but did not
know whose tracks they were. Ten or
fifteen yards from the bridge these tracks
| turned out from the path to the left and
seemed to go around in rainbow fashion,
and crossed a hillside ditch about one
| foot high. / did not see the tracks after
they left the path, but could see the cot
ton knocked out where some one had
passed through.
! Counsel for defense then cross examined
the witness, and he repeated the testi-
mony as given above. He further stated
that when ne met Mr.. Mangum he was
going to Mangum's house in response to
message from the latter brought by
Griffin. He met Mangum about 20 or %
|
ined the body as described above Man
gum then said that his wife was so sick
and scared that they had better go over
| and get Mrs. Innescowe to stay with her.
They were gone about ten minuets, and
when they got back Mangum told witness
| the story of the shooting.
| Counsel for the prosecution, Mr.. Ryan
objected to this subsequent conversation
being admitted as evidence, but the OBJ
lection was overruled after some argu-
ment on both sides. The witness went
on: ''Mangum told me he had ordered
Griffin off his premises, but he would not
go. He threatened to prosecute Griffin
unless he did. Griffin replied: Well
God d-n you, I'll kill you Mangum
said he kept getting back, telling Griffin
| not to come or he would shoot him.
| Griffin kept coming on, and Mangum
| shot him. | do not remember that he
/ told me how he shot him. nor that he
| said he had his hand on his hip pocket.
| was excited and do not remember all
| that was said. l saw deceased and Lyon
about half an hour before O'Neil came
| to my house"
! Here Mr.. Ryan again objected saying
that no evidence should now be admitted
| to show the bad character or reputation
of the deceased. A long argument follow
ed, and finally Magistrate Maroon ad-
mitted the evidence. Witness proceeded:
pete Griffin, Johnny Shannahan and
Charlie Lyon were in the road, cursing
and quarreIng so that | told my family to
go in the house Finally | went up to
where they were, and found Griffin and
Shannahan facing each and cursing, and
Lyon standing a little way off with bot
tie in his hand, telling them to come on
| heard Shannahan say to Griffin Don't
you choke me no more" | said Hello
boys, what are you doing. You'll be
ashamed of this tomorrow. Griffin pulled
out a bottle and / took drink with him
to show him / was friendly When they
got in front of my house they began to
quarrel again, and | said: Now, I've
done all can. If you have row in
front of my house, I'll have all three OF
you indicted in the morning. Griffin
and Charlie Lyon then went on toward
Mangum's house as if going home, and
Shannahan went back the way he had
ocme.''
Witness was then asked the general
character of the deceased, and counsel
for prosecution objected again, but the OBJ
lection was overruled after considerable
discussion. Witness stated that Griffin's
general character for violence was bad
especially when in liquor.
The prosecution then took up the ex
animation. and the witness said he had
never heard of Griffin shooting or cutting