The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-16
HAYES FOUND NOT GUILTY.
Continued from Eighth Page.

in defense of my home, gentlemen" he
said in simple conclusion.
In rebuftal, the solicitor general intro
duced some evidence that interfered con-
siderably with the evident effect on the
jury that had been made by the state
ment of the defendant. BY a telegram
sent by Hayes 60 the parents of his wife
on the day he left Savannah, the solicitor
showed that Hayes then thought her al
most in dying condition, and by the evil
dence of DR.. VAIL it was proved that
her condition really and actually was deS-
perate. The Inference was that Hayes
had treated his wife cruelty, and of this
deduction from the evidence the solicitor
general made good use in his argument to
the jury.
Laver testified that there had never
been anything wrong in his relations with
che wife of Hayes and that if the assault
was committed in fancied revenge for such
a wrong or to prevent the consummation
of such a wrong, il was unjusuhed and
mistaken. He offered no explanation for
the wife leaving the home of her husband
and coming to his.
The prisoner made a supplementary
statement, in the course of which he said
that he had thought his wife in the des-
perate condition her appearance indicated.
but that he had called in physician and
the latter had said there was no danger.
His wife, said Hayes, had insisted that he
should not delay his visit TO the country
and the transaction of the business he
had there on her account. He had left
negro cook to nurse and look after his
wife in his absence. With this supple
mentary statement the defense again
rested, and, the state introducing no fur
Their evidence, the arguments were begun.
The opening argument for the defense
was made by Mr.. r. L. Colding The re-
marks of Mr.. Colding were sometimes
rather worse than uncomplmentary to the
wife of Hayes and the alleged cause of
all the trouble MIR. Coldings argument
was that Hayes was justified in acting as
he had in order to protect his home and
preserve his wife from further assaults
upon her virtue.
The speech made by Solicitor General
Osborne for the state was scathng ar
raignment of the prisoner, who was de-
nounced as a cowardly and lying vaga-
bond, who had sought on the stand TO
take away his wifes reputation for virtue
and chastity in order to save himself
from the just punishment that his Of
lenses merited. There was no evidence
TO show, commended the solicitor general,
that Mrs. Hayes was other than pure
woman and he commented on the evil
dence of the physician to show that she
had not opportunity to be otherwise.
Mr.. W. f. Slater, who concluded for
the Defense made an effective argument
to the jury, based on a mans right to
prevent, by force of arms if necessary, an
assault upon the virtue of his wife or the
sanctity of his home. During Mr.. Slater's
argument the court adjourned for dinner
and the argument was resumed in the
afternoon. That it carried at least a doubt
of the correctness of THE states conten-
lions to the minds of the jurors was made
evident by the verdict. Judge Falligant's
charge, also, was generally thought to
be somewhat in favor of the legal posi-
lions. deduced from the evidence, taken
by counsel for the defense.
The jury brought in a verdict about half
an hour after it retiredIt was mot gull
ty." and Hayes left the court room a free
man. No matter whether the contention
of the state or that of the defense, as to
the truth of the evidence, be the correct
one, either will serve to cast shadow
over the future life of the man, and, 1t
is more to be feared, over the young life
of the little child born to his wife and
himself