The Savannah morning news., 1901-05-04
UNSATISFACTORY VERDICT.
j. q. CURRY ACQUITTED or MUIR.
DER AT MT. VERNON.

Judge Shows His Displeasure at the
Verdict and Discharges Jury
without Thanks-The story of the
CrIme-Apparently a CoId-Bloo ID
BomicIde.
Mount Vernon, Ga, May 3--In the case
of the state against J. Quincy Curry for
the murder of Mrs. Eva Buck. a hand
some young widow, the jury brought down
a verdict of not guilty yesterday after
noon. Mrs. Buck was formerly of Au-
gusta, where she has an uncle, a promi-
nent attorney, who raised her. She came
to this county a year or two ago with
her husband who died last Christmas
from injuries received in a saw mill at
Higgston, near here. ]. Quincy Curry is a
native of Johnson county, where his
father was a physician. He has been
working at a saw mill at Higgston
year or so. According to his own state
ment to the jury, his intimacy with Mrs.
Buck antedsted the death of her hus-
band She returned 10 her uncle at Au-
gusta with her three little children soon
after Bucks death. but reappeared soon
after at Higgston a few weeks ago, and,
according TO Curry's statement, they re-
sumed their intimate relations. On the
night of April 20 last they met i'm
store at Higgston. She had been stopping
at a farm house about a mile below town.
Toward OF 10 o clock she requested Cur
ry to accompany her home, as she was
afraid to go there. He left with her,
fpry a al n I'll
and a 80 revolver. Half a mile from
the depot they went out about eighty
yards in the woods by fence and sat
on a log. About midnight he shot and
killed her. In his statement IN court he
claimed that she attempted TO assault him
with stiletto, but he knocked ID from
her hand with his gun. She then snatch
ed the pistol from his coat pocket and fired
at him, and in self defense he shot her
with his rife. The ball entered near the
left collarbone and ranged downward,
coming out below the shoulder blade. She
was also shot through the heart with the
pistol. Curry claims she inflicted this
wound with her own hands, as she had
previously threatened TO kill him and then
herself The stilletto (or awD and Cur
RVS pistol were found by the dead body
after daylight. The stiletto Is similar to
avis that are used at saw mills for punch
ing holes in leather belts and Is about
fifteen inches long, including the handle.
The theory OF the prosecution was that
Curry was anxious TO get rid of the wo-
man, she being In a delicate condition. He
accompanied her the night of the Goth of
Aprii fully armed with rife and pistol.
for the purpose OF Kidding himself Of the
woman. While sitting on the log about
midnight he rose to his feet and shot her
with the rife. The range of the bullet
showed he must have been in this posi-
ton. She began to scream, whereupon
Curry shot her through her heart with
the pistol, which silenced her cries for
ever His actions Immediately after the
killing were not altogether clear. One
and a half hours, II IL said, were not ac-
counted for.
Solicitor General DeIacy was assisted
in the prosecution by Messrs. Wilson and
Hutchinson OF the local bar, and the
case was ably presented, and nothing
was left out that could be done.
The defendant was ably represented by
Graham g. Kent. Carswell g. Geiger.
When the verdict OF not guilty was
Judge Roberts showed az once
that he was not pleased with ID, and he
addressed The jury az follows: You can
not expect good order In Montgomery
county with such yerdicts as that. | am
charged with the dnty OF putting down
crime in this county, and wish 10 wash
my hands Of this outrageous verdict. The
evidence detailed hcart-curdling crime
upon a frail woman by doubie-jolnted
young man, because he wanted to get
rid of her With such verdicts az you
have just rendered, there Is no security
against crime and immortality la Mont
gomery county. I shall not need your as
slstance further, and ! discharge you
for the remainder Of the term"
This action on the part Of Judge Rob
erts created a sensation here. es II Is un-
precedented Ia this section, and r. unan-
inously Endorsed by the best citizens. 70
Is believed II will have q salutary effect