The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-01-31
JURY BELIEVED HIM
SINGLETON FOUND GUILTY OF IN
VOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER.
WAS TRIED FOR MURDER.
SHOT AND KILLED ZACHARIAS
PRESTON CHRISTIANS DAY.

All the Party. of Which Singleton
and Preston Were Members, Had
Been Drinking HeaviIy-PrisOner
Said He Was Too Drunk TO Know
what Had Happened and Had Alb
SoIuteIy No Recollection of the
Event-Circumstance Helped His
StOry-His Actions at the Time of
the Shooting and Afterwards Not
Those of a Guilty Man.
John Singleton, tried in the Superior
Court yesterday for murder, got off light.
The jury accepted his statement that he
was too drunk to know how the crime
had been committed. and his counsel's
theory that it was an accident, and found
Singleton guilty of involuntary manslaugn-
ter.
Singleton IS a negro and the man he
killed. Zacharias Preston, was Of the same
race. The killing occurred near Bur-
roughs about sixteen miles from the city.
Christmas Day. Singleton was indicted
only last Friday, and his trial and con-
viction of a lesser grade of the offense
with which he was charged in this short
time, afford a good illustration of the
CELEBRITY with which justice is administered
in this county.
IN other respects the trial established
a record. It was 435 o'clock when the
panel of jurors was called, and the prison.
or was arraigned by Solicitor General Os-
borne. At s O'Clock the verdict of the
jury had been returned and Judge Fall
giant sentenced the defendant to serve
a term of three years in the penitentiary,
the maximum penalty under the law for
the grade of homicide of which Singleton
was convicted by the jurys verdict. Less
than three hours and half had been con-
sumed in the entire proceeding.
ThIrty-four jurymen were called before
the jury that was 10 try the case had been
finally chosen. OF these the defense
struck eighteen, the state three, and one
went off for cause. The twe.ve that re-
manned were as follows: Albert L. Rees,
Thomas II. Henderson, Robert E. Banks.
Ciaud p Lee w. NJ Beckett, Samuel
Lang, Charles A. Aimar, A. NJ. Honour,
James M Pain, Herman Parsons. w. w.
Swlnton and Charles r. Clements.
John A. Goette, who was coroner of the
county at the time the homicide was com
mitted, testified to the death of Preston
and its cause. Mr.. Goette said that Pres
ton had died in his presence, at the Geor-
gia Infirmary, from the effects of pistol
y shot wound in the left side.
\ Frank Young, a negro man who was
Tesent when the homicide was COM
Nted, then tod his story of what then
Nspired to the jury. Young said that
Nat Wright Zach Preston and John
hgleton had been drinking together on
Christmas morning. Asked to state
whether any of the party were drunk, the
witness refused to commit himself but he
told a story of their exploits with the
bottle that doubtless satisfied the jury
completely on this subject.
1t was after attending several shout
ings" and other convivial gatherings that
the party of negroes left the plantation
where they were employed and started
out on the road for Burroughs. Single
ton had a revolver. which two or three
times dropped out of his pocket and which
Wright finally picked up and held In
the meantime Singleton had stumbled
into briarpatch and had his feelings con-
siderabiy ruff1ed.
Finally, in drunken, wounded dignity
he sat down on the edge of the road and
refused to bulge. His companions tried
remonstrance, at first and then, as this
failed to have any effect Preston and
Young made an effort to lift him to his
feet. Singleton said he wanted his pistol
and Wright gave it to him.
Then Singleton struggled to his feet
with the pistol in his hand and said: "You
men have been pulling me too hard"
Young said he and Preston started to
run and as they did so Singleton fired
This shot was the one that fatally wound
ed Preston. After being hit Preston
climbed the fence and lay down on the
other side. Young said another shot was
fired by Singleton, in his direction. A
third shot was fired into the ground.
Still very drunk, Singleton also climbed
the fence and lay down by the side Of
Preston. They were carried in the same
buggy TO Burroughs and subsequently
Preston was brought to Savannah and
sent to the Georgia Infrmary. There ne
died on the following day
Nat Wright told substantially the same
story of the homicide as did Young
Though he and Young both insisted that
they were not drunk, Wright confessed
with the witness who had preceded him
on the stand that the whole party had
been drinking.
The only evidence introduced by Mr..
Raiford Falligant. who represented the
defendant, was the statement of Singleton
himself. The gist of this was that he
had been TOO drunk al the time the shoot
ing occurred to know anything whatever
about II, and that he retained absolutely
no recollection of anything that had oc-
CURED. Singleton said he had always
been perfectly friendly with Preston and
had no reason or desire whatever to harm
him.
He described the drinking he had done
on Christmas morning ending this part
of his story with the statement that at
one of the shoutings he had been given a
glass of wine and whisky. The next
thing 1 remember" he said. 81 woke UP
IN my own house early the next morn
ing"
Singleton said he had kept in his house
all that day, because his brother told him
he had shot Preston, and that some OF the
latter's relatives and friends were hang
Ing around and were anxious to kill him.
He told the jury that he had overheard
threats against his life, and had made
what efforts he could to get some one 10
go for a constable and have him arrested.
He left his house that evening and the
next day he got his brother TO bring the
constables of that district OF the couaty
TO the spot in the woods where he was
hiding. and then surrendered to them Sin
Twenty Years Proof.
TUFTS LiverPills keep the bow
e1Sin natural motion and c1ao,ea