The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1901-11-21
ACCEPTED A LIFE SENTENCE.
Man Who Slew Despoier OF His Home
Is Induced to Withhold His
Case From a Jury.

At Atlanta, Ca, Monday morning in
the case of the state against K. A..
Keith, charged with the murder OF
Jesse Wall, the defendant consented to
a verdict of guilty, with recommen-
dation to life Imprisonment.
Keith gave his consent to this dlspo'
sition of the case after seeing certain
letters which were in the possession
of the solicitor general and which
would have been introduced as evil
dence in the trial.
One of these was the note written
by Keith which was found on the body
of Wall after he was killed, in which
Keith threatened his life. The other
letters were written by Mrs. Keith to
Wall, which tended to show the lntl-
macy of their relations.
After the verdict was agreed upon,
Judge John S. Gambler, who presided,
said:
This verdict as agreed upon was
| under the facts of the case and in the
law a case of murder, yet it was not
a case in which the extreme penalty
for murder should be inflicted. There
can be no justifiable homicide in case
where man kills another deliberately
with the malice Of the law in revenge
for past injury.
"The deceased in this case, judging
by certain letters which now have be-
fore me, had been criminally intimate
with the wife of the defendant. 1t ap-
pears, however, that the defendant had
known this for some time. 1t appears
also that The deceased knew the de-
fenGant knew of this intimacy.
"Under the law, as announced by the
supreme court in the Wilkerson case,
| there can be- no question as to the de-
fandant's guilt of murder. Nothing |
can say will! restore to life the dead
man, reinstate the character OF the de-
PENDANTS wife Both are gone and ONLY
say what do now as a warning to the
| public that no man has the right to
take the law in his own hands and pun
ish for past offense, however heinous.
1T is murder to kill if after the
wrong, such as in this case, sufficient
time has elapsed for reason to resume
| it's sway and the voice of humanity be
heard. It is voluntary Inanslaughter
| il sufficient time has not elapsed. In
no case is it justifable after the wrong
has been done.
1T is not a question Of what any
particular man would do. simply as
a warning to others, declare the law
as it is my duty to enforce it. Let no
man from this understand, however,
that he can go into the home Of his
| neighbor and go free. If he is caught
there and in such an act he may be
killed, the protector of the home would
| be guilty of no offffense."
While waiting to be carried from the
court room to the Jail Keith furnished
signed statement for publication. The
statement is as follows:
"To All My Friends: have accept,
ed a life sentence by the inhumanity of
man and the treachery of womankind.
Good people, I consider in the eyes
of God and Christendom have done
no wrong. God grant that anybody
should live in a country where he can
not defend his own and those that he
knows to be innocent. No nation can
stand without the virtue of their wo.
men, let alone individuals.
Il ask the pure Christian ladies and
gentlemen to pray for me. think that
1 acted the part Of an honorable man,
and I will freely give the remainder OF
my days in servitude to vindicate my
honor and those who were dependent
on me.
81 again appeal to all good people
to not judge too harshly, for time will
vindicate all things.
| KEITII