The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1901-03-22

he right to be there? Hadn't he a
right to ask that question and to order
that man to quit those premises?
Hadn't he right to strike back? When
Godfrey drew hadn t Thomas the right to
draw, and to fire? Gentlemen, give the
defendant all the rights aud privileges
the law gives him, and give him the
benefit of every honest doubt in your
mind.
When God thought to make man,
said Mr.. Figuers, he called around his
throne, Justice, Truth and Mercy.
Justice said, make him not, oh,
Jehovah, for he will trample thy laws
under his feet. - And Truth said, make
him not, for he will pollute thy temple
and desecrate thy altar" But Mercy
fell upon her knees and said, make
him, Lord, and | will 60 with him
through all the devious paths of life"
Then God said "Oh, Man, thou are the
child of Mercy" Remembering this,
gentlemen of the jury, go thou and deal
in mercy with thy fellow man.
Acknowledgement Boyd
Mr.. Boyd's speech was master one
He did not travel slowly or minutely
through the record, but he massed the
facts against the defendant and hurled
them at the jury with powerful effect.
He represented the commonwealth,
he said. and as a sworn officer of the
STATE, it was his duty to prosecute in
fractions of the law, not to convict the
Innocent or prosecute any man. he
bore no i'll will towards this defendant,
and could truthfully say that during his
official career he had never raised the
axe of the law with malice towards any
man.
The first we see of this defendant,
said Mr.. Boyd, was in 1899, at Concord
Church. There he tries to do what no
gentleman would do, to wean away a
woman's affections by scandalous les
upon his lips. As her friend, he said.
lie put on the embodiment of virtue;
with smooth discrimination skilled to
grace, devils purpose with an angels
face AS friend, seeking to sever the
hearts of husband and wife. AS a
friend, sneaking around, injecting false
reports into her ears. Going to her
cqndestinely and binding her to secrecy.
Is that true, or brave or fair?
But failing in his purpose there, his
venom grows and he becomes more bold,
and he rides the neighborhood making
such threats, gentlemen, as you never
heard man make before. Meeting the
deceased on the public road; whipping
him with his whip and making him run,
as he says, like turkey" Dellghtlng
in it, Dragging about it, eXultlng over
it, but not yet satisfied. Oh, no! He
must kill. "I'M kill him, I'll kill him,
if God be good to me- he said Think
of that, gentlemen. "lf God be good to
mer' Nothing else will satisfy my
vengeance. The hate and malice that
heaves in my neart can have no other
vent. 1t would be no more harm, l
would mind it no more, than to kill a
sheep killing dog. And if God is good
to me, I'll do it. If 60 to hell for it,
I'll do it. If hop into hell the next
minute for it, I'll do it You needn't
expostutate with me, Mr.. Howell, I'll
kill him. 1t may bring sorrow to his
home and mine; it may robe his widow
in black, and bring heart-aches and
bitter tears to the wife of my own
bosom, but my heart is all afire with
hate and I'll kill him if | go to hell for it.
Eleven witness testify of these threats
gentlemen. Did you ever hear any SC
bloody? Did you ever see or know of a
, man so bent upon murder? All through
the record do you not see his mIrderous
mind following his victim and seeking
the opportunity to STAY him? | know
his own conscience must have plead
with him at times. | know it must
have said to him as Mr.. Wood said tC
him, "stop, John, there is no use oil
that | know the still small voice
must have whispered to him, "thou
, shalt not kill" But he replied
, "I'll do it if | hop into hell for it.
And with his conscience scared by
,, hate and his mind bent on muir
/ der, he drowned the voice of con
} science and needless of the advice
of friends, he presses on towards hi:
victim. And we follow him, gentlemen
to the moment of that fourth and las
shot. And we see the already wounded
man bent and bleeding, with despair
written in his face and the death DAM
upon his brow. We see him frightened
and crouching like the wild beast driver
> to his lair. and we see this prisoner
: the bar, this man of bloody threats ant
revengeful hate, we see this detendan
, walk deliberately, coolly towards him
and pour another leden messenger o
! death into his quivering fest and thel
, we hear the deceased as he lays down t
die. say to him, Now you have killeC
, me" You have slandered me TO m!
: wife and neighbors: you have whipped
me upon the public highway; you hav
bounded and pursued and threatene'
me: now you have killed me-
And while | listened to the evidence
in the case and the argument by Learned
, counsel. | thought is human life 3
: CHEAP? May man do that, and jur.
. / of his country set him free: MAY h
commit such an atrocious deed, and no
p bear the mark of Cain: Shall he 2
forth from this trial and out OF thi
b temple Of Justice and say did 1t: di'
, what said | would do; | killed him
and | am free. And | said TO myself nc
| there is a jury Of honest, intelligent
| peace loving, God fearing men; they vii
: protect society; they will not trampl
, law and order under their feet; they Wi
D Uphold the Constitutional right OF ever
D citizen 20 the protection OF life; the
will not allow the guilty to 60 IN
punished.
) When think Of human life beinI
I spufTed out as lightly as the smoke life
, itself away: when | see that Wounds