The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-01-11
HE KILLED PETER GRIFFIN
Judge Starbuck Dispatches Business
Easily and Satisfactorily.
DOESN'T GIVE VERY HEAVY SENTENCES
A Large Number Of Petty Cases We're Tried
Yesterday. Mangum May Mol be Tried
This Term. VIM Press For
a Trial.

| The grand jury yesterday brought in
true bill against Samuel Mangum
charging MIN with the murder of Peter
| Griffin.
| This case has excited much interest
in this section. Mangum shot and kill
ed Griffin last August. AT the Coro-
ners inquest he was released, the jury
| finding in tceir verdict that the killing
was done IN self-defense. Later he
was arrested upon a warrant sworn out
by the dead mans brother, and after
hearing before Justice Maroon. he
was remandad to Jail without bail. as
was also Oscar O'Neal, who was an eye
witness of the shooting, and who was
indicted as an accessory. This hearing
had been DELAYED about a month on ac-
count of the absence of another specta-
tor at the lilling, named Lyman, who
was friendly to Griffin, and for whom
warrant had been sworn out by Man
gum soon after the inquest.
The defendants sued out a writ of
habeas corpus before Justice Montgom-
cry of the Supreme Court bench, who
admitted O'Neal to bail and refused
Mangum. Later another writ was sued
out before the same justice who a sec
ond time refused to grant Mangum
bail. The case went to the grand jury
Yesterday and a true bill found. Man
gums attorneys, Col. j. c. l.. Harris
and Messrs Argo and Snow are anxious
for a trial, hut Mr.. Ryan does not de-
sire to go :nto the trial if Mr.. Pou is
too sick to take part. Mangums testi-
mony at the preliminary hearing was
to the effect that Griffin came to his
house raising a disturbance. and fright
ened Mrs. Mangum who was i'll. He re-
monstrated with Griffin who told him
to walk up the road with him, with
which request Mangum complied. In
his testimony Mangum said:
@'sWe went up the path, and he want
ed me to go to the road, and | told him
him I must go back home; they had
scared my wife nearly to death and to
go on away, that / was going to prose-
cute them tomorrow. He said: You
WHIP / said Yes, I'll prosecute both
of you tomorrow without / die. Pete
said: We'll, God d--n you, I'll kill you
then Then he kept pressing on me
and | kept telling him to get back, and
he kept coming on and repeating: God
d-n you. I'll kill you. I'll kill YOU
with his hand back of him; l thought
in his hip pocket. When he got within
reach of me- he struck at me with his
left hand, mis- right hand still back of
him. AS he struck at me, he swung
nearly all the way around, and then /
shot him."
Judge Starbuck is one of the youngest
judges on the bench, but he is also ont,
of the best He is eminently practical
in his rulings, is accurate in the law,
and is eminently fair. The only criti-
cisms that have been heard SO far are
that he is perhaps too light in his SEN
fences. There have been forty convic-
tions since Monday and only four ac-
,quittals Judge Starbuck dispatches
business rapidly, and does more work
than the average judge.
A large number of petty cases We're
disposed of yesterday. The defendants
in the cases are as follows:
Lee Whitfield, convicted Wednesday
in three cases for larceny and receiving,
sentenced yesterday morning TO IL
months on the roads.
John Mitchell, for assault with a
deadly weapon, is found guilty and
sentenced to pay fine of $40 and costs
Ruffn Bryan, charged with assault
with a deadly weapon was found guilty
of simple assault and was sentenced
to thirty days on the roads.
Ed Johnston. charged with larceny
and receiving is found guilty and SEN
fenced to 1 months on the roads.
William Boone, charged with injury
to private property by cutting a gin
belt was found guilty and judgment
reserved on payment of costs.
Charles Taylor, charged with an as
sault with deadly weapon, was found
not guilty.
Allie Johnston, charged with an as
sault with deadly weapon pleads guilty,
and is fined s10 and costs.
Sherman Rogers, charged with
larceny and receiving is found not
ouiltV