The Savannah morning news., 1902-04-17
STATES CASE FELL
TLIMsY EVIDENCE ADDUCED AT
sHRENK MURDER INVESTIGATION.
THE PROSECUTION FAILED.
GAM, NELSON AND HARGRAvE
WERE PROMPTLY DISMISSED.

the Men of Murder-Magistrate
Bevans Said 1t Was the Lamest
Case He Had Ever Heard.
Shrenk's Widow on the Stand and
Proved an AIibi for NeIson-Gann
Was Only Accused of Having Low
ed His Stepfather-Justice Court
Was Crowded and Spectators APP
pIauded Decision.
At the preliminary examinations held
separately by Justices Bevans and
Jones yesterday not a particle of evil
dence was adduced to even warrant the
suspicion that John Gam, Ben Nell
son, or Tom Hargrave had anything
to do with the murder of the old Ger
man, Michael Shrenk, and his clerk,
Jake Carter, or the robbing and burn
ing of the store at Whiskey Hill on
the night of Feb. 49, and the prisoners
were promptly discharged.
The name of Gam, Shrenk's stepson,
was only mentioned once or twice dur
ing the hearing and then the witnesses
for the prosecution told how Gam fair
ly idolized his mothers husband
why, SIR said Mrs. Carter, moth
er of the dead boy, when old man
Shrenk got into one of his spells and
was taking on badly John Gam was
always nearly crazy. When Mr..
Shrenk was sick like that I've seen
John walking up and down in the
store, wringing his hands and crying
| to God to save his pa"
No one questioned CAMS devotion
| to Shrenk and the officers who made
| the arrest announced before the hear
| ing that Nelson was the man they be-
| lieved committed the crime. They
abandoned their theory that Gam took
| even the slightest part in it.
/ The Hearings Held Separately.
| Gam and Nelson were given a hear
| ing before Justice Bevans and at noon
the case against Hargrave was taken
| up before Justice Jones, while Magis-
| trate Bevans' court was still in session.
The court room was packed with wit
nesses and spectators.
| Over twenty witnesses were sworn,
most of whom were for the prosecu-
ton. Mr.. Raiford Falligant appeared
for the state. and Mr.. John E. Myrick
| for .be defense. Even the rurnors that
were repeated on the stand had no re-
| lation to Gam or Hargrave, and only
referred to Nelson, and then in an in
direct way. Nelson was not at all af-
fected at the hearing and his manner
| remained unchanged throughout. While
| his countenance is not at all prepos-
| seSsing the man was not on trial for
| his facial expression, or because he
looked as if he might be guilty of any
| crime that he made up his mind to
| commit.
Sympathy for Gam.
The appearance of the man Gam
caused him to receive the sympathy
of the large crowd and when he was
dismissed shout went up from the
crowd, and he Yves congratulated by
| men he had never seen before. Peo-
pie whose interest he had aroused
grasped his hand warmly, and the
| light that shone from his blue eyes
told plainly his inability to commit
| crime so horrible that it shocked an
entire community, and prompted
4 a Governor to offer an exception
ally large reward for the conviction of
| the perpetrators. Whenever an allu-
sion was made to his affection for the
dead man, Gam wept and no one even
suggested that he might be Stimulating
grief. That the death of Shrenk was
a terrible blow to him even the officers
| did not question.
The Prosecution Weak.
| With the introduction of the first wit
4 ness the States case began to totter.
! The Introduction of the murdered
| mans widow was the last straw and
| her words, spoken between sobs, caused
| the fiimsy testimony already intro
| duced to crumble before her story,
which even the prosecuting attorney
did not question.
. Aged and infirm, she took the stand
and in her simple country way de.
clared that Nelson could not have COM
mitted the crime. She was at his
house on the night of the murder and
was sitting with him and his wife talk
ing, while her husband and his young
! clerk were being brutality slain. Mr.
| Falligant gave UP in despair when
Mrs. Shrenk had concluded her state
ment, and Mr.. Myrick made brief ar
gument for the prisoners. Even those
who made the arrest did not hope for
conviction under the evidence ad-
duced
The Magistrates Comment.
| In dismissing the defendants Justice
Bevans declared that the case was
about the lamest he had ever heard.
introduction of evidence by the de-
] Tense was not necessary.
The counsel for the prisoners did not
| even cross-eXamine the witnesses who
were supposed to know anything. al
| though he asked Officers Jernigan and
| Christy some pertinent questions about
the rewards now standing for the ar
rest of the real culprits. The attorney
| endeayored to make it appear that the
| officers We're in possession. of the facts
before the offering of rewards, and that
only after this was done would they
make an arrest.
Patrolman Jernigan declared that the
| most important witnesses for the pros
| ecution are not in the county at this
time, and that upon the testimony of
| those who are absent he had expected
to make out case against Nelson.
Gam and Hargrave were not mem
tened.
Saw the store Burn.
Mrs. Emma Florence Williams was
the first witness sworn for the state.
She knew Shrenk and lived near him.
She saw him on the Friday evening be-
fore he was killed. The witness never
heard any threats made against
| Shrenk. and knew of no ill feeling ex-
listing in the family. She heard sew
eral shots fired between and 10
o'clock on the night of the tragedy.
About half an hour later she heard
the roaring of "a fire and went to her