The Savannah morning news., 1902-08-12
FOUR YEARS is ALL
JURY FOUND WATSON GUILTY OF
SHOOTING NOT IN OWN DEFENSE.
SEEMED A QUEER VERDICT.
A MURDER TRIAL FULL OF SEN
sATIONAL INCIDENTS.

Joe RObinsOn's Slayer Got ON with
Light sentence-With Conflicting
Evidence Tint Permitted "A Range
From Murder to JustffiabIe HOmi-
eide as Possible Verdicts, the Jury
Took a FIyer-SOIicitOr Generals
Arrangement of PatrOIman Farrell
One of the Features of the Case.
His Conduct "a MOckery on JUS
tIce."
The jury that tried Cicero Watson
yesterday for the murder of Joe Rob
not in his own defense. He was SEN
fenced to spend four years in the pen
itentiary, and he'll serve his term
without a kick.
An innocent bystander had been shot
and killed in a pistol duel between two
negro thugs. 1t was believed that
Watson would be found guilty of the
grade of homicide that would have been
imputed to him had he killed the man
at whom he was shooting. One awe
stricken bystander blurted out his
surprise that the jury had not found
Watson guilty of larceny from the
house.
Plenty of Room to Choose.
Between murder and justifiable ho-
micide there was every oppor tunity in
the wide range of the evidence for the
jury to choose, for the witnesses for
the state and the defense contradicted
each other in many essential particu-
lars. Believing one outfit it would
have seemed a verdict of murder must
have been rendered, while, believing
the other, a verdict of justifiable no
micide was equally demanded. A YER
dict of manslaughter was possible,
though not to be regarded as probable.
The homicide for which Watson was
tried was committed in Minis Court,
blind street on the west side, on June
4, last. Its first impulse was quar-
rel between Watson and George Jack
son, caused by the latter's unwelcomed
participation in a difference between
Watson and Willie Eady. Watson
had charged Eady with stealing from
him $1SS and Jackson urged Eady to
resent it. One quarrel had ended in
threats and high words and Jackson
left.
jackson a Star Witness.
At the trial Jackson was the states
principal witness, though his testimo-
ny was supported in all essentials by
that of five other witnesses. He hob
bled into court yesterday on two
crutches, still suffering from the eff
fects of his wounds. He said that aft
err his quarrel with Watson he had
left and gone towards his own home.
On the way back they met man
called Major, who reported that Cicero
had sent Tom Peal down town to buy
| a revolver, saying that he was going
| to Kill Jackson. While Major was tell
ing the men what he had heard Cicero
and Peal passed the party at West
| Broad and Berrien streets. Jackson
went to Eadys house and then return
| ed alone to his own place. He had
| just opened the door when Cicero, Peal
and Patrolman Farrell put in an ap-
| pearance.
According to the negro, Farrell jump
| ed at him and said, e. - you, George,
| I've got you under arrest" jackson
claims that the patrolman's revolver
was drawn and that he had his own
weapon in his hand. The negro says
that ne charged the officer with taking
| advantage of him, and said: II thought
you was my bosom friend, Mr.. Tom"
| At that time Jackson said Watson
| and Peel were standing in front of his
| house with drawn revolvers. He con-
| tinued to argue with the patrolman,
and went to the door and ordered Wat
son to get from in front of his place.
| Robinson heard what he was saying
and hurried down stairs.
"John advised me TO come in,' said
| Jackson land just as 1 was turning.
| Cicero fired the first shot. Mr.. Farrell
] was by us and jumped in the door to
| get out of the way of the bullets. The
first shot hit, John and he fell. The
| second, game, right behind 1t and then
| / began firing had four cartridges
in my pistol and fired three of them,
but without hitting anyone. Mr..
Farrell had his pistol out all the time,
but got out of the way of the bullets
| when the shooting started
'FIopped His wings and Gone"
| Homer johnson, a negro who told
his story with an air of great posi-
tiveness and certainty, was another
of the star witnesses for the state. He
said he heard the noise of the quarrel
| and came up to the front of the house,
where Watson stood, with a drawn re-
volver pointed in the direction of the
open door. Peeping inside he saw Far
rell and Jackson struggling together
while Robinson, the man who was
| killed, was descending the stairs.
|
ed to be trying to get a shot at some
body inside the house, as with his
| left hand he motioned aside some
other person who interfered with his
aim.
II went up to him." said Johnson
land tried to get him to come away
He told me he was not going to shoot
anybody. 1t seems like he was, though, y
added the witness, in an obliging effort
to throw light on the subject for one
of them's done Topped his wings and
gone and another one-he come mighty
near stopping his grist mill, too
From inside the house came the
noise of the struggle between Farrell
and Jackson and johnson said he heard
II all. Jackson was telling the police
man he didn't mind being arrested
but that he did not want to go out
side to be shot by Watson Finally he
was pushed through the door, and as
| he appeared Watson began to shoot
johnson said Watson fired twice be.
fore Jackson returned the fire.
others Told Same story.
In essentials the same, story was
told by Carrie Johnson, Nellie Harmon
and Lydia Toles, three negro women
| who lived in houses very close to that
in which Robinson met his death. Thew
agreed that Watson had his pistol pre-
scented before Jackson came out of the
house. that he seemed to be trying To
! get a shot all the time and that he
commenced firing with Jackson's APP
pearance in the grasp of the policeman.
! Detective Murphy. who reached the
scene after the shooting was over, tes-
| titled 10 his arrest Of Watson A. tho