The Savannah morning news., 1902-06-17
WEAVER is GUILTY
MUST SPEND A YEAR on THE GANG
FOR ATTEMPTED ARSON.
CONFESSION AGAINST HIM.
SUFFICIENT IN ITSELF TO CONVICT
OF THE CRIME CHARGED.

Olu MAN,
Told Story OF Crime-Weaver Says
He Was Hired by Mrs. Roxie Bev-
i'll to Do the WOrk-Repented OF
His Purpose After Saturating the
House With OiI-Arrested He
Was About to Leave-Story Aroused
the sympathy of Those Who Lis
tened to Its RecftaI-Jury AIrendy
Selected That Mrs. DeviII Will
Face To-day.
John ]. Weayer's own confession,
made in the Superior Court yesterday
served to convict him of an attempt
to commit arson. He was sentenced
by Judge Barrow to pay fine of 5000
and costs. and in addition to spend
twelve months on the changing.
Mrs. Granville Bevill. who Weaver
says employed him to burn the house,
will be placed on trial this morning.
The jury in her case has already been
selected, and the introduction of evil
| dence will begin at 10 o'clock.
Weaver is man of more than sixty
years of age. He told story to the
jury that carried with it the impress
sion of truth and sincerely. very large
ly because of the fact that it told so
seriously against him. While it con-
victed him, it brought him the SYM
pathy of every man who listened to
the tale.
The attempt to burn the house was
made in April. The principal witness
for the state was G. S. Godbold, I'M
til very recently a member of the po-
lice force, who told on the stand the
entire story of the occurrence.
Saw linn Pour the Oil.
Godbold said he had received an in
timation that the house was to be
| burned and in company with Detective
| Stark and Patrolman Christie, he went
| there. The house is located on the eX
tension of Gwinnett street, near the
| Ogeechee canal. The officers took up
! their position in a secluded place, and
| waited for something to turn up.
Something did turn UP in the person
| of Weaver. Along about 2 O'Clock in
| the morning he plodded up with can
| OF oil and without more ado began to
bespatter the building. 1t is said he
not only succeeded in soaking the eX-
! terror but that a bunch of negroes
| who were sleeping inside, walked a lie
1 '
thorough fabricated.
The officers watched Weaver while
| he went through with this programme
! They saw him regard the building with
a critical eye and then turn and walk
away. Afraid that he would return
and apply match they closed in and
| placed him under arrest.
This was in substance the states
| story of the offense At the conclu-
sion of the introduction of evidence for
| the prosecution w. +. Slater, of coun-
sci for Weaver, moved for a verdict
on the ground. that the allegations of
the indictment were not supported by
| the proof The indictment charged
that the building Weaver started or
attempted to burn belonged to Mrs
! Granville Bevill, while the facts show
ed that the deed to the property was IN
the name of Mrs. Roxie Bevill. Judge
Barrow oVerruled the objection.
The Old Mans story.
In his own behalf Weaver told a pitt
ful and convincing story. He said
that he had been out of work for a |
long time and that he had been una
bic to furnish a support for those
closest and dearest to his heart He |
| and they were in need of the actual
necessaries of life.
1t was while he was in this situation, |
according to his story, that he was ap-
that the house on the canal was in
sured for 5000 and was actually worth
| considerably less. She said she need |
ed the insurance money to build other |
houses, the erection of which she had |
in view, and offered him $25 to burn |
| the old structure down.
81 was as poor as l could be, gen
! tlemen," said Weaver, land 1 needed |
the money to provide for my family |
! Starvation threatened me and in |
little while l was to have been turned |
| out into the street. 1 accepted the |
! offer that was made me-"
| Weaver said, however, he abandoned |
the plan before he attempted to com
! plete 1t. Even as he poured the oil |
| upon the building an inner voice |
voice warned him to stop and he |
! turned away and left the temptation |
| behind
Il had already decided 1 would not
| burn the house." he told the Jury |
Il had started home and was going |
! to tell Mrs. Bevill of my changed |
| purpose when the officers ARRESTED |
me-"
Jury Said Guilty.
This was Viewers story and with
it and the other evidence to guide |
and the charge of the court to direct |
their findings the jury retired. |
! in few minutes they return |
i
! carried with it, however, the recon- |
mendation that the defendant be pun
| ished as for a misdemeanor. 1t was in |
accordance with this recommendation |
that Judge Barrow sentenced Weaver |
to serve a year on the county chain |
| gang, instead of a longer term in the |
penitenuary.
While the jury was out the selection |
of a jury in the case against Mrs. |
Bevil. who is charged with being an |
| accessory before the fact to the at |
tempted arson. was begun. 1t was
long and complicated performance the |
clerk being required to put the ques- |
lions as to competency and impartial |
ity to each individual juror
In addition to this both sides ex-
hausted their strikes, the state strik- !
ing ten and the defense twenty. Other |
members of the panel went off for |
cause and before a jury was secured it |
was found necessary to summons a |
number who had not been required |
originally to appear and who We're not |
on hand.
The jury at last selected to try the |
case is as follows: ALA ]. Mulligan, /
! Charles A. Munster, ]. Thomas West, !
II. H. Mckee. Richard Y. Smith, Wal |
ter F. Higgins. James NJ. Smith, James |
NJ. Sullivan, Frank r. Walsh, e. w |
Gearon. William II. Crane and Fred |
erick w. Garden.
After heinp imnanalIed and evvorp