The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-06-18
WOMAN BEFORE JURY
MRS. ROxIE BEVILI. on TRIAL FOR
AIDING ATTEMPT AT ARSON.
BURNING OF HER HOUSE
INDICTMENT CHARGE WAS INsPIR-
ED AND INDUCED BY HER.

ry before the Fact to an Attempt
to Commit ArsOn-The Man She Is
Said to Have Employed to Do the
Work the Principal Witness
Against Her-FOrmer Policeman
idence-aIike Run. a Malay, Claims
TO HIVE Been offered 500 and a
Bottle of W,iskey to Burn the
BuiIdinE-Case VIII Go on To-day.
Mrs. Roxie Bevill faced a fury in the
Superior Court yesterday on an indict-
ment charging her with being the in
spiration of John ]. Viewers attempt
to burn down her own house on Stiles
avenue. The trial developed interest,"
ing incidents during every hour of the
day.
The three principal witnesses for
the state, former Policeman G. S. God
bold John ]. Weaver and Mike Ruff
the last named a Malay from the ISL
and of st. Helena, were in turn the
objects of caustic criticism on the
part of counsel for the defense-a
criticism that was designed to weaken
the jury's confidence in the correct
ness of their stories. 1t found ex-
preston very largely in the manner
and obvious differences of the cross
examination to which the witnesses
were subjected by Judge Twiggs and
Mr. Oliver
Godbold's and Weavers stories were
practically the same as those told by
them at the trial of the case in which
Weaver was himself the defendant,
when he was convicted of a misde-
meanor and sentenced to serve a year
on the gang. The former police officer
described in detail Weaver's actions on
the night when he poured oil on the
building, and went through with every
preliminary to its destruction, and told
of the mans arrest on that occasion.
The Arrest of Mrs. BeviII.
CIodbold arrested Mrs. Bevin the
same night. One incident of his MARIA
tive that told perhaps as strongly as
any other against the defendant, was
that when he went to her house, at 2
o'clock in the morning, he found the
members of the family awake and evil
IDENTIFY expecting a visit from some one.
The obvious deduction from this, which
the solicitor general is practically sure
to use in his argument to the jury, is
that the defendant was expecting the
return of Weaver and a report that
the house had been destroyed.
Judge Twiggs cross-examined the
witness as to his connection with a
case of attempted subornation of per-
jury. Godbold was accused of such
an offense, and of an attempt to tam
per with jurors in a celebrated case
that was tried some years ago. He
was found not guilty and he told Judge
Twiggs yesterday that he was not
guilty.
Weaver described at length the ef-
forts that had been made by Mrs.
Bevill to induce him to undertake the
destruction of the house. He said he
was in destitute circumstances and
greatly needed the money he was prom
Used for setting the house afire. Mrs.
Bevill told him, according to his state
ment, that she wanted the insurance
money amounting to $500 to aid in the
building of other houses, the erection
of which she had then in view, and that
if he would burn the house down he
would get s25.
Plans Were Carefully Laid.
For three or four days before the
event the plans had been carefully dis
cussed by the man and woman and
every action of Weaver's looking to the
burning of the house exactly marked
out. He had fully intended. he said, to
carry out his contract, but his con-
science got the better of him or his
nerve failed him after he had applied
the oil to the building and he aban-
doned the enterprise and turned to go.
With Weaver the effort of counsel
for the defendant was to show that he
cherished animosity against Mrs.
Bevill and her family and that he had
sworn to have revenge. In this broad
shape Weaver denied the charge,
though he admitted that he had been
offended by Mrs. Bevills refusal to
lend him a dollar that he needed great
ly 1t developed that this was to pay
an instalment of a fee promised a for
tune teller. who had predicted great
things would happen to Weaver. In a
sense the prediction seems to have
been verified.
Mike Ruff on the stand.
The sational witness for the
state was the East Indian, Mike Ruff,
who was on the stand for nearly or
quite two hours. The essential por-
ton of his testimony was his de-
scription of an offer made him by Mrs.
Bevill, of a pint of whiskey and $40
in money for doing the same work
that Weaver afterwards agreed to do.
"Well, did you accept the PROPOSE
tion?" asked the solicitor general
mo, sir" said Ruff; Il declined"
Ruff described with great minute
ness and particularly the circum-
stances surrounding the offer he
claimed had been made him by Mrs.
Bevill, giving time and place and
everything else connected with it. I'm
der searching and strenuous cross
examination to which he was sub
jected by Judge Twiggs, Ruff added
some further details even to those he
had supplied in the first instance.
You say you declined this offer Mrs.
Bevill made you?" asked Judge
Twiggs.
Yes. sir" said the witness; Il de-
clined it,
And why?" he was asked.
Because 1 knew it was a peniten-
tiary offense."
And was that the only reason?"
Eyes, sir" said the witness, that
was the only reason"
Statement of the Defendant.
A long statement of the part she
played in the matter was made by
the defendant in her own behalf. Mrs.
Bevill did not seem to be at all nerv-
Gus or worried, but told her story clear
ly and with very evident native ability.
She denied absolutely all completely
in the attempt to burn the house.
which she said would have been abso-
lutte folly had she engaged in it. The
house is worth, according to her. be-
tween $500 and $500 more than the
amount OF INSURANCE., and she has been
a