The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-06-19
GOD BLESS YOU ALL"
MRS. BEVILL'S THANKS To JURY
THAT Acquitted HER


Only Ten Minutes said TO Have Been
Consumed by the Jury In Reaching
a Verdict-Mrs. BeViH Thanked the
Jurymen with Tears in Her Eyes
Her Counsel Argued with Special
Farnestness the Contention That
Weaver Had Abandoned Freely
His Purpose To Commit the Crime
and That Hence Mrs. Bevih Could
Not Be Found Guilty.
The jury in the case of Mrs. Roxie
Bevill. for the past three days on trial
in the Superior Court for being an
accessory to an attempt to burn her
own house, required just about ten
minutes of actual consideration of the
evidence 10 reach and return a verdict
of not guilty.
The verdict was returned and read
a few minutes after o'clock yester-
dav afternoon. Mrs. Bevill, whose air
of self-possession and confidence, which
she had worn during the earlier stages
of the trial. had begun to disappear,
burst into tears of joy as she heard
read the words that made her free
woman.
The trial of the case was resumed
when court convened yesterday morn
ing. However there were only few
witnesses examined and the evidence
they gave was relatively unimportant.
being designed to strengthen links IN
the chain of evidence already forged.
rather than to supply others.
The arguments for the defendant
were made by Judge H. d. D. Twiggs
and Mr.. Frank NJ. oliver, and for the
state by Solicitor General w. W. Us
borne. Counsel for the defense follow
ed a two-fold line of argument in their
discussion of the case, contendlng, nrsl,
that Mrs. Bevill had never inspired
the destruction of her house by Weav-
err and, second, that if she had, Weav-
er's abandonment of his purpose 10
commit the crime, before it's accom-
plishment and without the intervention
of other parties or controlling circum-
stances, relieved him and in conse-
ouence Mrs. Bevill of guilt 1t is not
too much to say that the second
branch of the argument had quite as
much to do with controlling the de-
cision of the jury as had the first. In
deed, it is understood that 1t was upon
this theory that the verdict of not
guilty was rendered.
AS a matter Of fact Weaver had
turned away from the house after he
had scattered oil upon 1t, and gone
hundred yards or more before he was
arrested He said that his heart had
failed him and he has stuck to that
story consistently ever since-just as
consistently he has to the other story
that Mrs Bevill offered him SIS to
burn down the house, so that she
could secure the amount of the insur-
ance.
The theory of the defense was strong
~ presented in the arguments of Judge
Twiggs and Mr.. Oliver.
They argued in addition, however.
that the story of Mrs. Bevill's alleged
attempt to induce Weaver, by the
promise of money, to burn down her
house was a baseless fabrication. They
commended that his intent to burn the
building was inspired by revenge for
fancied sights received by him at the
hands of Mrs. Bevill and her husband.
They declared that Mike Rufus story
had a similar origin.
The solicitor generals argument was
brief, logical, able-a mastery presen-
tation of the contentious of the state.
Mr.. Osborne declared that the states
charge of guilt had been fully and am
ply sustained by the evidence and that
Viewers story of Mrs. Bevilrs offer Of
money for the burning of the house
had been sustained corroborated by
an overwhelming mass of testimony.
AS to the story that Weaver had
abandoned the intention to commit the
crime, through a stroke of conscience
or fear, Mr. Osborne lent it no cred
ence. He called attention to the YER
dict of the jury that had already found
Weaver guilty of the offense.
Under Judge Barrow's charge the
case went to the jury about o'clock,
but the jury determined to give atten-
ton to dinner first and to the evidence
afterwards. 1t is said the discussion
of dinner required three or four times
as long as the discussion of the jury S
grievances and that only ten minutes.
certainly not more than a quarter of
an hour. were required to reach an
agreement.
I'VE, the jury. find the defendant not
guilty read Clerk Carr, as the jury
filed into the court room and took
their seats in the box.
Mrs. Bevill turned tear-fllled eyes to
the jurynen and in a voice broken by
sobs, said:
God bless you ALL"
She left the court room surrounded
by members of her family and the
faithful friends who have been her