The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-12-11
GOES To GALLOWS
MURDERER OF ROSA PACE WILL
HANG FEBRUARY o,
CALVIN DECLARED GUILTY.
DEFENSE HAD NO END OF DIFFER
ING THEORIES.

ION 0emnCu Oh
the stand "A Remarkable. One-Im-
pIfcated Two other Men-StOry OF
Dfsinterested Eye Witness Dis
closed Horrible Defnils-Butchered
Woman Who Loved Him-FOrced
Her Head to His X nife and Almost
Severed Her Head From Her Body
with Razor Afterwards Ac-
knoVvIedged His Guilt to Arresting
officer.
willie Calvin. the jury has found
you guilty of murder, and I don
think there's much doubt in the minds
of any that you are guilty. The SEN
tence of the court is that you be hung
by the neck until dead, on February
Judge Barrow to the murderer of Rosa
Pace, when the trial jury returned
their verdict to the court last night.
The jury was out but few minutes.
AS the Judge finished pronouncing the
sentence, the condemned man gave a
long, plainly audible sigh. He was led
from the court room by the deputies.
The first thing he said on reaching the
sherif's office was. II want another
trial. I'm not satisfied" Mr.. Francis
P. Salas, of counsel for the defense,
said last night that new trial would
be asked. and that in the event it was
refused, the matter would be brought
before the pardon board, where COM
mutation of the sentence to life impris-
onment will be asked.
Defense Had Three Theories.
There were three grounds of defense
to the murder charge. Mr.. Salas con-
tended in the first place that the &C
cused was innocent of any crime, and
in the second place, that if he did
do it he had abundant provocation. He
confined his argument to the latter
position, maintaining that the woman
whom Calvin murdered had been going
with other men.
Mr.. Pease, also of counsel for de-
Tense, did not think this position ten
able. He did not agree with associate
counsel that there was provocation for
the deed, the murdered woman not be-
ing the wife of Calvin, who had a wife
living somewhere in the country. Mr..
Pease said that he was of the opinion
that he had a good case until Detective
Starke testified that the prisoner had
confessed his guilt when arrested. The
truth of the matter was, he said, that
the solicitor general saw that he was
going to lose his case-he needed an
other witness-he had to have one, so
he sent out and got Strake.
The Defendants Statement.
The defendants statement consti-
tuted still third defense, and to-
tally differing theory. 1t was in sub
stance that he did not commit the
murder. though he acknowledged be-
ing with the woman at the time that it
was done and having the razor in his
possession, with which the indictment
alleged the murderous deed was done.
He said:
81 am going to tell you exactly how
this thing was done. l was in bed
asleep, about u o'clock in the night.
Rosa was in bed with me- and we were
both asleep. Presently the door open
ed, and in walked Tommie Stewart and
George Middleton. L asked them what
they come for, and they says Rosa;
and l asked them to vacate. That was
the imbugation of the fuss.
One of the mems had a sling-jim, and
I beat it out of his hand with a stick.
Rosa trid to defend herself, but direct
ly she broke and run. When l tried
to get my billy they broke and run,
too I never did have a fuss with
Rosa, and in the fight that night ]
didn't use no cutting tools"
Story of the Crime.
The story of the crime for which
Calvin was sentenced to be hung has
appeared in the Morning News. The
details of the bloody deed are revolt
ing. In fit of jealousy, in the dead
of night, after a quarrel which lasted
but a few minutes, Calvin seized the
defenseless woman, and putting her
head on his knee whipped out razor
and severed her head almost from her
body.
James O'Neal. the principal witness
for the state, was an eye witness to
the tragedy. He was awakened from
his sleep at midnight by the sound of
Calvin's voice, as he heaped abuse on
his paramount. Presently the woman,
in her night clothes, ran excitedly into
his room, appealing for aid, being fol-
lowed by Calvin, who was armed with
a stick. O'Neal wrenched the stick
from Calvin's hand, whereupon the
Infatuated negro ran back into his
room. O'Neal, thinking that Calvin
was going to arm himself, closed and
locked the door between the two rooms.
Slaughtered Like a Hog.
When Calvin returned and found the
door locked, he broke the door down.
and rushing at the helpless woman
who was seated on a trunk, near the
door, trembling with fear he forced
her head to his knee, and as a butcher
slaughters a hog, severed her neck
from ear to ear. Deputy Sheriff Swee-
ney testified that the gaping wound
was large enough to place ones hand
in.
0Neal though present, was intimi-
dated by the appearance of the razor,
and did not attempt to stay the hand
of the murderer Calvin quilted the
premises hurriedly.. The police were
notified and within less than an hour
Detective Stark arrested the murderer
| on the White Bluff road, about two
miles from the scene of the crime.
Acknowledged His Guilt.
Detective Stark's testimony was
very damaging to the defense, complet-
ing the chain of evidence for the state
and winding a net of guilt about the
| prisoner from which he could not es-
cape. He said that at the time of the
arrest the prisoner acknowledged his
| guilt. saying that he did it because the
woman kept running around with
other men, When arrested he was en-
route TO his wife's home in the coun-
| try.
Quite a little merriment was occa-
| stoned in the court room when one OF
the attorneys for the defense asked
one of the witness If he did not think
| II probable that the woman died from
the effects Of collie, and not from the
| cash in her neck Counsel for defense