The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-08-06
TRIED FOR MURDER
BERTHA JONES FOUND GUILTY OF
MANSLAUGHTER BY JURY.
TO MERCY OF THE COURT
THE WOMAN WAS RECOMMENDED
BY JURY'S VERDICT.

A Young Negro Woman Who Killed
Nellie jenkins on a Sunday in
June-PIeaded Guilty When Ar
rnigned by Solicitor General.
Judge Ordered the Plea Stricken.
Juror Opposed to Female Capt.
tnI PuniShme pt--FataI Quarrel Be-
gan over the Affections of a Man.
jenkins Had Abused and Threat
ened Defendant Before Blow Was
Struck.
Bertha Jones, a negro girl 10 or 20
years old, was tried in the Superior
Court yesterday for the murder of Nell
lie Jenkins and found guilty by the
jury of manslaughter. The jury APP
pended to this finding a recommended
ton to the extreme mercy of the court.
The homicide for which the girl was
tried was committed in Congress lane
on a Sunday morning in June. Spring
ing from the jealous rage to which the
women had worked themselves up over
the uncertain affections of Jim Delilly,
a quarrel, begun with abuse and
threats, ended in blows and wounds
and death.
At the trial yesterday Solicitor Cen
eral Osborne represented the state and
d. E. McCuen the defense.
The prisoner was arraigned in ac-
cordance with the old formula still in
use in this county-a relic of the state
ly proceedings of the common law. At
the end of it, when the solicitor gem
eral asked the defendant: ITO this in
dictment, how say you, Bertha Jones?
Are you guilty or not guilty." the wo-
man promptly answered Guilty"
Counsel HastenS to Explain.
The answer created some consterna-
ton. Mr.. McCuen arose to explain
to the court that what his client meant
was, not that she was guilty of muir
der, but that she had killed the wo-
man; as a matter of fect. said counsel
his client would claim and attempt to
show she acted in self-defense.
Judge Barrow said he would not per-
init the plea to be entered, as the de-
PENDANT had made it, and in any
event, even had it been made with a
would have directed it set aside. With
this understanding the case proceeded
and the selection of a jury was begun.
On the voir dire one of the jurors,
when asked if he was conscientiously
opposed to capital punishment, an
swered he was opposed to female cap
| ital punishment, and on this showing
was excused.
| The story of even the witnesses for
| the state showed that the Jenkins wo-
| man provoked the row. She had come
| to the house occupied by the defend
ant looking for her recreant lover, and
| when she did not find him began to
| vent the walls of her wrath on her
| rival.
jenkins Was the AggressOr.
The quarrel rapidly assumed more
| serious proportions. At one phase of
| it the Jenkins woman amused herself
| throwing rocks at the other and finally
| drove her back into her room. She
came out again and the women clench-
ed; when they separated Jenkins had
knife wound in her side from which
she died in a few minutes.
Substantially these were the facts in
| the case, and 1t seemed to the court
spectators the jury had correctly di-
agnosed the case when 1t called the
homicide manslaughter. and asked for
the defendant the mercy of the court.
1t was rather evident the defendant S
life had never been in special danger,
and that she had no particular reason
to think so. but on the other hand it
was just as evident she had been
badgered half to death, and rendered
desperate by jenkins constant annoy
| ance and abuse.
Judge Barrow did not impose sem
| tence Immediately after the verdict
| was rendered, but announced he would
| sentence the defendant this morning
| A term in the penitentiary will expi-