The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-06-30
Friday Afternoons Session.

At the opening OF court IN the afternoon
Mr.. Jno. +. Woodland closed the argument
for the defense. lie SAID IN part:
Gentlemen, | come before you to de
liver the last message OF these defendants
to you. They look to you confidently.
lCcunsel from a distance have been
| employed to come here and try tins
case. | can rely on them 10 try tins case
according to the law. Why have this able
counsel been employed to come here and
prosecute your people? 1t Is because some
people have been 50 aroused that they
lost some of Their reason and
a victim is demanded These men
take these defendants because they think
they are fit for the slaughter. But gen
tlemen, they have a right To appeal TO You
as the last tribunal for their vlndlcatlon.
You are here to try there men, not on
what might have been said about these
men, but from the evidence taken III tins
case, and l would speak in their behalf,
though hell itself demanded me to hold
my peace, and l come to you believing
that you Will render your verdict accord
ing to the evidence and the law. They
tell you that Wilson should be purgcd.
Wilson has a solicitor, whose duty 1T - to
do away with bawdy houses, gambling
houses, etc, when operated III opposition
to the law. Do not take a victim who has
nothing to do with these things. The
State fails to find a motive. We find 1t IN
the dispensary fight here. They find a
motive among those who were against
them in this fight. The bitterness growing
out Of this fight demanded a victim. The
weakness of the State has been the lack
of a motive for this crime. We are not
trying these men for their position IN the
dispensary fight, whether they havc playe !
poker or not, out for the crime Tor WElGn
they stand charged. These men should Le
tried not oil sentiment but according TO the
evidence as you have it from the witnesses
and from the law which you have from
the court. The State asks you to convict
| these men ON circumstantial evidence.
Remember gentlemen, that you shall con
| slider such evidence only according to the
strength of the weakest link in this chain.
Divest your minds Of all prejudice and
then consider the strength of this weak
est link. What have you then? They
bring before you such circumstances that
Piver said Jones ought to be run out OF
town., when it has been brought out here
that Jones has been bedding and eating
with negro women. Do you wonder that
any good man would say that he ought 10
be run out of town? Would YOU consider
that a strong link in a chain Of circunl-
stances showing the existence OF a CON
spiracy?
another link is the fact that some one
saw Gill Ward coming from up town on
the most public street in town on the
night of the killing. Would a man come
from the place where he had committed
murder on a public highway. when he
could have gone on a street where there
was no light? Do you call this a strong
link? Is there enough evidence here 70
satisfy you beyond a reasonable doubt that
these men are guilty?
Your authority, gentlemen Of the jury.
IS higher than the solicitor, higher than
any ones. You are here to render your
verdict according to the evidence. The
origin of the jury had begun when strug-
Cling vaSsals were trying TO get justice at
the hands Of those over him. It j. your
duty to protect. not punish. but to render
your verdict according TO the evidence
They claim that there Is a conspiracy
Have they shown you any evidence OF a
conspiracy except the drunken mutterlng-
of Geo. whitley? Would you hang men
t on such evidence as this? Another one 81
their links is the motive for this crime
; At first the State claims that revenge OF
, Whitley's part furnished this motive
Then they say Jones was a d~ispensary
agent. and that Morgan wanted to get hin
out OF town. Is there any strength in TIN
evidence?
"Another link in the chain is that there
! was a hat found III the sanitarium witt
L. Morgan in it. When the evidence i
that Allen went there with his hat on ant
it was left there. 1t has further beer
shown that Morgan gave Allen this ha'
three weeks before. Would YOU convlc'
Morgan on such evidence as this? d.
t you see anything in this circumstance?
When you consider Mayor Herring
: testimony you see nothing but some blu
{ lets. w. C. Mayo comes before you anC
! says the bullets found IN Rlch's possession
I lare those most commonly sold. The bul
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