The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-03-11
TEN YEARS IN PRISO ON
"EYES," THE SLAYER OF GEORGE
POWELL DECLARED
GUILTY OF MANSLAUGHTER
HAS BEEN ENJOYING HIS LIBERTY
FOR THREE YEARS.

Sentenced Mnn Seemingly Unmoved
by Result of TriaI-Cnse Attracted
Considerable Attention - Verdic:
of Jury Was Returned Last Night
at O'cIOck-The Crime for Which
the Negro Was Tried - Killed
George Powell with Brickbat
Nearly Three Years Ago.
After enjoying his liberty for nearly
three years, Jesup Fields, alias
Eyes" will expiate for the killing Of
| Georgia Powell by confinement in the
! penitentiary at hard labor for ten
years. The jury in his case, after con-
sdering the testimony for more than
three hours, returned a verdict of guilty
of manslaughter yesterday afternoon
and Judge Barrow promptly sentenced
him.
Eyes" was not disturbed by the
sentence of the court, but took it in
stoical style. 1t was no new experience
to him-this being sentenced by the
court-for just previous to the homi-
eide for which he will do penance, he
served terms both in the penitentiary
and on the chaingang. When asked by
his counsel, Mr.. Raiford Falligant,
whether he wished a new trial, he re-
piled that he would think over the
matter for a while and give him his
answer in day or two.
The trial of the case occupied the
attention of the court throughout the
day. and it was Z o'clock last night
before the jury returned it's verdict.
The case attracted considerable atten-
ton, the gallery of the court being
filled with interested black faces from
morning until night. Fields, whose
nickname was derived from the size
of unusually large optics, is an inter
esting looking darkey, and somewhat
of a sport. At the trial yesterday he
was we'll dressed, a pair of neatly
groomed shoes and a white silk tie and
high standing collar making him par
ticularly conspicuous
AssaiIant skipped Out.
The crime for which he was tried
was the murder of George Powell an
other negro. a little less than three
weeks ago, on Harrison and West
Broad streets. At that time he struck
| Powell in the head with a brick-bat.
His victim lived until the following
day, and when his death occurred
Eyes" had sought other climes. This
| bald fact operated against him in the
| trial yesterday. He caught the Beau
| fort boat, and was soon en- route to
the City of Brotherly Love, where he
has made his. abode since.
The grand jury investigated the
case, with the result that mo bills
were returned in his case, as we'll as
| in the case of his two companions, jim
mic Greene alias "'TOes " and Walter
Jones, there not being sufficient evil
retention or arrest of any of the ac-
cused. Subsequently, however, Deputy
| Sheriff Sweeney secured evidence from
a negro woman, Ella Glover, and a dock
| hand named McGraw, on whose tes-
timony an indictment for murder was
returned at the last term of court.
Newly Discovered Evidence.
Eyes" had been spotted in Philadel-
phia, and was arrested by the order OF
| Sweeney, who went up after him. Since
| his Incarceration the officers, includine
Sweeney and Detective Murphy, have
secured some damaging evidence
against the accused. as q result OF
which the conviction followed
The story of the crime has beer
printed in the Morning News. The kill.
ing was the result of a quarrel between
the negroes. The testimony was some.
what at variance as to what occurred
but 1t was pretty clearly demonstrated
that Eyes" who was drunk, acteC
rashly, if not without provocation.
The state was represented by Mr.
Dan j. Charlton, whose able exposition
| of the contentious of the prosecution
was responsible in no small degree fol
the verdict of the jury.