The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-03-25
Haywood Skinner Trial
Begins on July 10.
CONTINUED from First Page)

Daniel asked Judge Justice to order
special venire and to set a day for the
trial 1--WE desire" he said, that the
box with the names of those eligible to
jury duty be brought into court and that
the jury be drawn from it."
THE PLEA FOR CONTINUANCE.
AS Solicitor Daniel resumed his seat
Mr.. James H Pou. of counsel for the
defense, arose and addressed the court
as follows:
I'VE do not think that the prisoner
will be ready for trial at this term. Or
dinarily man is not required in d case
of this kind to stand trial at the first
term after the happening of the cause
for his trial. There is no statute on the
subject though it has not been the usual
custom in North Carolina to put on trial
at the first term thereafter in the case
of homicide.
There are certain reasons why this
should be so, and in this case the reasons
are tenfold stronger than in an ordinary
case of homicide Among these are the
fact that this occurred on the 21st of
February and that this is the gath of
March, barely thirty-One days having
elapsed The prisoner has been confined
ever since that time, and the council he
has employed have from a number of
circumstances not been able to give the
case the attention required. ON the
Monday following the shooting Wake
county court was in session and Messrs
Day, Argo and RYAN were engaged dur
ing the two weeks term in an important
case. the King case, and as time elapsed
others of his attorneys We're occupied
Immediately after that court Captain
Day was called to Halifax court and soon
after that Messrs. Argo, Day and Ryan
We're all sick
Despite these hindrances we have
made great progress, have seen many
witnesses and have run down many re-
ports. Though this is so we state on
our honor as attorneys that we are not
ready. We have been diligent. but have
been so pressed that l am sorry to say
that we have done some work on Sun
days, for life is at stake. Last Sun
day night I drove thirty-fve miles IN
the storm and found the most important
witness since Mr.. r. n. Simms was dis
covered. There has not been single
hour when we have not heard of some
man we ought to see or heard of some
important evidence.
cit is impossible for us to get some
very important witnesses here. One of
our most important witnesses is in Bal
timore. He saw me the day after the
shooting and told me that when he was
needed he would come as soon as pos
sible if notice was given him in time.
Ky. L. nd I
understand that the last Assembly re-
pealed the law for the taking of deposit !
tions in another State in criminal cases. |
He is an important witness and another |
is at Suffolk with whom we are in the |
same condition. Then there are other
witnesses who have given some infor- |
nation, but who refuse a full disclosure, |
and if the latest date that was possible |
in this court was given, we would not |
be able to get our witnesses here and |
get ready for trial.
another reason that l would present |
is that because the solicitor was dis |
qualified there has been no other till |
this day to say that the case would be |
called or pressed. Unfortunately, We
have had no one to go to find out this |
matter, and till this time our only il |
formation has come from the newspaper |
reports On the ninth of March, l had |
conversation with Senator Herbert E.
Norris of the prosecution, but he Was |
not in position to give the informa-
tion as he represented private parties |
and had no authority. Colonel Argo had /
a conversation with Senator Woodland |
but the result was the same and until |
to-day we have had no intimation that |
this case would be called.
I'VE have witnesses in various parts |
OF the State whom it would be imposs- |
BILE to get here in time at this court. |
One of the most important is Philip Bus
bee, who was here on the streets at
the time of the shooting, but is now in
a hospital at Richmond.
"Anothr reason why we think the trial
should not take place now. Perhaps /
there has been no homicide in the State |
more talked about than this. probably /
no other in which there has been so |
much interest as the case at bar. The |
shooting occurred on Saturday afternoon.
1t occurred suddenly. The first that some |
people heard of it was two shots ringing |
out on the air They looked and saw
the deceased apparently retreating and |
Haywood with a pistol in his hand. |
1t was reported that Skinner had been
assassinated by Haywood, and there was
heard talk of lynching him. The sheriff |
heard this. it was heard in the Execu-
tive office of the State and the sheriff |
thought it best to have guards for one
or two nights with Haywood till the pop
ular Juror. occassioned by the report OF
an assassination had subsidized.
Next morning the newspapers We're
full of the affair, and while none made
the charge of assassination there was
published that which came from general
reports, and hearing nothing from the
other side there we're things published |
which had a hostile appearance. There |
is more read of the first account of an