The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-10-13

Raleigh, y. e.. October 9.-The fist
day Of argument in the trial of Ernest
Haywood for the murder of Ludlow
Skinner was consumed in three
Speeches,
james r. Pou spoke for three hours
for the defense. He denounced the
conduct Of the case by the state Is
vc!.o-aDus and filthy. His plea for
Haywood was self defence. that skin
uer met him. was armed. struck him,
jumped away. tried to get out his pis-
toll which caught in his pocket and
was shot by Haywood who got out his
pistol first.
Senator John F.. Woodland. of WI-
son. for the prosecution. asked a YER
dict of murder in the second degree.
saying that even if there was a blow,
that skinner then walked away and
that then Haywood shot without any
need. In turn. he made a h reply to
POU. saying that his denunciation of
the prosecution was no more than was
expected. as all knew him. that his
method was insinuation and theatre
cal. He spoke for three and a half
hours
Colonel J. 9. L. Harris. Of Raleigh,
began his argument for the defence but
had not concluded when court ad-
Journed. He urged self defense and
spoke in v~iudicatIon of the assaled
character of HOcutt and SchmItz,
principal witnesses for the defense.
Raleigh. y. c.. October 9.-James H.
POu opened for the defense IN the
Haywood case. He said Haywood had
for months been prosecuted, that the
prosecution had not produced q particle
of evidence to call for his life: tina it
started with the charge of murder in
the first degree n then it would be
supposed il wOuld charge him with
carrying a concealed weapon. He de-
Clared that no man had ever been more
~unjUstIy tried. that the state refused
to put in evidence SINNERS clothes.
the coroner. the deputy sheriff VINO ar
rested Haywood Or the man who took
the pistol from skinner. Never before
had he Seen the state exclude such
testimony. He asked the jury if it did
not suppose that some Of skinner pe1-
Ui" Euey why ne had Il pistOlfn his
pocket but said they had refused to
give this information to the jury.
Mr. PoU exhibited the pistol and aid
that Skinner. 1t appeared had armed
himself that day to hunt for Haywood.
He asserted that the prosecution had
not only been unfair. but venOm0us
and filthy He referred to the attacks
on the character of Simms. Schmitz
and Hocutt. He expressed his gratifi-
cation At n thing. this being that
Jones Fuller protected Miss Matty Pace.
49,
and saw the affair. He declared that
all Of the defenses' witnesses We're men
of high character. and that Sauls. one
of the states best witnesses. was re-
pudiated by his father in law.
He denounced F. G. Simpson. n
member of the legislature Who was a
witness. He e~ulOgized Simms. and
said the latter pursued the honest
course by first telling SINNERS father
that he had seen the meeting and the
blow struck. Pou said the defens4's
view of the affair was that the men
met on the street Skinner knocked
Haywood down then reached for his
pistol and Haywood shot him in self
defense. He declared that the state
had made Il bargain with Jones Fuller
to suppress Miss PAGES testimony. He
declared the evidence showed that
skinner had both hands TO his rip
pocket trying to set u his pistol
which he was O used to carrying
ar which was hung in his pocket.
'L.e defense is that HAYWOOD was
exercising the God given right Of self
defense. One right preserved to a man
Is thar when YOU are attacked by n
bent on killing YOU. YOU can protect
Yourself HayN God was attending to
his business. Skinner was out of his
place. He was not in the line OF his
office He told the jury that before
il consented to put prison garments on
Haywood for % or 80 ears 70 think
what it would do under UGH cIrcuIn-
stances.
In conclusion he asked if there WAS
clearer cas-" Of self defense: that Hay
wood had the right 70 act on appear
anceS am 4 here he had reason as
skinner had a pistol. If HAYWOOD had
waited ten seconds more il would hay
been Skinner here today instead Of
Haywood The prosecution has heaUeG
CIlUmOy upon Skinner. by saying ne
was running while he died