The Savannah morning news., 1903-05-23
TRIAL FOR HER LIFE
,ps. EFFIE L. CARSON FACES A
JURY AT MACON.
SHE PLEADED NOT GUILTY.
sA,D SHE SHOT RIGsBY IN SELF
DEFENSE.

Attended Her I'm Court-There Was
Dimculty in Obtaining a Jury.
story of the killing for Which
Mrs. Carson Is on TriaI-She Made
statement to the Jury Coura-
reOusIy-Her story of the Killing
Arguments Begin To-day.
Macon, May 22.-Mrs. Eff1e L. Car
am charged with the murder of Rob-
ert L. Rigsby of Bowling Green, ky.'
a student in a business college In Ma
ron was arraigned to-day in the SUI
nerior Court and pleaded not guilty
70 the indictment. She was ATTENDED
nv her husband and also her relatives
the latter including Mayor D. M
thatcher of Jacksonville. Fla, Treasur-
M Fletcher and Ordinary I. E.
Fletcher of Monroe county, Georgia.
and her father, William H. Fletcher
also of Monroe county.
There was difficulty in selecting
iurv. a special venire being necessary.
The Jury was completed by noon' ana
the evidence was rapidly taken, the
iudge holding court until O'Clock In
order that both sides might close.
There are two business colleges IN
Macon. at one of which Mrs. carson
was a teacher of telegraphy. The COM
petition for pupils is strong. George
L. Trawick came to the city to enter
one of the colleges. He was met at
the train by Rigsby, who, it is alleged
sought to divert him from one college
to another, accusing Mrs. Carson OF be-
ing a woman of bad character.
Then Sought an Attorney
Mrs. Carson heard of the Islander ana
consulted an attorney and sought TO
induce Rigsby to give the names OF
those who had questioned her charac-
ter. She had two interviews with MIN
at the attorneys Office. At the second
she killed him, shooting him four times
They were at the time alone.
The state rested after establishing
the fact of the killing and endeavorlng
10 show that Rigsby was only deferring
his report of the names of his lntor-
nants until he could consult them.
A negro janitor testified that ne
heard Mrs. Carson say after the killing,
81 have killed him and killed him nice
ly."
The defense sought to show by Mr..
Bayne. her attorney, that no such re-
mark was made, the attorney being in
the hall when Mrs. Carson opened the
door with the smoking pistol in her
hand.
The defense established that Rigsby
had made the accusation against the
vvoman,s character, and he refused to
withdraw it in her presence.
Mrs. CarsOn's story.
Mrs. Carson testified in her own de-
Tense. She told the story OF the en-
counter in the room. She said that
Rigsby refused to sign any paper with
drawing his charges; that he locked the
door and pushed her back when she
tried to reach it; that he said he was
from Kentucky and would not apollo
gize; right or wrong" that he would
put her in a position where street
sweepers would not notice her; that
he came forward in a menacing man
ner with his hand behind him; that she
then drew her pistol. which she had
purchased the same day for the pur-
pose of protecting herself on visit to
her farm, and fired at him until she
had exhausted the contests.
Mrs. Carson stated that she had been
goaded to desperation by the repeated
ISLANDERS against her character and she
had made up her mind to put stop
to them. She believed jury of good
and true men would acquit her of the
charge of murder when they were sat
isfied she shed human blood to wash
the tarnish from her reputation. Other
than this way, her character was not
put in evidence. The prosecution did
not seek to Justify Rigsby for circu-
lating reports against her character. 1t
simply sought to show that Rigsby
wanted to make amends and sought in
every possible way to satisfy Mrs. Car
son until a relative of Mrs. Carson
threatened to take his life.
1t was further urged that Mrs. Car
son had been unreasonable and too
anxious to kill somebody, and that she
slOdIeu over ner DOTTlDle uecO dAtCl
Rigsby's bullet-riddled body was by
her left weltering in it's own blood.
Case without Parallel.
The solicitor said the case was with
out parallel in the history of Georgia,
and it was one of the few cases in
which a woman had been so blood
thirsty when there were so many bet
ter ways for her to get the satisfac-
ton she sought and the vindication she
demanded.
Mrs. Carson stood the ordeal re-
markedly well. and read every paper
introduced in evidence, and consulted
with her lawyers about every impor-
tant point in the case. Only once did
she show signs of fatigue. Then she
threw herself across the lap of lady
who sat by her. This repose lasted but
few minutes She then resumed her
attentive attitude.
Her manner on the stand was re-
markabie for courage in relating the
circumstances.
The argument will begin tomorrow