The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1903-10-22
Press Comments on the HAYWOOD Case.


Haywood and Tillman are both
free men, not guilty, acquitted,
cleared, exonerated. The courts
have declared Skinner and Gonzales
murderous dogs who deserved to be
shot down on the highway.
Greenvilie Reflector.
A Jury has declared Ernest Hay
wood not guilty of the murder OF
Ludlow Skinner, but the people of
the State will believe he is murder
er to the last day of his life. The
trial was farce and the verdict just
what was expected. considering Hay
woods wealth and professional po-
sitiOn.
Charlotte News.
The fact remains. in spite of the YER
dict of the jury and the congratulate
tions of the Judge, that Ernest Hay
wood, after bringing disgrace upon
an honorable family, shot down the
man who would have been within his
rights in defending that honor, and
that Ludlow SINNERS blood cries
from North Carolina soil, unavenGcd'
Statesvile Landmark. 4
Nobody need be surprised at the
verdict in the Haywood case 1t is
what was expected, but it really looks
as if Judge PEBBLES was disposed to
''slop over Under the evidence and
the law Haywood was not guilty OF
murder in the first degree: he may
have been entitled to an acquita1; as
the jury found, but the general pub
lie will never believe it.
Local News Column OF the Charlotte OBJ
server.
Ii there is any difference of opinion
among the Charlotte lawyers and
public, relative to the verdicts in the
Haywood and Tillman cases, report
| ers have not been able to find it.
The word disgrace is heard Oftenest,
and it is made to apply to both
| States.
If popular opinion here were to be
put in print Judge PEBBLES mi ght
| hold that an ''entire community is
i'll contempt OF Court" and the state.
ment that Judge PEBBLES was the
strongest lawyer for the defense ii
the Haywood case is said too Otter
to be at all fattering
| Warrenton Record.
From beginning to end the tria
was not more than a farce or mock
trial Haywood murdered Ludlow
Skinner without sufficient provoca
ton, in the broad open daylight, OF
! the main thorOughfare of our capita
city, and yet because he was a law
yer, Il man of wealth and high family
standing. he is allowed to go sco1
free. We dislike to criticist
the verdict Of a jury but we must say
that this jury and all connected witt
the case deserve the severest criti
cism and the setting of this man al
liberty has put a stain upon The
| grand old commonwealth that it vii
take many years to Outlive. Hay
wood, although acquitted by jury
will always stand before the people
of North Carolina as a murderer un
punished.
| Raleigh Post
The jury in the case of the Stat,
against Ernest Haywood for tht
killing of Ludlow Skinner returned {
verdict yesterday of not guilty a.
charged in the bill of indictment.
No case in this State has aroused
more general interest than this. TIL,
prominence of the parties involved
| tho array OF o"unsol-thaso cuSil'
among the foremost in the PROBES
sion-thc extraordinarily large mum
Der of witnesses, all contributed tt
the Importance OF the trial and it
result.
| The trial has been searching ant
exhaustive, the arguments Of cOun
sci OF unusual force and ability, will
| the advantage OF a courageous, con
scientious, learned Judge
| Now let the curtain fall, and ma,
we pray that a merciful as we'll as ;
just God may help those who's
homes and lives have fallen undo
the shadow of this painful tragedy
| Charlotte Observer
| Contrary to expectation at tn
time OF the staying Of Skinner b,
Haywood, the defence established
beyond doubt, that an affray ha(
preceded the shooting and that Hay
wood was struck by Skinner. Itwa
proved Just us conclusively tina
having struck the blow, Skinne
began It backward movement anC
was shot and killed while in retreat
The jury has said that the killing
under these circumstances was NJ
crime. To this, public opinion vii
not assent. 1t was not murder il
the first degree-the State yielded
that point, but it was a crime of {
lower degree; it was an offenst
against the criminal law, and all the
verdicts OF all the iuries cannot re-
verse that stubborn fact. But the
defendant had family and persona
influence, money, a powerful array O
counsel, and, best of all, the Judge
appeared for him. One of the Jurors
has told a Raleigh paper that the