The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-10-21
TILLMAN GOES FREE.
a Jury Of His Peers Declares Him
mot Guilty"

a Jury Of His Peers Declares Him
'Not Guilty"
SCENES IN THE COURT ROOM
When the Verdict Was Announced
and Col. T:llman Received
the Congratulations Of
His Friends.
The trial at Lexington is over and
James H. Tillman is free man. A
jury of his peers has pronounced him
Not guilty" Of the charge Of murder.
Thus ends one of the greatest and
most important trials that has occur
red in South Carolina, certainly the
most i'm portant and far-reaching with
in the last quarter of century.
1t is perhaps due and proper that
the verdict of a jury should be final.
Under American law this ought to
end the matter. Whether OF not
that verdict Of mot guilty" will be
satisfying it is not for me to say. 1t
is for me to record, as I have under
taken during the progress Of the
entire trial, what actually occurred,
and what was said: and it is left for
others to draw conclusions.
1t will not, however, be amiss for
noe to suggest that this verdict Of
Not guilty." while entirely expected,
will not satisfy very many in this
State. The evidendce in the case has
all been published, and a reading peo-
pie will form it's own conclusions as
did that jury in Lexington Court
House.
Already T can hear the suggestion
that the trial was simple farce, and
that nothing other than what occur
red was to have been expected from a
jury composed as was the Tillman
panel. Already one can hear that
such a verdict was the result of poll
tics. and that the nephew Of Senator
Tillman had nothing to fear in a
county that had always shown a larg-
er proportionate vote in support Of
Senator Tillman than any other coun-
Uy in the State.
1t is not, l judge, violating any
confidence for me to say now that
counsel for the prosecution, soon after
the jury had been drawn, said that
nothing but an acquittal would be the
result of the trial. And then, as the
trial progressed, they hoped for a
mstrial, but never did the counsel for
the prosecution expect a conviction.
1t may then be asked why the trial?
There had to be trial of the case
at some time: the testimony and story
Of the tragedy had to be presented to
the world, and it was thought that it
was at least due the memory o. the
dead editor tc make the strongest
presentas!on CT the facts in his defence,
not only to the jury, but to the world.
1t is not for me to Judge James H.
Tillman, nor is it for any one else to
do SO now, as he has been tried and
acquitted according to the laws and
forms of this great State.
HOW THE JURY STOOD.
When the jury retired to its room
Wednesday AFTERNOON, shortly before
, o'cl ok. the first ballot resulted ten
to two in favor OF an acquiJtal. 1t is
understood JrlaJ the two jurors who
Insisted upon a conviction for man
slaughter held out for hours. While,
uf course, it is not definitely known
what occurred in the jury room, it is
SAID that The first Of the Jurors to in
Sist upon verdict Of maDslauEhter,
who joined the majority, was Mr. ).
B. Jumper.
This then left Milton Sharpe as the
only juror wuu stood between james
H. Tillman an his acquittal. For
hours aud hours tile other jurors
argued with him SO aS to secure his
co sent to a verdict. At breakfast
time MIR. Sharpe was alone and insist
ent upon ms puSiUluu. AT about halt.
past ~ ocIuckshe 6nally consented to
a verdict. and the foreman Of the Jary
caiied Tor peu and ink win which To
write the verdict, and Knocked On the
door TO announce To- the eXpectanL
crowd that verdict had been agreed
upuu-LWcnty hours after the jury bad
reUired To frame its verdict.
Early in the morning, when it was
understood that Juror Jumper, who is
a pale-looklng young mill operative,
had acquiesced in the verdict of ac-
quittal, the impression grew strong
and fast that IL would not be long be-
fore Not guilty. would be written
across the face OF the Indictment.
TALK WITH THE JURYMEN.
l have undertaken to find out from
the jurymen themselves what was the
predominating reason for the decision.
Several Of the jurors stated that there
was no predominating reason,"' but
others explained that the ten jurors
had come to their conclusions for
various reasons, but that the minority,
after being convinced that Mr.. Con
zales made demonstration when he
met Col. Tillman at the transfer COT
ner. acquiesced in the verdict.
Mark'y you, this concurrence in the
view that Mr.. Gonzales did make d
demonstration is given as the reason
for the minority Joining the majority
view, although it may have been
simply an excuse for the juror. When
the foreman of the jury knocked on
the door to announce that a ver-
dict had been agreed upon every one
knew as far as such thing could be
possible that it was verdict Of Not
guilty." because the first report that
came from the jury room was to the
effect that ten jurors favored an ac-
quittal.
Judge Gary promptly directed
bri,o fnI