The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-06-15
LITTLE EVIDENCE,
BUT JURY TIED UP
HOURS TO REACH VERDICT
IN CASE THAT REQUIRED ONLY rs
MINUTES IN TRYING.

Tying Up of Jury Was Great Sur
prise-Case Was That Against
John MobIey, COIored, Charged
With Murder-At 6;3O O'clock
e Judge Cam Called Jury to Court
Room and in Response to a Ques-
ton, Was Told That Question OF
Facts Caused Disagreement.
1t required six hours for a trial Jury
in the Superior Court yesterday to
reach an agreement in the case of
John Mobley, colored, charged with
murder, though only twenty-eight min
utes were necessary to get in all the
evidence.
The evidence adduced by the state
was very weak and so strong was the
case for the defense that both Solicit
tor General Osborne and Judge H. D.
D. Twiggs, who defended Mobley let
the case go to the jury without argu-
ment. The charge of the court was
short, and to the point and at a few
minutes before l o'clock the jury re-
tired to make up its verdict, every
one in the court room expecting an
acquittal within few minutes.
At $50 o'clock all the cases before
the court for the day had been dis
posed Of and the Mobley jury was still
out. At the request of Judge Twiggs,
court room and asked the usual cues
ton as to whether it was a question
| of law or a question of facts that caus-
ed a disagreement.
Il think, your honor" answer the
foreman, that it is a question of fact.
do not believe that a further charge
would do any good in this matter"
I'm that case" replied Judge Cam,
Il must ask you to again retire and
try to reach a verdict"
The jury filed out again and ten
minutes later sent down word that it
had reached an agreement. The YER
dict was for acquittal
1t is understood that from the first
ballot the jury stood eleven for ac-
quittal to one for conviction. The lone
juror gave in on the first ballot after
the jury had been called down to the
| court room and again sent back to
make up a verdict.
Prisoner Was Overjoyed.
When the verdict acquitting him was
| read, Mobley smiled broadly and at
OAl@C oldl " lcdNe the COQTI TOOIn
and join several of his negro friends
who were waiting for him near the
sheriffs office. Judge Cam noticed the
hilarity and at once called the negro
back
Let this be warning to you," he
said, ito keep out of trouble. If you
had not had the revolver with you, all
this trouble. would never have hap
pened. People of your race are contin-
ually in trouble of this kind and if you
would stop carrying deadly weapons
there would be less trouble for you
The negro bowed and then left the
court room. Judge Twiggs, by way of
comment, remarked that IF he hadn't
had the revolver he would have been
dead
MObIey Claimed SeIf-Defense.
Mobley, in company with two other
| negroes, had called on the divorced
wife of the man who was killed. While
they were all in the woman's room the
divorced husband, in a jealous rage,
returned to the house and attempted
to get in.
Admittance was refused him and he
then drew his revolver and began an
attempt to force an entrance AS the
door began giving way the negroes IN
the room started to run, leaving by
way of the windows. The husband
then ran around the house to head
them off.
Mobley was the first one he spied
and he began firing at him, shooting
three times. Mobley then turned and
returned the fire, killing the husband
almost instantly. The revolver of the
dead man was still in his hand when
the body was found by the police.