The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-11-06
Guilty of the Murder OF
His Wife.
SHORT DELLBERAT.ON
The Jury Had the Case in Their Hands
Less Than an Hour When Their
Verdict of Murder in First
Degree Was Rem
dered.
(By the Associated Press.1

(By the Associated Press.)
Charlottesville, Va, Nov. 81.
Samuel McCue, for four years mayor
of Charlottesville. was found guilty
to-day of the murder of his wife,
Nancy McCue on Sunday night Sep
TENDER 4th last. The verdict was
murder in the first degree which car
ries with it the death penalty. The
jury deliberated less than half an
hour.
a dead silence prevailed in the court
room when the jury filed back into
the chamber to announce the fate Of
the accused. The crowd that filleo
the court room remained until the
jury came in. Mr.. McCue had grown
nervous as Mr.. Gilmer the common
wealth's attorney was CLOSING and the
suspense while waiting the jurys YER
dict was a sever train, but he held
up, occasionally taking a Testament
from his pocket and reading a pas
sage or two.
When asked to stand up to hear the
verdict he arose calmly and with set
features heard the words that sent
him back to prison condemned to the
severest penalty of the law.
1t was when relaxation came dur
attorneys conferred as to their mo-
ton for a new trial that McCue
showed emotion. His little daughter
Ruby climbed on his lap, her eyes
Redeemed by weeping, while there al
so chung TO his side two other small
children Great tears streamed down
his cheeks. Surrounding the group
were relatives who scarcely knew
what TO say to cheer the condemned
man. The verdict was received in ST.
lence by the throng which literally
obeyed the courts Injunction that
there must be no demonstration.
Counsel for the defense moved that
the verdict be set aside on the
ground that the jurors had read news
paprs The court called the jurors to
the witness stand one by one and
questioned them under oath as TO
whether they had read the news
papers AS a whole they said they
had not been influenced by anything
the had read The motion will be
arrued later
AS McCue left the court house to go
to Jail accompanied by four guards a
large crowd was standing ON the out
side. but there was no untoward act.
Proceedings in Detail.
When court was opened this morn
ing Commonwealth Attorney Gill
mer resumed his closing address to
the jury. The exhibits reminders, of
the tragedy. were once more brought
into court.
Mr.. Gimer closed at 11.09 a. M.
when Judge Morris placed the case
i'm The hands of the jury. The YER
dict was rendered at 11.34 a. m.
The verdict came as a climax to one
of the most important trials that has
been conducted in the State of Vir-
ginia in recent ears. None has
aroused deeper interest or been more
closely followed - the people. a
and a great amount of testimony given
and over three days were consumed in
arguments. The accused was defend
ed by an array of counsel-Me ssrs.
Lee q Coleman. of Lynchburg and
Sinclair and Walker and e. Q. McCue.
of this city. The commonwealth was
represented by Captain Woods. COM
monwealth attorney for this county,
Mr.. Gilmer commonwealth attorney
for the city and commonwealth attor-
iney Ker of stanton.
SLUG FOUR
Every inch of ground was fought
! over. George w. Morris, judge OF
the Corporation court, presided.
sad Feature of the Trial.
one particularly sad feature of the
trial was the fact that McCue had FOR
years been Il lawyer aJ the OAR before
which he was tried and convicted, and
had been on friendly relations with
most of those identified with the
| trial
The Jury evidenced the greatest in
terest, frequently questioning wit
neSSeS.
The foreman shook hands with the
prisoner and the relatives that sur
rounded him just before he was Ia
ken to jail.
The crime for which the former
mayor was tried and convicted oc-
CURED on the night of september 4.
Mr. and Mrs McCue had gone to
church returning home about p. m.
Shortly afterward Mrs McCue's dead
body. clad in night robe, was found
in a bath tub filled with water.
Mr.. McCue told those who came in
that one had entered the house upon
| their return from church; that he had
been knocked senseless and his wife
probably killed. An investigation led
to the arrest on the charge OF muir
der of the man who only -FOUR days
before had retired from the hlSheSl
office in the city.
Mrs McC,ue had received the con-
tents of a shotgun in ner breast,
sufficient wound TO cause instant
death but i'm addition she had been
struck a heavy blow on the head cut
ting an ear nearly in two.
Throughout his trouble McCue has
had the support of his brothers. The
! courtroom has been crowded from
the outset Of the trial. During the
| last few days it has been jammed.
with the space in the gallery reserved