The Savannah morning news., 1904-11-06
M'CUE MUST DIE
FOR HIS CRIME
MURDER IN FIRST DEGREE
WAS THE VERDICT OF THE JURY
AT CHARLOTTESVILLE

Guilty of the Murder of His Wife
on Sept. 4-Jury DeIiberated Less
Than Half an HOur-McCue Wept
After the Verdict Was Announced.
His Attorneys Will Seek a New
Trial for Him.
Charlottesville Va. Nov. 81. Sam
uel McCue, for four years Mayor of
Charlottesville, was found guilty to-
day of the murder of his wife, Fanny
McCue, on Sunday night, Sept. 4. last.
The verdict was murder in the first
degree, which carries 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 filled the
court room remained until the jury
came in. Mr.. McCue had grown nerv-
GUS as Mr.. Gilmer, the commonwealth
attorney. was closing and the suspense
while awaiting the jury's verdict was
a severe strain. but he held up, occa-
sionally taking a Testament from his
pocket and reading a passage or two.
When asked to stand up to hear the
verdict he rose calmly and with set
features heard the words that sent him
back to prison condemned to the Sc
verest penalty of the law.
McCue Wept With Emotion.
1t was when relaxation came during
a half hours interim. while his attor-
neys conferred as to their motion for
a new trial, that McCue showed emo
ton.
His little daughter. Ruby, climbed on
his lap. her eyes Redeemed by weeping,
while there also chung to his side two
other small children. Great tears
streamed down his cheeks. Surround
ing the group were relatives, who
scarcely knew what to say to cheer
the condemned man.
The verdict was received in silence
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 newspapers. The court CALI
ed the jurors to the witness stand, one
by one. and questioned them under
oath as to whether they had read the
newspapers. AS a whole they said
they had not been influenced by any
thing they had read. The motion will
be argued later.
AS McCue left the Court House to
go to jail, accompanied by four guards,
large crowd was standing on the
outside, but there was no untoward
act.
When court was opened this morning
Commonwealth Attorney Gilmer re-
sumed his closing address to the jury.
The exhibits, reminders of the tragedy,
were once more brought into court.
Mr.. Gilmer closed at HOO a. m,
when Judge Morris placed the case in
the hands of the jury. The verdict was
rendered at 11:34 a. m.
Case an Important One.
The verdict came as a climax to one
of the most important trials that has
been conducted in the state Of Virginia
in recent years. None has aroused
deeper interest or been more closely
followed by the people. large num-
Der OF witnesses were heard. a great
amount OF testimony given and over
three days were consumed in argu-
inents.
The accused was defended by an ar
ray of counsel-Messrs. Lee and Cole
man of Lynchburg and Sinclair and
Walker and e. o. McCue of this city.
The commonwealth was represented by
Capt Woods, commemorative attor-
ney for this county: Mr. Gilmer, COM
monwealths attorney for the city, and
Commemorative Attorney Ker OF
stanton. Every inch of ground was
fought over. George w. Morris, Judge
of the Corporation Court. presided.
One particularly sad feature OF the
trial was the fact that McCue had for
years been a lawyer at the bar 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 i'm
terest, frequently questioning wit
nesses. The foreman shook hands with
the prisoner, and the relatives that sur
rounded him just before he was taken
10 tail.
story of the Crime.
The crime for which the former
Mayor was tried and convicted occur
red on the night OF Sept. 4. Mr.. and
Mrs. McCue had gone &c church, re-
turning home about . O'Clock IN the
evening. Shortly afterward, Mn. Nc