The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-07-16
GEO, HUFF GUILTY
Of S|MPL EASSAULT
Jury Renders Verdict
After Three Hours.
PROTECT THE SCHOOLS
With Additional Fire Escapes Say
Grand Jury. Other Court News.
A True Hottentot Type
of "Nigger
Head"

Geo. w. Huff was yesterday AFTER
noon convicted by a jury of simple
assault on Mrs. Will Jones, of Fuquay
Springs.
Sentence was not passed by the
court during the afternoon, and tho
prosecution will ask this morning that
it be imposed.
The maximum penalty is thirty
days Oh the roads, the minimum with
in the discretion of the court, which
even has the power to suspend judg-
ment entirely.
The effect of the verdict of the,
jury, which was arrived at only a1ten
more than three hours deliberation,
is to acquit the defendant of felony
and convict him of miSdemeanofs
Even this verdict was a surprise To
those who have followed the course
of the testimony.
Huff's counsel will doubtless APP
peal to the Supreme court, although
this course is discouraged by the care7
fully fair and impartial manner in
which the trial judge presided during
the hearing of the case.
Argument of Counsel.
The case was argued yesterday at
length by Messrs. w. B. Jones, for the
prosecution, b. c. Beckwith, for the
defense, and j. c. l.. Harris, for the
State. who concluded with poWertu.
and vehement appeal which seems td
have found it's mark and secured e.
verdict in what was generally con-
ceded to be very weak case.
Judge Ferguson charge to the jury
was simple, unaffected and thoroughly
fair and accurate.
He set forth fully the contentious
~, Stof nd a 6pfQnSp and
defined attempted criminal assaults as
being an assault committed on wo-
man by force, against her consent.
and with the intention of having
criminal intercourse with her at all
hazards.
Simple assault, he defined as any
act that may have been committed
against the person of woman,
against her consent, for the mere pur-
pose of securing criminal intercourse
with her consent.
If the jury believed the facts to
show the first definition, the prisoner
was guilty as charged, if the second,
he was guilty of a simple assault If
the jury believed that the advances
were made with the consent or by
invitation of the prosecutrix, he was,
of course, guilty of no crime.
The Judge reviewed the evidence
briefly but with fine discrimination,
RlNlnS the SdIl6IlI features u Liz CNi-
dence relied upon by either party
The Verdict of Jury.
The case was given to the jury a
1850 o'clock and there was surprise
when it had not returned at 500
when court again convened. 1t was
then realized that there was an un-
expected hitch in its deliberations
The court proceeded with other bust
ness and it was 5:45 O'Clock before
the jury finally returned with it's YER
dict.
1t is understood that the final
decision of the jury was arrived at as
a compromise verdict between the
majority who stood for acquittal, an(s
one or two who held out to a verdict
of guilty as charged in the indict1
menJ.
Huff took the verdict camly, though
his china blue eyes took on a concern
that was a shade more serious thar
the look of resigned melancholy with
which they had heretofore regarded
the spectacle of Judge, witnesses.
counsel apd jury.
There was some evidence during:
the trial tending to show that tho
prosecutrix had said of the defend
ant that he was the "prettiest boy sh1
ever saw" He is not that now, at any
rate, for in the excitement of tho
with a growth of stubby brown beard.
A sentence being somewhat in tina
nature of a funeral. it is to be hoped
that today the object of ceremonies
will make his appearance in court
shaven and shorn for the occasion.
Other Cases Disposed or.
Other cases of minor Importance
which were disposed of at the after
noon session were:
11r
ing, in stealing cheese from Dunn
Bros, verdict guilty, sentence one
year on roads.
Riley Thomas, indicted for house
breaking at Mrs. r. S. fuckers.
plead guilty of forcible trespass and
judgment was suspended on payment
OF costs Thomas is an inebriate
at suicide i'm the hope that spurious
liquors may be administered and who.
i'm the good old bar-room days
would have "fit'' to order for the
price of a drink. There is little doubt
that his trespass was innocently coma
mistily upon the canvas of n drunken
Ed. Hight. assault with deadly
weapon on Currell Robinson. the at
tack being made with a knife. plead
guilty and goes to the roads for forty
days
Breeds Back to HOttentot.
The case of State VS.. Minnie Norris.
fer assault with a deadly weapon.
consumed remainder. of the afternoon
session with the taking of testi-
mony. The woman under indictment
is a respectable looking colored wo-
man and the prosecuting witnesses
are a couple of pretty country white
girls named Weathers. The conten-
ton of the State is that following va
r'ous acts of annoyance and insult
from the two small boys of the de-
PENDANT one of the young Weathers
boys finally slapped one of the me-
groes, whereupon the mother-undel
indictment-ran from her house with
a gun which she gave to one of her
boys and which the latter then point
ed at the prosecuting witnesses.
When Ed. the small negro who
was slapped IS te.id above, was called