The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1905-08-20
Decided Upon as the Place For
Holding the Trial.
MOTION FOR CHANGE OF VENUE
MADE BY DEFENSE ON GROUND
THAT FAIR TRIAL COULD NOT
BE SECURED HERE-JURY GEN.
ERALLY CONDEMNED FOR YER
DICT.

William F. Williams, found guilty
Of the murder of John White, and
charged by the state of being guilty
also of the murder of Edwin g. Dams
by, is to again be tried. The trial
upon this occasion will be upon the
latter charge. that of numbering Dams
by, and it will be heard in Jackson
county on November 16. This was
decided upon last night by the court,
the change of venue being granted
upon request of counsel for defense,
to which the prosecution made no
objection.
Although court adjourned from the
morning session to $3.50 O'Clock, il was
$3.50 o'clock before Williams was call
ed before the court to plead. Clerk
Mcmillan then read to him the indict-
ment of the grand jury, in which he
was charged with numbering Edwin
{. Dansby, and at the conclusion OF
the reading he was asked for his plea.
Counsel lnterposed.
Judge Reeves, for the defense, at
that moment stepped forward and in
teIposed. He would not allow the de-
PENDANT to enter a plea either Of guilty
VI uOl guilty, Jul OuBA1ALLO4 " LAG
court document in place of the plea
1t was of considerable length, and ask
cd that court set aside the Indictment
ap3n the grounds that the defendant
had already been tried for murder and
found guilty, that the crime commit
ted in killing of White was one and
the same as the killing Of Dansby;
that the acts were indentical, commit
ted at the same time, and were not
diverse and different, but both were
as one.
States Attorney Kehoe objected to
the plea, saying that it was not sworn
to and could not be admitted for the
reason that the defendant had enter
ed neither a plea of guilty or not
guilty.
Plea Was Withdrawn.
After some delay Judge Reeves with .
drew the document. and allowed the
defendant to enter plea. 1t was that
of not guilty.
Judge Reeves then moved the court
for a change of venue. In his motion
he stated that the defendant could not
gel a fair and impartial trial in Es--
Gambia county, and that it would be
al luJuSLlCG " Try nm uCl
Made No Objection.
States Attorney Kehoe made no OBJ
lection to the motion for change OK
venue. In fact he stated to the court
that If counsel believed defendant
could not secure a fair trial here, he
would interpose no objection, but upon
the other hand would consent to a
change.
Judge Carter then announced that
the motion would be granted, the trial
to occur at Mariana, in Jackson
county, upon November 18th.
Williams was not sentencedlfor the
charge of murder upon which he had
been convicted, but sentence was sus-
pended until such time as the other
charge against him had been disposed
of. He was taken to jail as soon az
the change of venue was announced.
Many Witnesses.
MANY witnesses will 90 to Marian
ma as all Of those who we're before
the court in the case just concluded
will be subpoeuaed, and it is expected
that there will be others.
How the jury Stood.
Il is learned that the jury before
which Williams was tried for the MUIR
Ger of John White stood four for .
verdict of guilty without recommen-
dation (which meant hanging) and
eight for a verdict with recommen-
datiOn of mercy.
The Case in Detail.
The case of William F. Williams,
charged with the murder of John
White, was called in the Circuit Court
Saturday morning but no action was
taken relative therto. It had been the
general impression that the defendant
would be brought into court for the
purpose Of having sentence passed
upon him, but the state, not having
arrived at a decision as TO whether or
not It would try the case against the
prisoner for the murder Of Edwin
Dansby, the case was passed over I'M
til SIS o'clock p. m. at which hour
the sheriff was ordered to bring the
rrisOner into court