Smyrna times., 1905-05-10
JURY RENDERS A VERDICT
IN CLAYTON MURDER CASE
EDWARD BROWN SENTENCED TO S YEARS
IMPRISONMENT AND PAY $500.

End of the Case Which Resulted 10 the Killing
of James Lethrem a White Man at the
Bingham House Stables, Clayton.
Edward Browns jury, after spending
most of Thursday afternoon deliberat-
ing upon the degree of murder of
which he was guilty, that evening con-
victed him of manslaughter and he was
sentenced to be imprisoned for five
years and pay a fine of $400. A blood
stained pitchfork, with which a white
man was killed by negro, and grin
ming skull, poised on top of the tall
court stenographer's desk, were ex-
hibits in the trial for his life. Brown
remained as unconcerned, even when
the fork and dead head were exhibited
as though he was convinced it was only
a question of time when Lawyers Rid
geley and Harrington would secure for
him his release. Indeed he even en-
joyed the scene when Deputy At
torney-General Hastings had big John
Darragh, companion of the deceased
white man, leave the witness stand and
get down on the floor and tussle with
the deputy attorney-general in full
view of the jurors, some of whom stood
and the others remaining seated, but
craning their necks.
When Brown was on the witness
stand, Mr.. Ridgeley handed him his
(Ridgeley's) light reed cane and asked
him to demonstrate the striking of the
blow with the pitchford.
"Oh, do not use cane" interposed
Attorney General Richards, "why not
let's have it exact. Let him use the
pitchfork. It's in evidence"
"No thank you," quickly replied
Mr.. Ridgely ''the cane will do quite ss
WE'LL"
The defence tried to show that the
blow struck upon Lethrem's head was
side blow and not one from above as
the States witnesses had described.
The prosecution showed by the evil
dence of Frank Seward, John Darragh.
Edward Poor, William Ii. Powell and
William H. Gartin that all the fore.
going white farmers were standing
about their teams in the hotel yards of |
the Bingham House, Clayton, on June
II, of last year, when Carton drove his |
team in under the shed. He was in
toxicated and he admitted under oath |
Thursday that he was so badly intox-
icated that he could not testify to a
thing that occurred. Carton, seeing
the Brown brothers and other negro
helpers standing in a corner of the
yard where Edward Brown had been
rakiRc, some straw, began to curse
them in a semi-humorous manner, cal
ling them "niegers, and other
names. Edward Brown, still holding
the pitchfork, started toward Carton,
when James Lethrem stepped up and
intervened, putting out his hand and
stopping Brown. Lethrem then
turned around to leave, whereupn
Brown dealt him the blow with the
handle of the fork.
Lethrem dropped and never rallied.
He died within an hour at the resid-
ence of Lineman Green, while under
the care of DR.. j. S. Cob. The de.
fence showed by physicians, and the
human skull exhibited, that the tenn
pie bone on which Lethrem was struck,
was the most fragile and vital of the
human frame. and that very light
blow with pitchfork or blunt instru-
ment there would cause death.
George Brown, Edward Brown;
Howard Boyer and Raymon White,
the negroes who were in the yard,
swore that the white men were all
drunk or drinking and that Lethrem
and the others had followed Carton in
his attack upon the negroes, that Ed
ward Brown was walking backward,
waving his fork to keep off Lethrem,
when one of the "waves" caught
Lethrem on the side of the head. ac-
cidentalIy killing him. By Alice Brown
and Annie Brown and another physi.
clan they showed that Edward Brown
had been i'll for months and was un-
able to repel without a weapon or a
stick, any attack made upon him by
any other man.
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