The leader., 1905-06-24
Marion McRee Released on j $1,000
Bond.

4 DUMus
The preliminary trial Of Marior
Mckee, who killed Sim Green
colored, at a negro picnic or festi.
val near CaseyVille last Saturday
came off before Justices w. H
/ Pepper and Bartlett Smith in dis.
trict No. 5 Tuesday and Wednes,
lday, and McRee was released after
the hearing on a bond Of ST. ,00C
for his appearance at the nexl
term Of Circuit Court.
The Leader was given the fol.
lowing summary of the testimony
at the preliminary hearing By
gentlemen Of Brookhaven who at.
tended The trial:
a party Of negroes, numbering
some 30 or Is, were holding a pic.
mic and dance on or near the banks
of the Homochitto river, three
miles west of Caseyville. Marion
McRee was visiting his cousins,
Prentiss and Noland EasterIing.
at Caseyville, and Saturday after
moon the three decided to 90 in
bathing In the Homochitto near
where the negroes were holding
the picnic. They carried two
shot guns along, one of which be-
longed to Prentiss Easterling and
the other to one of the Magee
boys who had previously left it at
the Easterling home on coming
from hunt. On their way to the
bathing hole, they stopped at the
negro dance to get some ice cream,
and while waiting to be served,
Marion McRee took small switch
out of Prentiss Easterling's hand
and playfully struck the young
negro who was freezing the cream,
but who did not resent this or
seem to treat the matter seriously.
subsequently Sim Green, a negro,
about Is or 20 years Of age, and
who had evidently observed Ma
rion McRee strike the other negro,
came along and boasted that he
would like to see any blank blank
of white man strike him. Ma
rion McRee responded to this
insolent challenge by asking him
what he meant, and then Green
replied with a vile epithet that he
meant him. McRee then punched
at him with the end of the shot
gun he had in his hand, and as he
did SO, Green drew his pistol.
Before he could shoot, however,
Prentiss EasterIing, who had
moved few feet away to where
the band was playing, sprang on
the negro and caught his pistol
arm. Then while they were en-
gagged in desperate struggle and
the negro was attempting to turn
Rlse Hlergis gstafe feu % N Rnfifptif# nip if#IceM eMsWEiqR sWiq2R
the shot gun. One charge enter
ed the negro's side and the other
his back, and just as the second
shot was fred, Prentiss Easterling
succeeded in wrenching the pistol
from his hand.
The gun was charged with buck
shot, and this was explained BY
Prentiss Easterling, who claimed
that it had been discharged at a
rabbit on their way to the place,
and that shells containing buck
shot had been put in inadVertent-
ly when re-loading.
According to the testimony, one
of the two shot guns carried by
the young white men had gotten
into the hands of negro named
John Markham, who lives on the
Easterling place, at the time the
shooting occurred, but he took no
hand in the difficulty. Markham
came to the picnic with the young
white men. The party had been
there about two hours when the
killing occurred.
The attempt to prove BY State
witnesses that the pistol exhibited
in court as Sim Green's belonged
to McRee or EasterIing, failed.
However, several of the State wit
nesses testified that they did not
see Green with any pistol at any
time during the trouble. They
also testified that Easterling did
not have hold of the negro when
be was shot in the back with the
second barrel, and that Green was
trying toescape.
Prentiss Easterling and John
Markham, who were charged in
an affidavit with being accessory
Ito the killing, were discharged.
All the eye witnesses who testified
in the case we're negroes, except
Prentiss and NoIand Easterling,
McRee not being placed on the
stand.
The State was represented at
the trial by Hon. P. q. Jones and
1.-THE defense by McNair & McNair.
Words Of Praise for the Osyka Tan
merry Co.