Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-03-07
ACQUll'TAL OF SKIPPER
Jury Justifies Killing Of
Caskey
A CASE OF LIQUOR AND PISTOL,

One Hundred and Fifty Witnesses
Testify as to the Various cireunn-
stanees-Able Lawyers on Both
Sides Brought Out All the Evidence
and Gave the Jury a Comprehensive
Understanding of the Issues-The
Verdict Which Was Based on the
Evil Reputation of the Dead Man
Seems to Have Been Just.
News and Courier:
WINNsBoRo, March 2.-Charies B.
Skipper of Lancaster, was acquitted
tonight of killing James B. Caskey.
The case has attracted unusual inter-
est. The result has not been surpris-
ing. Skipper had the best counsel, the
best influences In his favor, but he can
thank his counsel and the reputation
Of Caskey more than he can his own
Judgment for his acquittal. The peo-
pie In Fairfield county know how to
convict white men, and had Mr.. Skip
per killed a man Of the same degree
Of peacefulness and standing as him
self, 1t would have been a different
matter. But probably Mr.. Skipper is
not the kind Of man to have killed
under. such circumstances. The effort
was made to intimate today that Cas-
key was a poor country lad and on
that account would probably not re-
ceive the full sympathy and protec-
ton that was due him. But it was not
because Caskey was a poor fellow and
because Skipper was himself man OF
standing and represented and support
ed by men of position and means that
he was acquitted. 1t was because
Caskey had been In frequent troubles
and bore a reputation for drinking and
turbulency, and more than anything
else because he went to the Christmas
dance Of the mill people according to
his own statements armed with a pis-
tol and liquor.
There is a good story in this trial
for some temperance lecturer, and II
Caskey had not been drinking man
he would probably be alive today. 1t
is seldom that a case Is as hard fought
as was this one. The Caskeys, as has
already been said, are a large family
and they exercise tremendous infiu-
ence. On the other hand Skipper Is
the superintendent Of one Of the larg
L., fafn
There were more than $50 witnesses
summoned to appear in the case. There
were half a dozen lawyers engaged on
one side Of the other, and there was
no disposition to pass any opportunity
of advantage. Judge Purdy insisted
on quick action, and had he not done
so, the case might have been drawn
out for a week or two. Yesterday and
today there was a feeling, amounting
almost to certainty, that there would
be a prompt acquittal.
Solicitor Henry's Able Speech.
This was before the remarkable ad-
dress Of Solicitor ]. X. Henry. I have
heard a great many strong pleas for
conviction on the part of prosecuting
officers, but that Of Solicitor Henry to-
day was one of the strongest and abb
lest delivered within recent years. 1t
almost shook the faith Of some of Mr..
Shippers friends, so strong and so ap-
pealing was its argument and tenor.
Mr.. Henry was perhaps unfortunate
when he lugged into his wonderfully
strong argument the story Of the poor
Caskey lad and pleaded with the jury
not to allow the fine dress Of Skipper
and his friends, or the power and In
fiuence and standing and respectable
ity and money back Of Skipper, to in
fluence In an acquittal.
And then, In rounding off this phase
of an argument that was not in keep
ing with the remainder of his strong
presentation, he asked II commercialism
is to trail Shiny. damnable course
through a Court of Justice, and he
asked in the name Of God that the jury
do not permit 1t.
Mr.. Henry's address to the jury was
beyond doubt the feature Of the day,
and had the facts been different. 1t Is
almost safe to say that the verdict
would not have been not guilty.
Solicitor Henry. however had a hard
case to handle, and nothing but COM
mendation Is due. To Mr.. Yancey
williams and to Mr.. Mcdonald and
Mr. Hough, and Mr.. Reese Williams
belongs the victory Of an acquittal for
their client. Much Of the detail work
throughout the case on the part Of the
state was handled by Mr.. Newbold OF
the Chester bar.
The jury arrived at its verdict In
about fifteen minutes. 1t required only
single ballot to reach the conclusion.
Only those Immediately interested In
the case were present, and warm con-
gratulations were extended to Skipper
and his counsel After the verdict was
announced the strain upon Mr.. Skipper
and his wife made them forget their
surroundings and affectionately indi-
cate their Joy over the result OF the
trial. All of the witnesses In the case
left here on the night train for Lam
caster, and Col. Leroy Springs. VINO
has been here throughout the trial ar
ranged for all of the Lancaster people
to get home tonight.
There was little time taken up this
morning with concluding the testimo-
nv. Several witnesses were presented
by the state in reply, but they all rail-
ed as character witnesses, on the
ground that they had not heard any
thing one way or another. The eV:-
dence of the four witnesses put up by
the state this morning was entirely
negative. A large crayon portrait fig-
ured prominently. the defence object :
ing to it on the ground that 1t was not
in reply to anything, but it was ad-
mitted by Judge Purdy, simply for the
Identification Of Caskey, the decea3ed,
and the state undertook to argue that
the picture could not represent man
of a mean or violent disposition. The
defence undertook to show that the
picture was idealized, and that 1t rep
resented young Caskey about ten years