The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-07-18
FIFTEEN YEARS
FOR R. D. BYNUM
Slayer of Deacon AL
ford Sentenced.
DEFENSE WAS STRONG
State Barely Makes Out More than q
Case OF MansIaughter, and Defense
Puts on Numerous Witnesses
to Prove Insanity. Bynum
Apparently Unmoved.

Raymond ID. Bynum. who on De-
cember 2Sth, last, shot and fatally
wounded his partner Deacon" ]. H.
Afford. and who pleaded guilty OF
murder in the second degree, was yes
terday sentenced by Judge Allen to
fifteen years in the penitentiary.
Before sentence was rendered ali
the facts in the case were brought out
by the testimony of eye-witnesses to
the shooting and by a number OF wit
nesses from Gates county and from
Raleigh, who testified to the physical
and mental condition of the prisoner
TOR some time preceding and imme-
diateiy after the shooting.
The only new fact brought out by
the testimony was the statement OF
Mrs. Garden, who was employed as q
binder in the printing office of Afford
Bynum and Christopher. She stated
that at the time of the shooting she
had been attracted by the raised voice
of Deacon Afford and had heard him
say. I'll beat you to death this min
ute" Then, she testified. both Mr..
Bynum and Mr.. Afford had rushed to,
gether and she heard the shots and
saw them fall almost simultaneously.
Mrs. Gardens was corroborated by
several witnesses in SO far as ii was
shown that she had made similar
statements of the affair before and
after Bynum'S capture and return
from Gates county.
Mr.. Christopher, the other partner
in the firm, testified TO having heard
Mr. Afford reproach Bynum about
bill which he had collected from Mr..
Lindsay and had failed to credit on
the books. He then stated that he had
heard Mr.. Afford tell Bynum that he
must either buy out or sell out, ana
that Bynum had replied that they had
better put the business in the hands
Of the sheriff. A moment later he
stated that he had heard Afford say,
Don't you hit me, sir" that he turn,
ed around and Afford had hold of By
mum; that the three shots followed
Immediately and he assisted Mr.. AL
ford in throwing Bynum to the floor.
When he went to telephone a doctor
Bynum left the building.
Mr.. King, who was a compostor in
the building, stated that he heard q
scufffe and turned around in time to
see the shots. After Bynum was
thrown TO the floor he took the pistol
from his hand.
Tom. Pearce, pressman. knew little
of the affair but showed that it was
possible for Mrs. Gardens to have
heard "A conversation between the men
Mr.. Christopher denied the statement
of the woman, his version being that
the words Immediately before the
shooting were by Bynum: You or /
must fall"
The testimony for the defense was
directed TO showing that Bynum was
at least temporarily insane at the
time the shooting occurred. Insanity
was shown on both sides of his fam
lily. mother. father and other rela-
tIves. letter from Mrs. Bynum to
her daughterin-law was read. in
which she had stated that her son was
crazy. and in which she advised his
wife to have him put in an asylum. if
he attempted to shoot her or threat
cned her life. The deposition of By
NUNS mother also showed that during
visit of six weeks TO her son he had
exhibited a strong hallucination that
some one was trying to take his life
or that he would have to kill some
one.
The witnesses from Gates county
testified with remarkable unanimlty
that Bynum appeared TO be crazy a
the time of his arrest and Severai
witnesses from Raleigh testified to the
growing amount of whiskey he had
been drinking and the effect that the
dissipation was having on his mental
capacities.
1t was claimed by the defense and
partly 'corroborated by DIR. Hines that
two or three years ago Bynum had
suffered a very severe attack of ty
phoid fever and had never been the
same man since. DR.. Hines testified
that he hal prescribed whiskey for
him i'm moderation and the theory of
the defense was that he had contract
ed the habit through taking whiskey
for medicine.
BY Bynums side during a part Of
the investigation, sat his wife and two
particularly bright looking little boys.
The wife remained to the end and at
the. sentence of fifteen years gave
way for the first time and wept' silent
Il into her handkerchief. The elder
of the little boys had cried with sup
pressed sobs while waiting for MS
father To come into the court room at
the afternoon session. The boy was
apparently almost too young to realise
the position in which he and his faith
er were placed. but he seemed to be
taking the whole burden on his tiny
shoulders. As he sat in his chair. with
his sobs stifled as best he might he
made a pathetic picture. When Mr..
Pou i'm his plea to the court later on
stated that the absence of the little
boys was due to the fact that they
were out selling papers on the streets
the picture of that brave little fellow
came back to the crowd and moisten-
ed more than one pair of eyes When
Bynum was taken back to his cell
he was accompanied by his wife. who