Evening journal., 1906-09-26
FIRST
EDITION
2.3O p. m.
JEALOUSLY TURNS
MAN TO BEAST
william Archer, COIOred Con.
VlCted Of Murder OF Ida
Spires, His Mistress
JURY OUT BUT A SHORT TINE

~ NN1 AaA@ NeA~@r
JURY OUT BUT SHORT TIME
"Thero is no motive that makes more
Of a beast OF a man than the motive Of
jealousy. Motivel There's your mo-
live. VI she won't be my woman she
sha'nt be anybody's s."-Attorney- Cen
.ral Richards address to jury IN Archer /
murder case.
William Archer, colored. charged with |
the wnful murder OF his mistress, Ida
Elizabeth spires was found guilty CT MUIR |
der In the first degree IA Court Of oyer /
ana rcrmner this morning. The jury Was
out bu. swcnty-four minutes. a poll OF the
jury was made. an members answering IN
the affirmative Mr.. Morris at once gave
ne,ice of a motion for new trial and tbo |
prisoner was romandcd. The penalty Is
deAih.
AS the fatal words. guilty Of murder
in the first degree fen from the lips Of
foreman Alexander c. Rogers, a slight
cynical smile passed over ihe face of .hc
piisoner, bat beyond this he displayed no
emoaon.
ed was a most brutal one. on the evening
OF september u. Archer had an altcrei-
ton with the Spires woman. who was his
mistress. during which she told HIM she
would have nothing more TO do with him.
short time after he fred ive shots into
her body
Showed No Motive.
Ia his address to the jury this morning |
Mr.. Morris reviewed dhe testimony Of
each witness ana held to the theory thai
thero had been nothing brought out TO IN /
dicako thal the murder was premedha'el, I
no motive having been shown
He claimed that the purchase of the /
pistol By Archer on the afternoon of the
murder was no Indication that he intend-
ed to murder the Spires woman. Many /
persons. De claimed. and especially neg I
rocs. cargaed deadly weapons and they /
had to purchaso them sometime. he asked I
thatn a verdict against the prisoner be 1
brought ia that " be a verdict of MUIR
der IN the second degree.
In closing the case Attorney General |
Richards Delivered a most forc.ble address
In which be pointed out significant state
ments 10 the evidence Of the Witnesses
which AL he'd 10 the theory that the mpr-
der was Most deliberate ana promcditated. |
He followed the movements OF the prs-
oner from the time he made the statement
on the Saturday Afternoon before the
knlmg until be fred the fa.al shots on
Monday evening IN conclusion he stated
that if there ever was a oase OF premeai-
taioh this was one Of them.
Charged By Court.
Ia charging the jury Chief Justice Lore
defined the degrees OF murder and stated
there was no dispute that tho woman was
killed BY the man. Regarding the alter.
cation which is alleged TO have tai,cn
place ia the alley way before the woman
was shot the chief justice said that no
words. however vile they may be. would
Justify the use of a deadly weapon. In- !
der the indictment the court instructed |
that the jury might find a verdict Of nrst
degree. second degree or manslaughor. |
The jury retired az ii.95 o'clock.
Archer's case was resumed al yester- |
Gay afternoons session when the state |
examined a number OF witnesses, all |
but one Of whom were colored. George |
Crisden testified that he lived at No. I
7o6 Church street and said that the
Spires woman was pouring tea when |
Archer came up TO the back door and |
asked for her but she made no reply |
In a few minutes she went out and /
passed Spires, who was standing with |
his left hand resting against the house |
and his right hand on his hip pocket. /
The woman went down the alleyWay
and Archer followed her. In a short
time he heard three shots fred. He
declared that Archer shot the woman
while she was IA the alleyway.
He Saw Fatal Shot
John slocomb testified that Archer
either knocked the Woman down or
that she fell. and that while she was
lying upon the ground he grabbed
hold Of her with his left hand and
grasping fhe pistol IN his right fred
three more bullets into her body.
Jennie Crsden testified to the effect
that while Ida Spires was upon the
ground Archer raised her head and
shot her beneath the chin. Previous
TO that she had heard 'Wil and Ida
taking IN the alley and had heard
him ask her n she was going to "leave
him" She replied that she was done
with him. .ttt4+
Wiped Her Out
Police Sergeant George Lyons gave
evidence that he assisted by Officer
McGillon had arrested Archer after the
shooting. He made no resistance and
in fact was the coolest prisoner the
officer ever. saw. When asked by the
sergeant why. he had Shot the woman
Archer replied, she done me wrong
and ] wiped her tout"
officer McGllon stated that he had
asked the prisoner IL he knew his
victim was. dead and he said. ~ she
amt I hope she is. He testified that
a crowd had followed Archer when he
ned. believing him to have killed
white woman. When told 1t was
negro that had been shot they appear
ed Dacified.
At yesterday Afternoon session DIT.
J. w. Bastian, coroner's physician
testified TO having made an autopsy
Of a body which he believed to be
that Of Ida Spires. although be could
not swear to H. Death was caused by
a gunshot wound back OF the left ear.
the ball having penetrated the BRAIN
He had rnn,ot-od| fho .h,,lIee n,1 .-t.-s-