The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-03-20
CASE OF WALTON SYKES
 IS CONTINUED FOR TERM

away to bury it. But at the door the woman shuddered and shivered in her dvins agories He laid the body down and pulled his pocket knife from his pocket. And then he leaned over and sank the knife to the hidt in the body of tho dying woman.
 Carried Body to woods. Convinced at last that she was dead he shouldered the body and continued his journey through the night to d place where he might bury the evil dences of the crime. As he staggered along with his awful burden, three silver dollars dropped from the cloth- ing of the woman. He laid down the body and found tho money and put it in his pocket. And for half q mile he carried the dead woman until he found the place in the woods he had selected for her shallow grave. But murder will his terrible crime, What Is set forth above is one of two or three confess sions he made. but 1t is the confession that is generally believed.
 His attorneys put up for him the plea of insanity and fortunately for him there were white men who testi- fed to the belief that he was not right in his mind And there were negro witnesses who said he was gid dy headed" In view of this the jury fearing that 1t might possibly be hang ing crazy man. took tho conservative course of sending him to the peniten- tiary for life.
 The third of the series of murder cases and the second in point of interest was called early this morning and Wal ton Sykes was prepared to say that he killed Virgil Walker in self defense. Whisky Cause of Tragedy. This deplorable tragedy of septem- ber 4th, is by the good people of Cren- shaw county laid at the door of whis- ky. To them it is only an additions al indictment, an additional deed of vio- lence to be laid at the record of whis- ky. for it is said one or both probably both, young men were drinking And it is held that no deed of such awful vioIence could have been committed over the trivial sum of 25 cents had 1t not been that tho temper and mind or the young men were inflamed with whlskey.
 The scene of the tragedy was in the quiet and restfui hamlet of Rutledge, three miles from Buverne and for many years the seat of government of Cren- shaw County. But much of the glory of the old place departed when Lu- verne won the county seat. The Sykes and the Walkers were old families there and did not move away, as some others did when the tide turned towards Lu- verne.
 On the day of the fight the young men had a trivial quarrel It is said that the original quarrel was over a matter of 25 cents. To Walker. stand" ing on the porch of the store of Walk CT. Rushton X Co, there came Sykes, who cursed the young man bitterly and violently, it Is said. At length Walker struck Sykes and the two men exchanged blows. Friends standing nearby pulled them apart Sykes had knife cut on the edge of his hand, which bled freely. Walker was un- harmed then. After Sykes had wash cd his hand he swore that that was not the last of the fight and that there would be more trouble that day.
 After awhile he came back, 1t will be claimed. to the front of the store and again cursed Walker violently In a few moments the men were engaged in another fight and rolled on the ground Sykes was pulled away and Walker was still lying upon the ground.
 The Killing of Walker.
 Sykes, it is understood had a knife in his hand. He broke loose from the detaining hands and rushing over to the form of young Walker on the ground and plunged the knife in his body.
 Young Walker. with a half dozen knife wounds in his body. lived for twenty days after the fight. The de- fense, it 8 understood, will attempt to prove by competent medical teSti- mony that the wounds should not of n necessity caused death. It is under stood that it will claim that if some thing had baAn done for the young man which was not done he would have recovered The defense so it Is seid. will try to prove that not only did Sykes act in self defense, but that the knife with which the cutting was done was the knife of Walker. Evidence will be introduced to show that Sykes not only had the wound in his hand, but that no had a small wound on his neck when the fight was over.
 Tn the prosecution Solicitor Bricken Is being assisted by ex-Congressman J.. F. stallings Senator Dempsey Pow ell of Greeuville and Frank Bricken or Luverne is conducting the defense.
 The co ltinuance. which was bitterly fought by the State. was asked for the defease. MT. Powell claimed that he would be unable 10 go on without inc presence of pr. l.. L. Hill of Mont gomery He said that the evidence was in the nature of expert testimony and that he could not therefore make a showing of 1t.
 Judge Richardson said that under the circumstances he was compelled to grant continuance and that he would issue an attachment for the absent wit ness