The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1906-09-12
HE GOES FREF.
CoVAR ACQUITTED BY AJURY OF
Hls PEERS.
The Jury Was Cut lliEight Before
Arriving at a Verdict
in the Case

ETIlVlUS al a seIuicI
in the Case
In the Court of Genera Sessions on
] st Thursday morning he case OF Mr..
R.H. Covar, charged with the murder
of late Mr.. Jas. T. Parks, was enter.
ed into. 1t consumed the entire day
and the jury did not bring in its YER
dict until four o'clock Friday morning,
having been in the jury room s'nce
about six O'Clock Of the evening oeloie,
II seems that one member OF the jury
wanted to convict Mr.. Covar OF man.
slaughter, and 1t took several aouts
to bring him over to a Vero!ct oi az;
initial. MIR. CoVar was represe1GIe1I Ge1
by Messrs. Wolfe and Berry ana 20
A. 81. Moss and Solicitor HIDE
brand WIS assisted in The prosecutor
by the Hon. T. M Raysor. we pre-,
sent uetur Lue UesuImVuy VI 81 'eldl "
the more important witnesses, lnclud
ing that OF Mr.. Covar, who took tne
stand in his own behalf. He frankly
told all he knew about the dltflcu:,Jl
in a. cool. modest manner, and his oe
meanor as a witness made most "a
vorable impression on all who heare
his testimony. The following IS the
testimony in the case:
WITNESSES FlR THE PRo,ECUT1oN.
The first witness introduced by tn
State was DR.. A. S. Hydrick VIII
testified to the cause OF MIR. Parks
death. He was followed ly Magls
trate G.. P. Brunson, who was settln'
in his buggy near the scene OF IN
tragedy on that fateful julie morning
Mr. Brunson said be saw CoVar walk
| ing on the Courthouse side OF Churcl
Street towards Russell street. and d
saw Parks coming out the Courtnous
door. He saw them as theN approach
ed the gate. one was coming down to
side walk towards the gate and tn
other was coming out OF the CouIt
| house: both were coming IN the ol
rection of the gate. Just as they me
Something was said, but be could no
| hear what it was, as they spoke yer
low. Just as CoVar got there ne wa
walking with his head down iowa: q O
Russell street when Parks came gu
and said something. CoVar rlgn
about faced and son ethlng more wa
said, and just then Pa ks drew OF
that way and hit at Covar. l did no
| know whether be hit him or not, u
| I found out that be did hit him, b
hit at him ith al his might, so muc
so that he raised his foot up OIL tn
| ground when he swung at him. Jus
about that time Covar pulled out hl
pistol and shot, and then Parks pulle
his pistol, and the fir ng kept up u!
they both emptied their pistols. b
was positive that Parks struck tn
first blow and that Covar fired tn
first shot. He said he did not see &c
vars pistol before be commenced M
ing, Coyar was In bis shirt sleeves
and had something in his hand, ol
not know whether it was letters o
what. When Parks spoke to him D
turned right around and looked mn
right in the face, and then Park
struck him or at him. Said be coul
| not tell how many shots were hred b
| either party. After the shootin
| Parks went bach towards where CoVa
aad come from, and they were bot!
lingering at their pistols, and CoVa
applied vile epithet to Parks AM
! said he was running. Mr.. BrunsoJ
said Mr.. a. M. Board was talking t
aina when the shooting occurred. d
also said he saw old Mr.. Covar VIII
a pistol in his hand and told his sol
| to shoot Parks. Mr.. Brunson says b
told Parks to shoot Covar and jus
then Mr.. Bowman came out OF hl
office and said ''stop this, men, ste,
this shooting, can't you see that TIL
man is killed" MI. Bowman was re
ferring toa Prks who was in the stree
| bel wen the place where the shootin
took place and Mr.. Bowman's ONCE
Old Mr. Covar then said NOW
Robert, stop: don't you hear me, stop
! The witness then Said that MIR. Llns
Jedt and great many other peopl
nad gathered. MIR. Brunson said ther
was an interval Of about ten second
between the first and The other shots
but be did not know who fired tn
second shot. He said Parks did no
draw his pistol until ovar had sho
him in the face. Then he wheeled
round and threw his body and heat
toward and began to fire, but he h.
no pistol when the first shot was hred
Just when they got to the gate the,
were about to pass and Parks salutet
him and he turned and saluted Park
and Parks struck at him and then tn!
shot was fired lie said Parks hac
come down the morning Of tn shoot
| ing from Columbia, where be HVe(
with Mrs. Parks and the children
On cross examination Mr. Brunsor
said Old Mr.. Covar came from the Pa
triot office and just as be was passing
bis buggy he heard him say to bis soI
that be must shoot Parks. He salc
bis buggy was ten Or twelve feet above
gate towards the Patriot Office WheI
Old Mr. Covar passed with a pistol II