The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-12-05
INDIGNATION
 a GREENSBORO Light Penalty for Slayer of Drake. VERDICT A GREAT SURPRISE Principal in Murder Plot Gets
 Off Easily. Jury Fixes His Punishment Al Life Imprisonment And Judge Miller orders Guards Around The
 Jail.
VERDICT A GREAT SURPRISE

Greensboro. Dec. l--(speciaI)--- There is considerable excitement in Greensboro tonight due to indisna- tion over a verdict for life imprison- ment returned about o'clock by q jury at the special term of court against Shed Williams. a negro, who was shown to be the real slayer of R. W. Drake. former sheriff of Hale County. at his home at Laneviile.
 So general was the dissatisfaction over the verdict that Judge Miller. presiding over the Circuit Court. ordered Sheriff Gewin to carefully guard the jail against violence and tonight streets in vicinity of the jail are patrolled by deputies. It is not believed that there will be any violence although feeling, against the verdict is high.
 All of today was consumed in bear ing the case of Williams. whom the state elected to try first. The case went to the jury about s:so o'clock this evening and the twelve men re. malned in the jury room about three hours Nothing short of the death penalty was expected and when the jury returned, finding the negro guilty and fixing his punishment ct life im- prisonment the surprise of the people soon turned to indignation.
 Charles Taylor, the negro who con- fessed to his. part in the crime was the chief witness against Williams. He swore that Williams struck the fatal blow. Taylor implicated four ether negroes now under indictment including himselfs
 The court met tcuag at 10 o'clock for the trial of the Drake murder case . EhAd Hams M lad itre& =
 The attorney for che defenaaht moved for change of venue on the ground that the defendant could not get a fair trial in Hale County, citing several newspaper articles to show the strong feeling. The motion for q change of venue was ovAyruled and the defendant went to trial. '7,'.e
 4 jury was selected an dthe court ad- journed for dinner. The court copyen- ed at, 1:20 o'clock and the examina- tion of witnesses was entered into.
 The State introduced Charles Tay- Tor, an accompllce, who Is indicted. He told about the murder, saying that Shed Williams was the real murderer and that he was one of three accomplices, He held the light while Shed Williams and Ed Howard entered Mr. Drake's room, Joe McDanisls keeping watch while standing in the horse trough out side.
 Turner Cash, d witness was next called and testified that he saw MT. Drake's house on fire and found Mr. Drake in a burning bed. and went for help to put out the fire.
 F. R. Chambers identified piece of iron piping as being the one found on the premises the following morn ing stained with blood.
 Sheriff B. E. Gewin identined piece of iron used in. the murder and also A coin and a pistol belonging to MT. Drake, which were found on the person of Charles TayIo=; also money amounting to S2 which was taken from inc cash drawer in Mir. Drake's store. {. He described the condition of MT. Drake when found by him as having ali of his clothing burned and the bed almost entirely burned, with two bruises back of his ear caused by a blow.
 Etta ward, a negro. called as a witness, testified to hearing the plot when 1t was being made. and in suo- stance corroborated Charles Taylors 6 statement about the plans for the mur-
 The state closed tonight and the ease has been given to the jury.
 Immediately the case of the State va. Joe McDaniels was taken up and the jury was drawn.