Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1909-06-09
w. II. SELLERS ACQUITTED.
Some Facts in Trial OF More or Less
Statewide Interest.
columbia State, 4th.)

S'NhihS "ouS ibo"pNoh
blind tiger king" and slayer of Jas.
p. Farmer, walked out of the Court
House of Richland county a free
man. After three hours delibera-
tion the jury filed in and returned a
verdict of mot guilty"
When court convened yesterday
morning Mrs. Chapman was sent for
and placed on the stand for few
minutes, but no evidence of import
an"e bearing on the case was elected.
The stenographer who took the evil
, dence at the inquest was called upon
to swear to the correctness of his
report of the transcription of the
testimony there given by different
witnesses. This evidence was COM
pared with that taken at the trial
just concluded. to show conflict in
the evidence given by the same wit
nesses. This concluded the evidence
and the defense announced its case
closed.
1t was agreed between counsel,
the court concurring, that the ad-
dresses Of counsel to the jury should
be limited to two hours to the State
and to two hours to the defense.
Solicitor Cobb was greatly handi-
| capped by the previous decision by
-. court which invalidated the bond
and N rrant under which the deceas-
90 y.'yi in his supposed official
t-'. 49, he time OF the tragedy. This
a....,on placed the constable in the
attitude of private citizen who
trespassed on the premises of the
| defendant without authority or war;
| rant of any kind, thus giving the
| defendant the right to resist entrance
to his domicile, even to the extent
OF killing the trespasser If such
force were necessary to protect his
| person and home
The plea of the counsel for the
State was based almost entirely upon
the fact that Constable Farmer wa
acting upon the supposition that be-
hind him was the authority of the
Commonwealth of South Carolina;
the plea of the defense upon self
defense.
The side of the defense was fur
ther strengthened by the fact that
the alleged search warrant under
whose authority the officers acted
was invalidatcd by virtue OF three
facts: That even had the comin's-
sion held by Mr.. Farmer been valid.
which it was not because the bond
| had expired before the time OF the
| tragedy, and because il never had
been valid by reason Of the name of
| only one surety appearing on il in
stead of two, as required by law. the
name OF Mr.. Farmer did not appear
| upon ii. nor of any one else: and
that il had been held As DAYS before
il was used. The magistrate who
issued the warrant in blank had in
stru,ted that it must be served with
in week after its issuance. where
after ii would be invalid
Under the law search warrant
must be served within "a reasonable
length OF time after its issuance"
and where the Office of the magis-
trate is near the place to be serv-
ed, reasonable length of time" is
construed TO be within from one to
three days after its issuance.
The case went to the jury at
O'Clock in the afternoon. and three
hours were required in deliberation
verdict.
The defendant during the entire
trial preserved demeanor of calm
confidence amounting almost to in
difference. At all times he was in
tenSely interested in the progress Of
the trial. and not particular OF it
eScaued him.
He was in the court room ali the
time ne jury was ont, calm and
apparently interested spectator OF
the proceedings OF another homicide
trial. When tn jIry that held his
fate returned % the court room.
those who looked at him noticed that
the color had receded from his usu-
ally tlorid face When the words.
Not guilty" were pronounced by
Clerk Walker, a joyful light leaned
into his ey"s and face, ard he arose
quickly and his hands were grasped
by those near him in coneratulation
of his arOuirral NJ tho saripus cl,or-r,