The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-09-15
VERDICT. IN MEOL|A CASE.
GUILTY Of MANSy,eU eUCtIrrr,
WITH RECOMMENDATION To
MERCY.
Iriai at Columbia Of the Man Charp.
Ell With the Murder OF Mrs. VIC.
toria Griffin Several Months AGO
hesuits i'm Verdict Unparalleled in,
The History of the State.

Columbia, Sept. IA most m
usual verdict was rendered I'm the
Mediin case-guilty of ma.nslaughter
with recommendation to the mercy
Oh the court-the same being returned
shortly before II O'clock this morning
after deliberation of eighteen hour.
1t is stated that the ury stood nine for
conviction Of murder and three for
acquittal. The penalty. for ma nslanrh-
ter is from two to 80 years. It can
not be definitely stated when the de-
fendant will be sentenced.
When the jury had been charged bv
Judge Memminger and left the oourt
room yesterday afternoon 1T 4 O'Clock.
1t was generally thought by those who.
were acquainted with the facts of the
killing and testimony brought soc
from the different witnesses, that the.
jury would not remain out over thirty
minutes. The verdict, although very.
unusual and probably Unparalleled i'm
the history of criminal cases In, the
State, is victory for Solicitor Cobb
and Coroner Walker, in that all of the
evidence was purely cireumstantial.
The verdict has caused great dear
of comment and is thought by many TO-
be ridiculous, in that if he commit
ted the crime at all. a verdict should
have been returned guilty Of murder,
and If he did not he should have been,
acquitted.
G. Wash Mediin. the defendant, is
today in the Richland county jail. The
crime for which he was convicted was
one of the most atrooiam, ever COM
mitted in this Stats, ard was SUR
rounded by mystery. Several months
ago Mrs. Victoria B. Griffin, a middle
aged woman, was found dead, in: q,
well in the yard of her home on-S Sum-
ter street with her head crushed with,
an axe and her throat sls.shed several
times with razor. On the morning
that the crime was committed Medlin,
the three sons Of the murdered wo-
man. and Luke Lewis, a friend of the
daughter Of Mrs. Griffin, were arrest
ed pending an investigation of the at
fair. All of the children set up the.
| theory of suicide when the police were,
| called in. This theory was scouted.by;
the officers. The sons Of the woman
were released several days after the
| affair. and at the coroner's inquest
| Lewis was released and .Medlin order
! ed held. Several weeks ago he was
released on a heavy bond. Since that
time Solicitor Cobb, Coroner Walker
and Pinkerton detective have bsenc
working on the case, gathering sslh !ot
the evidence possible.
The trial consumed severai1 days in
the Richland county court and more
than a score of witnesses were intro
duced by the State, in an effort tc
weave a chain OF eonvictinug circum-
stances about the defendant!, MAeHh-..
1t was brought out from witnesses
that Medlin had lived with Mrs. Grit
nm for over five years, and that two,
or three months previous to the trae.
edy the two had quarreled about Med.
lin paying attention to another wo--
man.
| 1t is stated on good authorits,, thar.
one of the most important witnesses,
in the case left Columbia shorty after
the crime was committed, and that AL
though several places were, visited by,
detectives in search Of the woman
her whereabouts was not learned.