The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1910-03-09
JONES LOSES
The Stale Supreme Court Unanimously
Denies Him a New Trial.
HE MURDERED Ills WIFE
Rich Farmer and Store Keeper of
Union County, Who, After Much
Cruelty, Brutally Murdered His
Wife, VIII Spend the Rest Of His
Life In the pcnitentiary.


W. T. Jones. the rich Union Coua-
ty farme. and merchant, who Is said
20 be worth 100000 must spend
the .emainde. OF his life in the pen
!tentsary at hard labor for poisoning
his wife. a prominently connected
young woman OF UHion county. the
supreme court. in a unanimous opin-
ion handed down Friday. denying his
appea; for a new trial.
Jones Is now IN the Union Jail.
where he has been since the murder
two years ago. except for few days,
when he vas brought before the SUI
preme court in an appeal On a side
issue OF tie case.
The opinion is written By Judge
Dsn:zler. acting associate justice, IN
place OF Justice Eydrick. who was
disqualified By reason Of the fact
that he denied Jones ball while on
circuit Jones plantation and busi-
ness are in the hands OF his sixteen
year old SOC. also the son OF the
dead woman, who has been stauncb
defender OF ais father IN his trial
The murder Of Mrs. Jones was one
Of the most brutal and revolving
crimes IN the history OF the State.
the recommendation to mercy. which
saved Jones neck and sends him 70
the penitentiary FOR life. being due
TO circunstantial evidence and the
difficulty Of the jury In arriving at
a verdict. The doubt IN the mind Of
the jury was as 70 whether Jones
forced his wife 70 take the poison.
whether in despe alton over his long
years Of brutal and outrageous treat
ment she was driven 20 suicide. or
whether. as the defense claimed. she
might hare got hold Of the poison by
some mistake for headache medicine
But the evidence left no doubt as
to the long years OF brutal and cruel
treatment OF Mrs. Jones by her hus
band The evidence reveals that in
addition 10 making he. dance in a
nude condition before negroes for his
drunken delight. he at another zine.
or possibly several other times.
stuck pins in her body. to hear her
cry and moan.
Il was also alleged that he tried
70 induce her 70 submit herself TO
negroes in the hope Of catching hor
by suddenly returning to the house
so as TO provide az excuse for rid
Ing himsel; Of her by killing her.
a white witness testified 10 the
alleged fact that Jones on one occa-
sion induced him to stay q, the house
In his absence. That night Mrs.
Jones appeared az the visitors room
IN her night gown crying. saying her
husband had forced her to come.
The visitor got out IS quick as he
could. but before he left he heard a
man on the roof o: the piazza
On the terrible night o; the poison
Ing Jones was alone with his wife.
the son having been sent away. The
defense's version IS that Mrs. Jones
was suffering. that Jones had brought
some poison home roE doss and tha:
she took Il by mistake Cor headache
medicine
One OF the exceptions IN the ap-
peal IS based on the criticism made
by Judge MemminSer. who heard the
case on circuit. OF the action OF Gov
emo. Eeyward in pardoning Hoyt
Hayes. who was convicted OF wife
murder IN Oconee county IN some
what similar circumstances. Hayes
was pardoned on the opinion OF the
New York handwriting expert. Car
=a!ho. that the suicide note alleg"
TO have been left by Mrs. Hayes was
written by her.
Part Of her head was blown OF by
a shot gun. when she was aobut 70
become mother. Judge Memmin-
ger said tha: Il was murder. even
II the note vas written by her and
even II she did commit suicide. |!
she was broush; % such a state o!
mind by the defendant deliberately
He pointed out that II IN the Jones
case the defendant induced and drove
his wife 10 suicide. he was as guilt!
rs II he had employed third per
| son 10 commit the crime