The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1910-05-13
LAST HOPE FOR JONES VANISHED
Supreme Court Denies Union Man
Rehearing-Fighung to the Last
Ditch-Life Sentence.

Columbia, May 9-Praying, per-
haps, that the last ray of hope may
bring to him favorable returns, W. T.
Jones, convicted wife murderer, is
now spending what may be his last
night in the Union county jail. To-
morrow the word of the highest court
in the State will be officially borne to
him, and very probably tomorrow
night he will spend his drst night in
the State penitentiary. Convicted OF
the killing of his own wife, Marion
Jones, the prisoner, who has spent
many months in the Union jail, was
this evening refused a rehearing by
the supreme court, and the remittitur
will be sent down Immediately. The
supreme court, in few words, tells
that Jones's only hope for even stay
of sentence is over: after careful
consideration of the within petition,
the court is unable to discover that
any material matter or question has
been overlooked or disregarded. 1t
is, therefore, ordered that the petition
be dismissed and that the order here
tofore granted, staying remittitur, be
revoked" This order, signed by Chief
Justice Ira B. Jones and Associate
Justices Eugene B. Gary and c. A.
Woods, means a life term in the penl-
tentiary for W. T. Jones.
No Federal Question Involved.
AS no Federal question is involved,
the opinion Of attorneys here is that
the case is ended, and that Jones must
spend the remainder of his days in
the State prison, unless petition for
should be granted. There was
considerable talk of an appeal to the
United States court. at the time
Jones's case was affirmed by the su-
preme court of this State, but this
is not regarded as within the range
of possibility. =:
W. T. Jones, wealthy planter, OF
Santuc, Union county, has serious
crime to lie wake nights and think
over when he comes to the State pris-
on. His wife, on July 8, 1908, met q
horrible death by strychnine and the
testimony pointed to her husband as
the guilty man. Statements OF his
counted strongly against him at the
trial. A chain Of circumstantial evi-
dence was woven around Jones, and
in February, 1909, jury declared ne
was guilty Of murder.
Some Interesting Circumstances.
The case, while as to the evidence,
must have been very, strong against
Jones. Instances OF ill treatment OF
his wife and testimony that on the
night of the killing cursing was heard
at the Jones home, the frightened
look Of Mrs. Jones as she entered the
room of a man, who stopped at her
home one night, these ard other mat
ters were brought out at the trial. It
is even true that efforts were made to
cast a shadow upon the character OF
Mrs. Jones, in order to save her nus
band from the hand of the law. She
was then in her grave, but the YER
dict of the jury showed that these II
men did not believe what was told
them about Mrs. Jones. Refused bail
before (then judge) Hydrick, Jones
was placed in the county jail, where
he has been ever since.
1t is said that he declared. that he
would not come to the State prison.
There IS, also, the story from Union
that he carries on his business from
his cell in the Jail. Jones, however,
has been reported in the News and
Courier as denying that he ever said
he would not come to the peniten-
tiary. By the order Of the supreme
court tonight, W. T. Jones must leave
the county jail and come to the peni-
tentiary, where he is doomed to spend
the rest of his life.
Judge Memminger Sustained Through
Aside from the general interest
that the order of the court will create
as to Jones, there is an added legal
interest, especially to the people OF
Charleston, because Judge Memmln-
ger, throughout, has been upheld by
the supreme court and the latest or
der is even more strongly complimen.
tary to Judge Memminger's ability. it
will be recalled by those VINO have
followed the case, that Judge Mem
minger urged the jury to agree upon
a verdict, calling the attention of the
j nv to the ne;t ssity of jurors agree