The Monroe journal. [volume] (Monroe, N.C.) 189?-1965, 1910-08-09
CONVICTED OF MURDER.
chAS. PLYLER, WHITE, AND
GEORGE MAYHEM. COL,
FOUND GUILTY.


Killing Carter Parks-Jury Re-
turns Verdict on Sunday-Ap-
peal Taken and Case of Mayhue
to Come Up Again-Judge Conn
compliments Jury.
The trial of Charles Plyler, George
Mayhem and John McManus for the
murder Of Carter Parks, which be-
gan in the Superior court last Thurs
day after the jury had been selected
from a special venire of 200, came
to an end Sunday evening at four
o'clock when the jury brought in a
verdict of guilty of murder in the
first degree against Plyler and May
hew, and not guilty as to McNanus.
A motion for a new trial for both
prisoners, on the ground that the
verdict was contrary to the weight Of
evidence, was overruled. But mo-
ton for a new trial in the case of
Mayhem, on the ground Of newly dis
covered evidence, will be heard by
Judge Allen at the next term of civil
court commencing Aug. %.
Plyler was sentenced to be cleo
trocuted in the electric chair on Sep
TENDER Is, and his counsel took an
appeal to the Supreme court. Upon
motion Of counsel for the defendants,
by agreement Of the solicitor, Judge
Allen ordered the prisoners removed
to the Lee county Jail to be kept
there pending the appeal in Plyler's
case and the hearing of the motion
for new trial in Mayhew's case.
Plyler, who is white man, about
2S years of age, and of prominent
family in his community, and May
hew, were taken by officers Benton
and Griffith to Lee county Sunday
night. McManus went to Aberdeen
on the same train.
The first witnesses for the State
were Bob Forest and Tom Mccain,
negro boys who worked for the muir.
dered man and lived on his place
They testified to finding the body Of
Parks in the woods near his house
on Friday morning, June 18th, two
days after Parks, according to his
wife's testimony, had left home. The
boys said that Mrs. Parks told them
in which direction her husband had
gone off, and they went in that d.
rection and hunted around awhile,
and discovered the body when they
were returning to the house after
they had about given up the search.
They reported their discovery to Mrs.
Parks, and shortly afterward a num-
Der of people who had heard the
news came to the spot where the
dead man lay.
Vane Richardson, a negro who
worked for Plyler, was probably the
most important witness for the pros
ecution. lie testified that he was at
Parks house on Sunday, April 10,
the night Parks was called out on
the porch and shot in the leg. He
said that some hours before that first
shooting, Plyler met Parks and him
self, and asked the witness to get
Parks drinking when they should 60
back to the house that night, and
get him out on the porch, and he
(Plyler) would come over and "get
him." Vane said he refused to have
anything to do with that proposal,
but he went back home with Parks,
both were drinking, and late that
night a voice, which witness said he
recognized as Plyler's, was heard on
the outside; Parks went out on the
porch and was shot in the leg. Wit
ness said he afterward told several
people that he knew it was Plyler
who did that shooting, be was cor
roborated in this by other witnesses.
But Mrs. Carrie Parks, the widow
Of the murdered man and the sister
Of Plyler, testified she was there that
night and heard the voice, it was not
her brothers voice. Richardson also
testified that Plyler afterward said,
in talking about the shooting that
Sunday night, that he (Plyler) was
the very d-n frog that muddied
the pond" This witness testified to
threats made against Parks by Ply
Ter before the murder, such as tell
ing witness and defendant McManus
to keep their mouths shut, and to
tell Mayhem to keep his d-n mouth
shut" On cross examination of
Richardson, the defense brought out
that the witness had made conflict
ing statements at the coroner's in
quest and at the preliminary hear
ing, and that he was now making
statements which conficted with his
previous testimony. The witness
admitted that he was drunk on the
night Of the first shooting and really
did not know much about what had