The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-01-14
= y
TRIAL OF JONES NJ
,aIHARGED WITH THE MURDER OF
ABE PEARLSTINE.

ABE 4 TE113e1hJA4&SA|s
Intense $ Interest NIanifestedin Court
Proceedings as a Result Of the
ssz Branchville Tragedy.
John J. Jones was put on trial on
Thursday morning for the murder OF
ABE Pearlstine in Branchville in De-
.cember, in the Court of General Ses-
sion, Judge R. Withers Memminger
presiding. Jones is a lawyer with
Offices at Branchyille and Pearlstlne
vas a prominent merchant of the
same place. Marked interest was
manifested in the case, the court
house being crowded all the time
during its continuance. The case
was called at eleven o'clock, and it
Was gone into at once.
It is recalled that zones Is alleged
TO have shot and killed Abe Pearltine
in the postoffice lobby at Branchville,
on December Is Of last year. Jones
at once came to Orangeburg, had
himself photographed. showing
: bruises and blood stains on his face,
said to have been inflicted by Pearls
tine. He was released from custody
ON $4,000 bond granted by Justice
gary. Much speculation was in
l,dulged in as to the trial, some think
ing it would be postponed. After Sc
curing; bond, Jones went back i'm
snediately to Branchyille, where he
remained until Thursday, when he
came to court to stand trial.
The case was called shortly after
= il o'clock Thursday morning. There
was brilliant array Of counsel on both
sides. For the defence Messrs. Wolfe
&c Berry, Glaze & Herbert, and Judge
!. C. P. Brunson appeared. Solicitor
Hildebrand was assisted in the prose-
cution by Messrs. Raysor & Sum-
mers, Adam H. Moss and W. G. Mar
tin, the latter Of Branchville. The
State sought to show that the shoot
ing occurred after the isticuff had
ended and that at the time Of the
shooting defendant was not in dan
ger OF bodily harm. The counsel for
the defence took the opposite view.
Upon arraignment Thursday morn
ing Jones pleaded not guilty to the
charge Of murder. In choosing the
Jury the following jurors were chos-
EN- to- try the case, A. M. Whetsell,
G. W. Garick, R. M. Owen, A. E. Rut-
land, C. B. Smoak, R. S. Winning
ham, A. D. Dempsey, J. a. Breland,
e. w. Milestone, o. L. Crum, e. NJ.
Robinson, J. W. Whetsell. The State
-objected to D. T. Evans. ]. E. Gar
lick, B. M. Salley, while the defense
objected to jurors D. S. Livingston,
J.. A. Craig, P. NJ. smoak, A. N.
Avinger, S. A. Blackmon, H. S. Holl-
man, R. F. Ritter, W. W. Crum, A.
l. Dukes, w. L. Whetsell.
The counsel engaged in the trial of
this case were for the State, Solicitor
: P. r. Hildebrand, Adam Fl. Moss,
Raysor & Summers and W. c. Mar
tin, for the defense, Wolfe & Berry,
Glaze & Herbert and G. P. Brunson.
The first witness for the State was
DR.. j. S. Wimberly, practicing ply
sician and surgeon of Branchville.
he said he heard a pistol shot over
at the Spostofice and he went over
there. He sawe Pearlstine leaning on
his arm on the floor of the lobby Of
the postofice, holloing. He made
no examination at that time, but
went to drug store and came back.
Jones ran out of the door after the
shooting. DR.. Wimberly said he held
the autopsy and that Pearlstine came
to his death by a pistol ball entering
his stomach and severing the abdom-
inal aorta or big artery. Death re-
suited almost Immediately. He said
Pearlstine was about five feet, eight
Inches in heighth and weighed about
$50 pounds. He testified that Pearl
stine was corpulent for his heighth
and was we'll built. He said there
were no powder stains on Pearls
stine's coat or body.
F. W. Frederick testified that he
was surveyor and that he had made
a plan or drawing of the postoffce
lobby, which was illustrated to the
jury.
DR.. C. P. Perryclear testified that
he heard the pistol shot and that he
followed Dr.. Wimberly over to the
postoffice. EIe saw Jones step out OF
the postoffice and that Pearlstine was
nearly dead when he got there. He
examined Fearlstine and found no
weapon upon him. A ring on his
finger was bloody. Pearlstine is
blind in one eye.
Preston Grimes said that he saw
Pearlstine lying On the floor in the
Branchville postofIice the morning of
the shooting. That he and DR.. Per-
rycIear examined the pockets Of the
dying man and that they found no
weapon. Grimes is clerk Of the
Pearlstines' and testified to a finan-
cial crisis in the Pearlstine business.
J. Marion Byrd, postmaster at
Branchville. testified that he was in
his private Office by his desk on the