Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-03-10
THE WHITEvlLLE TRAGEDY.
Trial Of Mrs. Hayes For the Murder OF
Robert Floyd In Progress.

Robert fIoyo IN TToSTosS'
The trial of Mrs. Rosa Hayes, and
her husband, and his brother, at
Whiteville, n. c., for the murder OF
Robert Floyd has been in progress all
the week, and because Of the illness OF
two Jurors, which developed Wed
nesday, delaying the proceedings, 1t Is
doubtful whether a verdict Will be
reached before today or tomorrow. II
then.
The case has been hotly fought at
every point, the defense using every
artifice known to the profession TO
prevent the admission OF testimony
that makes against the defendants. and
while there seems to be an impression
that the Jury Is one that would not
convict. no matter what kind of a case
Is made out, the result will remain In
doubt until the verdict Is published.
sensational development OF Tues
day, hinged around an effort to pre-
vent Mrs. Minis, a daughter OF Col. L.
Larry Grant,, editor Of the Whiteville
Courier, testifying as to an interview
she had with the prisoner In jail
shortly after the killing. The inter-
view had been published in the White-
Vile Courier, and as the tendency or
1t seemed to be damaging to the de-
fense, there was an effort to keep Mrs.
Minis off the stand. The testimony
was admitted by the presiding judge.
It was to the effect that Mrs. Hayes
started the conversation with ques-
ton as to whether Floyds people had
come. Mrs. Hayes, so the witness SAID,
stated that the people took so much
interest in the affair because the Kill
ing was by a woman. If 1t had been
done by a man instead, but little no.
tice would have been taken or II.
She went on to say that 1t was all like
a dream; that as matter OF fact, she
had a week before dreamed that she
had killed Floyd as he was ready for
bed, the shot entering his forehead
and that she told her husband about II
the next morning. Recurring to the
actual killing, she said that Floyd had
called her Rose" after she had shot
him twice. He had been accustomed
to call her Rose.
Auty Baldwin, another witness tes-
titled that about a month before the
shooting, he had a conversation with
HAYES, in which conversation Hayes
asked him as to who was the best at
torney in Whiteville.
During Wednesday it developed that
the theory of the state was that the de-
fendant had been unduly intimate with
Floyd and that the killing was be-
cause of a belief that Floyd was
drifting away from her. A former
clerk of Hayes, who boarded with the
family when Hayes kept store at Loris,
S. c., testified that he had heard Hayes
openly accuse his wife of intimacy
with Floyd, and the charge was not
resented by Mrs. Hayes. Mrs. Mary
L. Holt, an intimate friend of the de-
fendant, testified that Mrs. Hayes
threatened that unless Mr.. Hayes
stopped quarreling with her about the
attentions of Floyd, she would leave
home, change her name, become
trained nurse, and have Floyd come to
her. The character of Mrs. Holt was
attacked on cross-eXamination, and
although she admitted that she had
heard reports about herself that were
not creditable; claimed that they were
unfounded ISLANDERS.
There was testimony about visit
Floyd and Mrs. Hayes had made to
Southport at one time on the same oc-
casion; but beyond the fact that both
had spent the night in the same hotel
there was nothing to suggest impro-
priety.
The letter that Mrs. Hayes wrote
Floyd asking him to come and treat
a mole on her lip and one the back OF
her neck, was exhibited in evidence
and certain remarks and other cir
cumstances were testified to indicate,
or at least point to the impression
that Hayes was we'll aware of Floyd's
exnected arrival and the probable out
come of his visit.
During yesterday the state made 1t
clear that it's theory was that Mrs.
Hayes killed Floyd because Of jealous
determination that he should not be
the husband of another woman. Two
letters that the defendant had written
the deceased a year before were put In
evidence. They were full of endear-
ments, and they asked Floyd to take
her far away where they could be hap
DIV together. The state also introduced
testimony to show that Floyd had paid
no attention to Mrs. Hayes on the no.
tel visit; but that he had given his at
tentions to the daughter of the land
lord and Mrs. Hayes gave evidence OF
much pique.
The state rested yesterday and mol
pressed the case against Lloyd Hayes
Mrs. Hayes went on the stand in her
own defense, and repeated with varia-
tions the story she told at the inquest.
She denied that her relations with
Floyd had ever been improper, but re-
iterated her declaration that he had
come to treat moles on her face and
had followed improper proposals with
an attempt at force as previously de-
scribed. She admitted the correctness
of the testimony of Mrs. Minis, except
that she claimed that the person she
saw in her dreams was not Floyd but
another. She denied that she had ever
written any letters to Floyd except
those relating to the moles.
The court adjourned at o'clock
Yesterday evening until this morning