The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1911-11-21

and two sons, indicted for the muir
der of Deddie Davis begun Friday,
was ended this morning when the
jury through their foreman, II. S.
Norton, returned a verdict of not
guilty as to Henry Crayers, father
and Pat and Jake Cravers, his sons
The jury comprised d. w. Keith,
C. E. Parker, E. p Carstens, Simon
Barr, Hcrvey Little, w. S. Dennis,
P. d. Voisin, w. A. Turnipseed, II. S.
Norton, r. f. Morris, M. A. Kear and
Justin Gras, citizens of good stand
ing, business men and property
owners.
This case will stand, perhaps, as
an exception in many particulars in
the criminal records of Caddo par
ish. Through the voluminous evi-
dence submitted by the State and
the defenants it has not been pos
sible to determine by whom the stab
from knife wound was inflicted
which killed Deddie Davis.
In attendance at the trial We're the
wife and mother Of the defendant,
their sons and daughters, and the
sons and daughters-in-law.
The elder Davis and his son Les
ter had been summoned as witnesses
for The State, but were not called
to testify.
The affray which eliminated in
the death of Deddie Davis occurred
on September 26 of this year at a
barbecue given at Vivian. The Cra-
yers are millmen while the Davis
are farmers. The relations which
had existed between them was not
cordial, the resentment being aggra-
waited over nominal amount which
Davis claimed was due his son who
had worked for Crayers. This claim
was disputed by Crayers, who in
sisted that he had settled in full
with Davis for what work he hao
done. This statement did not appear
in the evidence, but if it did ii was
lost in The ENHANCEMENT of contra
dictions which We're the features OF
this trial
It was in evidence that Davis Sr.,
some five or ten minutes before the
affray had denounced Gravens Sr. as
a preyaricator, which he repeated
but which Cravers did not then re-
sent, as he was inclined to evade a
difficulty on the grounds where the
barbecue was in progress.
II was also in evidence that soon
thereafter Deddie Davis assaulted
Pat Cravers with knife ,stabbine
him in the breast, and then followed
a melee in which the six men were
engaged fighting flercely, each try
ing to get the best of the other. In
this melee Deddie Davis received his
mortal wounds, and Pat Cravers was
carried from The field in what was
then believed to be a dying eondi-
ton. He was conveyed to Shreve-
port for treatment and fingered sew
eral days between life and death
THE other combatants were more OF
less bruised by blows. The affras
was brief, so brief that spectators
within the reach of the combatant'
had scarcely realized the situation
before it was over.
This in brief is the narrative O.
| an ARRAY without its parallel Il
Caddo parish.
On the trial of the accused it wa
mot in evidence that either OF tn
Crayers had or did use knife o
weapon of any kind.
In this case, as in others, Dlstrlc
Attorney Foster as prosecuting at
ltorney did all in his power to seeur
"a conviction, and presented his sid
lof the case in the strongest phas
1possible, but he could not conten
against the most conflicting an
contradictory evidence ever hear
lin the district court OF Caddo parlsf
1 The defendants attorney, Hol
4 John r.. Land. exerted all his abllit
land his ingenuity as attorney in be
lhalf of his clients.
| The charge Of Judge Bell was fu
Il and exhaustive. He presented clear
Ily the law bearing on murder, man
slaughter and self-defense. 1t wa
Il given the closest attention by tfl
llerowds in the court room.
81 When The jury retired at $50 f6
consultation it was expected that
verdict would be reached in thirl
minutes, but ii was not until tn
!. lmorning that the verdict was n
oIported through which the Crave
q lwere released from custody on II
s. 3lverdict of mot guilty. It is nee'
lIless to say that the defendants al
q their relatives were rejoiced.
81 This is homicide which shou
-Ibe recorded as an exception in Il
! criminal Jurisprudence Of Cad'