The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1912-06-07
THE JONES-BAxLEY MURDER
CASE
From Wednesdays Daily:

Thursday.
1ohn A. Jones, the murdered man,
was superintendent of public instruc-
ton OF Sumter county, and had ac-
cumulated a property amounting TO
twenty or twenty-five thousand dol
lars.
HIS wife was much younger than
! he was, and the theory of the state
! is that Willis Baxley, the PRINCIPAL
defendant in the case, and Mrs. Jones
were sweethearts before she married
Jones. and after marrying him then
| she and Bailey entered into a con-
spiracy to get rid of him, which con
spiracy eliminated in Bailey shooting
Jones to death with a double-barreled
shotgun on Jones own premises on
December 6, 1911.
In the struggle that ensued Baxley
was shot in the arm with a pistol,
but the contention of the state is that
that was an after-thought and the
A
When the shooting was going on,
Mrs. Jones was the sole witness, and
refused or failed to go to her hus-
bands rescue, or to testify against
his slayer.
The murder took place early in the
morning, some time before breakfast
and the contention of the defense and
explanation for young Bailey being
,, there at that early hour was because
he had received a contract to pack
quantity of oranges, and was going to
the home of a neighbor, who was an
to assist in packing the same.
He borrowed a gun and bought
some shells loaded with No. shot for
the purpose of shooting squirrels as
he was passing through some thick
woods en- route.
The contention of the defense is
that if he had started out for the
purpose of killing Jones he would not
have had his gun loaded with bird
shot. That while passing Jones
premises the latter hailed him, ana
without warning shot at him with a
pistol.
When Jones body was found, there
was a pistol grasped in his hand.
The further theory of the state is
that as the gun exploded when Bailey
fired it, that it's being loaded with
birdshot was a blind; that in reality
it was loaded with other missiles,
which is also proved by the size and
ugliness of the wound, which caused
the death of the unfortunate man.
The above are the main facts.
There are many incidental features.
Upon these conflicting theories, aft
er the examination OF great many
witnesses, the lawyers for the state
and for the defense began their ar
guments before the jury
Col. Robert w Davis of Tampa
made the opening speech for the
state. He spoke for one hour and
thirty-five minutes. He has lost none
of his old-time force and persuasive
ness, and it seemed clear that the
Jury would find it hard not to agree
with him in his conclusions.
He was followed by Colonel Sid
Carter of Gainesville, who spoke for
the same length of time.
Colonel Carter was formerly state
attorney for this circuit, when Alach-
ia formed a part of it, and has achiev-
ed a reputation as criminal lawyer
which stands by him, as evidence by
his being retained in this case, whicn
occurred two counties away from nlm'
In his argument in this case ne
maintained his old-time reputation
Mr.. Raymond Bullock, though not
the leading counsel, had almost the
complete management of the case Ior
the defense, and threw his whole en-
ergy into it. He examined the VIII
pesses and massed the evidence III
such form as to bear least heavily
upon his clients.
He spoke for nearly three hours
and left no stone unframed in his Ell
forts to prove the innocence OF the
Young man and young woman VINO
are on trial.
Mr.. Bullock had fami'iarized MIN
self with the evidence lie knew luz
strong points of the defense anu 'ie
weak points of the state, and maoe
the most of them. He made a spieh-
did grafton, and if his clients escape
conviction. it will be largely through
his management of the case.
Mr.. E. w. Davis, state aleoine''
made the concluding argument.
He began Immediately after the 40.
4 - +bo court last nlgnt dlIei