Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1912-11-10
F. |. ALLISON is FREED
ON CHARGE OF MURDER
At Preliminary Trial Saturday Evidence AdduCGd
Showed That He Shot LaPamOFe in Defense
Of His Own Life Case Was
StUbbOrDIy Contested.

Mr.. Luther Allison, charged with
murder in the killing of Mr.. Rooe-t
Laramore at Leslie on Saturday night
last, was discharged from custody af-
ter an exhaustive preliminary trial
yesterday, which consumed the greater
portion of the day and was not con-
cluded until last night.
The defendant was exonerated of the
crime charged, fully and completely,
as the preponderance of evidence
showed that he fired the fatal shots in
self defense.
Judge William NJ. Harper, of the
city court of .Americus, who presided
at the preliminary hearing, in render
ing his decision last night reviewed the
evidence at length and, while deplor-
ing the unfortunate homicide, thought
that the evidence of the states wit
nesses had failed to fix any crime upon
the defendant
Mr. Allison, therefore, was dis
charged from custody and, accompa-
MED by relatives and friends, left the
courtroom and returned to his home at
Leslie
The trial was one of intense inter-
est throughout, and was stubbornly
contested by attorneys both for the
prosecution and the defense. The
state was represented by Attorneys
j. R. Williams, ]. A Hixon, l.. ]. Bla-
lock and H. A. Wilkerson, while At
torneys w T. Lane and J. B. Hudson
represented the defense.
When the case was called at 10:30
o'clock the courtroom was packed to
the capacity point by hundreds of spec
tators, all eager to hear the pro-
ceedings A score of ladies, relatives
or friends of the respective families,
were in the courtroom.
Twenty-one witnesses were called,
than a dozen of these testified, among
the number being several eyewitness
es to the tragedy. The evidence of
many of these, both for the state and
defense, was to the effect that Allison
was not the aggressor in the fight.
1t was shown that the deceased, Mr.
Laramore, had been drinking and was
very overbearing in his demeanor to-
wards Mr.. Allison, applying such epi.
thets as are calculated to produce Il
difficulty. This was the testimony of
several witnesses.
After the witnesses summoned he'd
testified Mr. Allison, still wearing the
bullet, riddled coat worn upon the
night of the tragedy, took the stand
and made clear and succinct state
ment of the homicide.
He scarcely knew Laramore and
did not resent the violent language at
first applied to him by the deceased.
and at once left the store. When he
returned there few minutes later it
was under the full belief that Lara
more had been arrested, as the town
marshal was standing near him in the
store
Upon re-entering the store he was
again assailed by the deceased, and,
after having been attacked, shot in
self defense. He deplored the tragedy,
but did not precipitate it, and did only
what any other man would have done
under similar circumstances.
Judge Harper then discharged tie
defendant, after first giving an eX-
haustive review of the testim ,ly o.
duced during the trial. This ends the
proceedings until the grand jury meeLs
two weeks hence. when the case may
be investigated by that body, and with
what result can only be surm'zed at
this time
In the argument of the case last
night speeches were made by Alter
neys Wilkerson and Blalock for The
prosecution, and by Attorneys Lane
and Hudson for the defense.