The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-07-02
NEGRO FOUND
/. GUILTY MURDER
FIRST DEGREE
WILL DONNELLY, CHARGED WITH
KILLING OF LIZA LEE, Is REC
oMMENDED TO THE MERCY OF
THE COURT AND WILL NOT RE-
cEVE EXTREME PENALTY.

After being out for something like
three hours, the jury in the case of
VIII Donnelly, a negro, who was on
tt ial yesterday in the circuit court for
the murder Of Liza Lee, a negro wo7n-
an, In this city several weeks ago, re-
turned a verdict finding the defendant
guilty of murder in the first degree,
but recommending him to the mercy
Of the court, which means that the ex-
IRENE penalty of death will not be i'm
POSED.
The trial consumed the entire day
yesterday, about a dozen witnesses
being examined, practically all of them
being for the state. The defendant, of
course, testified in his own behalf but
had no witnesses to corroborate his
testimony.
DonnelIy, who is a one-legged negro,
claimed that at the time of the Diff
Guilty he and Liza Lee and another
woman were scuffling over a pair of
scissors to use as weapon on him,
and that during the struggle he was
thrown on the floor near his trunk,
being without his crutch at the time,
and that as the women then had pos
session of the scissors he reached in
his trunk and got his pistol and began
firing.
However, Police Ofhcer Commyns,
who, with Capt Anderson. arrested
Donnelly Immediately after the shoot
ing, testified that he searched well
around the scene of the killing and
that he saw nothing of any scissors
or other weapons, except the pistol and
axe, both of which witnesses testified
Donnelly had used in killing the
woman.
All of the witnesses In the case were
negroes with the exception of Capt.
Anderson and Officer Commyns, of the
police department, and Deputy Sheriff
Cusachs.
Nerve Of Prisoner.
Ever since the killing Donneliy has
displayed a wonderful nerve and has
assumed an attitude Of indifference as
to the outcome. At the time of the
killing he is quoted as making the
remark that they would not hang him
If they sent him up for life they
would have to feed him as long as he
lives.
The prisoner remained calm during
the entire trial and listened without
Letraying any sign of emotion to the
da maging testimony which one wit
ness after another gave in against
him
Mods in Court Room.
After the jury had come back into
the court room last night to hear the
charge read again, and when every
body in the court room was aware,
from a remark unwittingly made by
the foreman Of the jury, that he had
been found guilty and that the only
question over which the jury was d.
vided was the penalty, Donnelly sat in
his chair and nodded, being. appar-
entity, the least concerned person IN
the room.
Kehoe Conducted Prosecution.
The prosecution OF Donnelly was
conducted by J. Walter Kehoe, acting
states attorney, States Attorney En-
NETT Wilson being out of the city at
tending the Democratic convention in
Baltimore
Donnelly was defended By W. A
Rlount, Jr., and c. W. Girdleston, who
were appointed by the court to defend
him
The jury was composed of the fol-
lowing citizens: Frank x Carroll, A.
c. Hurst, Warren Athey, A H Cook
E. 7 Edison, H. T. Brazel R. A Sta
pies ]. F. Mitchell, G. J. Morgan, C. G.
Olsen, J. II. Thomas and S. Brown.
The verdict was reached about g
O'Clock last night