The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1912-07-23
THE HUCkABY CASE
Qs Anticipated the Verdict of the
Jury is "\Ot Guilty.

Xadducpd. the verdict OF the jury DN
whom DR.. G. NJ. Huckaby was tried,
is mot guilty.
This conclusion was reached with
in an hour after the jury had re
| tired TO- deliberate at the end OF a
tedious trial of over six days, with
attorneys of noted skill and prom
inence on each side.
The State was represented by DIS
trict Attorney J. NJ. Foster, assisted
| by former District Attorney John
R. Land, Attorney Geo. R. King, ii
NacogdOches, Texas, and Attorney
| w. H. Scheen, of the local firm OF
Scheen & BIanShard, while the de
| fpndant had for counsel EX-GOVern-
or Newton c.. B!anchard former Dis
trict Attorney J. Henry Shepherd,
and former United States District
Attorney Milton C. Elstner.
The jury was composed OF ). A.
dickson Jr., w. $. Riggs, J. w Bry-
son Jr.. J. A. Bell, o. Armstrong,
Tom Cross, G. W. ClantOn, John
Oden, f. w. Lehman, l.. G. Good, w.
E. Nelson and R. E. Walters. Each
juror being the peer Of the accused.
It was a jury Of good citizens. of
more than average intelligence and
of men who are not sWayed by pre-
judice but who, finally reached
their verdict, calmnly and deliber-
ately. Besides the evidence which
as in such cases is conflicting as to
details there was possibly the natur-
al impulses applied to the defendant
"Put yourself in his place"
DR.. G. NJ. Huckaby, a citizen of
Vivian, generally esteemed, physl
clan of prominence and member of
the school board Of CaddO Parish
was tried for murder on an indict-
ment by the grand jury for the kill
ing of Tom Morris, in Vivian on May
23rd of this year.
Tom Morris, the victim of this
homicide had barber shop in NiV-
ian where an alteration Ct words
occurred on the morning of the fatal
day between himself and Dr. Huck-
ably, arising over his miStreatment
of a son of DR.. Huckabay. a boy,
precipitated over a hair cut. AS dis
closed by the evidence DR.. Huckaby
and Tom Morris on the day follow
ing effected a settlement of their ac-
counts and on leaving the shop, DR..
Huckaby believed the trouble was at
: an end, but later in The day Tom
Morris met the town marshal, to
whom he related his grievance.
He was advised by the town mar
shall, who was going to Shreveport
to return to his shop and stay there
and if he did he would have no
trouble with DR.. Huckaby.
| Instead of going to his barber
shop, Morris purchased six shoot
er and loaded it. There were threats
of his intent. A little later several
| of the citizens of Vivian were on
the alert in anticipation of what did
occur, but no one interfered or at
tempted to stay the homicide.
| In the meantime, DR.. Huckaby, be-
ing at his place of business had been
informed of Morris threats and his
being armed with the pistol he had
purchased, and when Morris ap-
peared on the scene Of the homl-
eide, DR.. Huckaby was on his guard,
ready to defend himself.
| It has been and it is being claimed
by the relatives and friends of Tom
Morris that he was shot and killed
without having been given chance
for his life, but this is natural
feeling of resentment which, how
ever, is not supported by the evi-
ldence.
| The substance of the evidence is
that DR.. Huckaby fired as Tom Nor
ris was about to draw his pistol and
he fired again when he saw Tom
Morris, in a crouching position on
the stairway and as if he was trying
to get his pistol TO use it.
| DR.. HuCkaby was at his place OF
business when the killing occurred.
1t is conceded that the killing OF
people is too common, that human
life is too cheap, that the enforce
ment of the law is too slack, that it
is easier to escape an indictment for
murder than for larcency, but in
this Huckaby case, the homicide was
| the sequence of threats deliberately
uttered, the purchase of pistol, ac.
quired with the intent Of executing
| the threats, and in the seeking of DR.
Huckaby's place Of business by Tom
Morris.
| Let any man put himself in IG'
Huckaby's place, under similar con
dition and what would he do OF
have done?
i As evidenced. if DR.. Huckabv haC