The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-03-12
DICKINSON ACQUITTED
NOT GUILTY OF MURDER OF
PAUL RILEY.
Jury Soon Reached Verdict After
Being Out Only Three Minutes
Nine Witnesses for the State.

G. Moye Dickinson, who kille'
Paul Riley at Bamberg September II
last, was acquitted Of the charge o
murder late Wednesday afternoon
The verdict was reached after delib
erations of the jurors lasting bu
| three minutes and came at the ent
of busy court day, involving the tes
timony OF nine witnesses on direc
and aross-e0anination, able argu
ments by four Of the seven attorney
appearing In the case and forcefu
charge to the jury by Judge Spain
The defense offered no testimony.
G. Moye dickinson and the late
Paul Riley were among the mos
prominent citizens Of Bamberg, tow1
and county, ana the progress Of ths
case has been followed with the
closest interest. Many visitors were
at Bamberg from nearby towns anc
the Bamberg county court room wa:
crowded with spectators throughout
the day. The defendant sat sur
rounded by members of his family
| and other relatives Of the Riley fam
| lily were also in court.
Judge Thomas H. Spain announced
to the case.
The case moved with dispatch
! Aided by attorneys for both sides
| Judge Spain carried the case for
| ward, losing no time in the present
ment Of the evidence.
At no time was testimony present.
ed to show that the case was other
than described by attorneys in argu'
ment, "a most unfortunate tragedy u
The big crowd was restless and in.
clined to move around the narrow
confines of the court chamber. Sew
eral times the cry, ''Order in court!''
came from Sheriff Ray and his bail
IFS.
The first witness Of the day was
Dr.. H. J. Stuckey, who was standing
in front of a drug store the night OF
the tragedy and saw the defendant
going to his home between 10 and II
o'clock. Shortly thereafter the wit
ness heard screams from the direc-
ton Of Mr.. Dickinson's house and
went at once to the house. He saw
the defendant in trousers and sh.ft
sleeves going toward the jail. Pro-
ceeding to the house the physician
found the dead body of Paul Riley in
lot in the rear Of the Dickinson
home. He found two wounds, the
doctor said, one in the shoulder in
ficted from the front and another in
the head received from the rear. The
wound in the head caused death.
Returning to the house, said the
witness, he found the defendant
there. The witness detailed con-
versation he had with the defendant,
in which Mr.. Dickinson said, 81 kill
ed Paul Riley" and asked if he (the
witness) wouldn't have done it. He
saw the defendant find a straight
chair by a window and was told by
Mr.. Dickinson that his little girl had
told him that she saw some one in
the yard. The defendant pointed out
the chair and said: "See here where
some one was trying to get in my
house." The defendant told the wit
ness that when he fired he did not
know the man he shot was Paul
Riley.
The jury in charge Of the judge
and sheriff visited the home of Mr..
Dickinson, where the tragedy was
enacted. 1t is some two blocks dis
tant from the court house.
Returning to the court house the
cross-examination of DR.. Stuckey was
taken up when more detail was en-
tered into as to the statements made
by the defendant to the physician.
The defendant told him, DR.. Stuckey
declared, that his little daughter
came to him saying that there was a
man in the yard; that the defendant
secured his gun and investigated.
When he saw a man in the yard he
cried Throw up your hands, and
repeated the cry; that he pursued the
man to the lot gate.
DR.. Stuckey said Dickinson was ex-
cited and wanted to talk but he stop
ped him. The defendant made a
number of statements, however, de-
claring that he didn't know that it
was Paul Riley and that che wouldn't
have done it for anything in the
world" and exclaiming, "The poor
widow and child" The defendant,
Dr.. Stuckey testified, said he didn't
know why in the world the deceased
had come to his house as he had not
spoken to him for a number of years,
At the conclusion Of Dr.. Stuckey' s
testimony a recess was taken fol-
lunch. Judge Spain announced that
he would keep the jury together and
instructed the sheriff to take them
out to lunch.
V. Bounds, formerly drug clerk
at Bamberg but now a travelling
salesman with headquarters in Co.
lumbia, followed Dr.. Stuckey to the
stand. He told Of going to the Dick
inson home and finding the body OF
Paul Riley in the lot. He agreed
with Dr.. Stuckey as to the position
of the body. His testimony as to
Mr.. Dickinson's finding the chair and
saying he killed Paul Riley agreed
| with the previous witness. Mr.
Bounds testified that he saw Mr
Riley about nine o'clock at loca.
drug store and that his condition was
normal and he did not think he was
drinking. In Is months acquaint'
ance he had never seen Mr.. Riley II
an intoxicated condition. The wit
ness agreed with the preceding wit
ness as to Mr.. Dickinson's words II
deploring the affair, saying he woulc