The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1914-09-23
JOS. c. SULLIVAN
GIVEN SIX YEARS
Guilty Of ManslaugIlter is
Jury's Verdict
POSSIBLY APPEAL
TO SUPREME COURT

After Remaining out All of Thursday
Night, jury Rendered. n Verdict Fri
day Morning about II O'Clock. De.
fcndant Out on Bail.
Joseph G. Sullivan, the prominent
young Sullivan township farmer, in
dicted for killing John NJ. Cannon, tho
Laurens attorney, at Gray Court on
May 18th last, was found guilty of
manslaughter in the second trial of
his case which began last Wednesday
morning and was sentenced to six
years at labor on the public works of
the county or at the state penitentiary.
Defendants attorneys filed notice Of
an appeal to the supreme court and
pending this appeal bail was granted
in the sum of>s5,000. The bail was sat
isfactolily arranged for and Sullivan
is now out on bond The case was Civ
en- to the jury Thursday afternoon and
Friday morning at II o'clock the YER
dict was rendered.
EVIDENCE in the second trial was
largely repetition Of that Of the first,
when mistrial was ordered. Several
additional witnesses were put on the
stand by the state, one Of whom,
Jesse A. Wood, denied the statements
attributed to him by other witnesses
that he said to Col Cannon at Gray
Court. Immediately preceding the trag-
edy, You have not treated me and
the Smllivans right" Mr.. Wood de-
MED that he included the Sullivans at
all, though he admitted as true, that
part Of the testimony which related
to him and his own family. Consider
able weight was attached to this part
OF the testimony as upon 1t largely
rested the contention Of the state that
Sullivan entered into the alteration
with Col. Cannon deliberately The
defense put up testimony tending to
discrcdit tho testimony of Mr.. Wood.
The state also placed Oh the stand
Miss Felicia Stone who was In the
waiting room with the Sullivans after
the trial Of young Humbert Sullivan
ard Immediately preceding the homi-
eide. Miss Stones testimony was in
tended to lend weight to the States
contention that the Sullivans follow
ed Col. Cannon from the room intent
upon bringing on difficulty. She tes-
titled that the Sullivans left the room
after Col. Cannon rather than before,
as intimated In the testimony of the
defendant. However, on cross exam
inatien, she stated that the Sullivans
left the room to get ice cream upon
the invitation of Joseph G. Sullivan,
thus largely c0nntcractng the effect
OF the direct testimony
The complete story of the killing is
still fresh In the minds Of the readers
OF The Advertiser The testimony at
this trial added little or nothing to
that already published. To make a
brief review of the case, it will be re-
membered that at trial before a
township magistrate at Gray Court
May 18th, in which Humbert Sullivan.
a brother OF Joseph G. Sullivan. was
the defendant. Col. Cannon represent
cd Miss Sharpe the prosecuting wit
ness. The trial was tho result OF al
legged unseemly conduct on the part
OF Humbert Sullivan at school. Feel
ing was already at high tension when
the trial vas called in the Gray Court
railroad station. During tho trial the
Sullivans took exception to the man
ner in which Col. Cannon cosductcd
tho case. After arguments in the
case, Sullivan and Cannon met on the
outside of the building where the al
tercation onsued. The state contendcd
THAT Sullivan followed Cannon out OF
the room with the intention OF Great
ing disturbance, testimony being in
troduced TO show that he left the wait
ing room with his arm underneath his
coat as If prepared to pull! his pistol
A very heated argument was already
in progress between Col Cannon and
Mr. jesse A. Wood when the SIllivans
! arrived on the, scene. Joseph G.. Sulli.
van became involved in the alterca.
tion and the lie was passed, but wheth
er first uttered by Cannon or Sullivan
testimony conflicted. A blow from
Col. Canson's light walking cane
across Sulliyan's forehead was follow.