The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-12-30
ACQUITTED OF MURDER
MAN WHO SHOT soN-N-LaW
PLEADS UNWRITTEN LAW.
Jury Acquits Father Who Stayed Man
Who Unknown to Him Bad Al
ready Married His Daughter.

William v. cleary, town clerk Of
Haverstraw and Democratic leader in
Rochland county, was acquitted by a
jury in supreme court at New City,
N. Y, Saturday night Of the charge
Of murder in the first deg:ee, on
which he was tried for killing Eugene
NJ. Newman, his on-sin-law.
Newman was shot on July %, last,
while he was in Cleary's Office in
Haverstraw, waiting to tell the town
clerk that he had married his daugh-
ter.
Announcement of the verdict was
the signal for a demonstration by
Cleary's friends in the court room.
When the jury sent word that it had
agreed, Cleary was brought in. He
showed the effects Of the strain he
had been undergoing. Mrs. Cleary
was overcome by a nervous attack
and was taken from the room.
When the jury filed in it was ap-
parent what the verdict would be.
The foreman when asked what the
jury udQ uSClOSU dluoSI oAAoosSo Wv
words: "Not guilty"
Applause followed the announce
ment. Clearly seemed dazed at first
and when he regained his composure
asked permission to thank the jury.
It was granted and he shook hands
with each one of the II men, saying:
Gentlemen, / THANK you for your
merciful and righteous verdict"
The contention of the defense was
that although Cleary had learned
that his daughter was to become a
mother he did not know that New
man had married her. The town
clerk testified that, driven temporari-
ly out of his mind by his daughter
plight, he had no recollection OF
events Immediately preceding the
shooting or of the tragedy itself.
The most dramatic scene Of the
trial occurred Friday when the young
widow, Anna Cleary Newman, was
brought into the court room to testify
for her father, former town clerk OF
HaverstraW and prominent in poll.
tics. The girl of twenty was assist
ed toward the witness chair by hel
uncle and she c1ung to her relative
as though dreading the ordeal.
Her father had not seen her since
July %, the day before Newman was
shot as ne was waiting to tell Cleary
that he and Anna were married. AZ
his daughter neared him Cleary gave
evidences of deep emotion. AS the
girl reached his side he jumped te
MS feet sand reached out to take hel
III his arms.
The girl shrank back, but he1
father would not be denied. He seiz
ed her in irm embrace and kissed
Iher repeatedly. When the girl wa:
led trem bling to the stand Clear!
collapsed. He recovered quickly
however.
| Few qneStions were askea tn.
young widow. The defense whose
witness she vas, contented stsei9 Will
getting her to say that Newman va
the father CT her child and that snt
had ret told her father or her mother
of Ter rla11is ge. It had 5eea testi
fed previously that Cleary had lea: L
ed on July 2: that Anna was to be
cone a mother and that on July 2;
and 23 he had drunk to ey:;.'s aat
ac7ed irratlonally Through his wifi
it was brought out that d2 to th'
ft,me ne shot Newman he did no
know the boy was his son-iE-la%.
| Cross-e1 amination Of the youns
woman was brief. She said she ant
Newman had been sweethear:s from
childhood, that they saw each othe'
frequently, despite the fact that be
parents had forbidden them to NEE
and that they had exchanged man!
letters. They were married on tn
night Of July IS, she testified.
| Mrs. Cleary testified that her hus
band had moved his family from
Hayerstraw in 1911 to escape New
mans attentions to their daughte
but they had kept up eourtship
Mrs. Cleary said she had been told o
tho marriage by a physician who hat
|attended her daughters few day
previous to the shooting.
.. c