The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-02-24
.JETTON ACQUITTED
ON UNWR|TTENLAW
Jury Quick to Free Slayer of
Dr.. w. H. Wooten at
] Davidson.
A WILD DEMONSTRATION
Crowded Court Room Receives
Verdict With Great Enthusi-
asm; Decision Announced at
II O'clock After Only Half
An Hours De|iberation;
Self Defense Plea.
A WILD DEMONSTRATION
tspeclal 70 The Ners and ob.egserl

'NpN4'd4 % iWC News d4l Ob@l-ftA-f I
Charlotte, Feb. 21.-The verdict OF
mot guilty" pronounced by the jury
in the case OF the State against
Robert Monroe Jctton, charged with
the murder OF Or. w. II. Wooten at
Davidson on the night of February
20. was received with a Wild demon
stration at II o'clock tonight.
The jury had the case about hall
an hour and the 'unwritten law tri-
umphed. rs had been freely predicted
since the beginning Of the trial.
Crowds packed the court room and
damned it's doors from the converting
OF court this morning until the jury
returned the verdict.
Counsel for the defense spent their
half of the eight hours allowed for
argument today in cOntendinS that
Jetton shot Wooten in defense Of his
home and that his action was iuSti-
fled 10y the ''unwrittcn law" and in
self-defense.
The prosecution asked for one of
three VerdictS. first degree murder,
second degree murder or manslaugh-
ter, co~ntending that Wooten was an
invited guest in the home in which
he was killed and that he had never
wronged Mrs. Jetton in anyway
WIS. vctlO0 testimony.
II testimony of Mrs. Jettcn while
on the stand was that she first Wis
tied Davidson 10 years ago; that she
mad visited there five times. She mar
ried Mr.. Jetton October %. 1913. She
. and Jetton met eight years ago at
Davidson, and had been s~weethearts
ever since. She met DR.. Wooten on
her first visit.
in answer To questions by her law
yer. she said: d Wooten was al
ways familiar, acting peculiarly for a
married man"
Did You have improper relations
with him before MARRIAGE" her coun-
gel asked.
Il did not she replied.
did you after YOU were married 2"
only once she replied, "he kissed
me-"
She said that DIR. Wooten came the
first time on the night OF January 81,
her husband being at home and she
sick. She had DIR. Justice as her
, physician because she did not like
Or. Wooten." and told her husband
80. The second time DR.. Wooten
came to the house was on January
81. He entered, she said, without
knocking, came TO her bedroom door
"he said. TO know how 1 was, having
heard that I was sick. We were sit
ting on opposite sides Of the fire
place. lie came over. took hold OF
me II kissed me. | told him tC
leave at once or ! would phone my
husband. ON Thursday or Saturday
night of the last week, DIR. WooteI
came again about the same hour
after I o'clock--and after my husban
had gone back to the drug store. IL
came, he sale. to see how J was ant
TO tell me godn-bye, as he was goins
soon to Mississippi.
ION the night Of the homicide, he
came a little inter O'Clock as he
fore. l was in the kitchen washing
the dishes. | heard a knock. opened
the door and DR.. Wooten was stand
ing in the shadow OF the door.
asked him ne wanted. He re
piled: You know what | want anC
pushed past me into the house. IL
caught me by the wrist and pulle,
me into the bedroom in spite of all
could do. lie told me to keep m,
mouth shut. and put his hand over III,
mouth. l plead with him TO turn m,
loose. He pulled down the shade an,
lowered the lamp. and pushed m
down on the bed the second time.
heard some one on the porch and
told him some one was coming. II
replied: Let them come My hus
band rushed into the room. He sal
to DR.. Wooten, Cod dn YOU. yo
are here, are you?' and DIR. Woote
rushed toward Munroe. an int
the yard. Heard the pistol shot al
ter ! reached the yard
SympathiZers with Jctton cXpresse
the opinion in the court room tonigh
that the Judges charge favored tn
prosecution and went wild with 10
when they heard him acquitted.
Jetton claimed that he killed I'll
physician when he found him attacl
ing Mrs. Jetton. Mrs. Jettou substar
t.ated this statement. In a dying stat.
Etcnt. Or. Wootcn avoWcj his innt