The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1917, 1915-03-05
tStaii t0rrrspondenee.)

WALllALI.A, March 4.-Attcr &c
libcrating TO-. rs minutes the Jury In
the case 0f william +. Mcclure. j.
Woodrow Campbell. Calma G.. Kay,
s.. Augustus Jones. John Mcdonald
and VIII Kay, residents Of the Fair
Play section OF Oconee county. who
were placed on trial Tuesday morn
Ing charged with the murder Of Green
Gibson during g rnco riot there on
December 20 lust. tonight returned
verdict Of mot guilty" with reference
10 all six defendants.
Interesting Trial.
= The rendering OF this verdict
brought To q close tho three days
trial of u. case that has attracted
wider interest than any matter tried
In. the criminal courts of Oconec
county. in years. The six men who
were on trial are equally well known
in Anderson, and interest In the out
come OF the case was probably Keen
er in the latt(r county than in the
! county In which the matter was
tried. The cnse was not without con-
siderable interest in Georgia, as al-
legged incidents leading up to tho
crime for which the men were tried
were said to have transpired over the
GCOrgia-South Carolina state line
from Fair Play. The defendants were
represented by an array ct attorneys
from Anderson, Walhalia and Hart
we'll, Ga. The matter Is of further
3 interest In Georgia for the reason
that warrants have been lodged by
tho authorities Of Hart county. Geor-
gin. against some of the defendants
I In the cnse tried at Walhnlla, and
the Eapers are .Eaw before tllcs grand
Jury OF that county for consideration.
These warrants charge the parties
::a:s;a;. With heving beaten 70 death
+ two negro men, George Gibson and
Tom Spights. on Georgia territory, on
the same Sunday. that Green Gibson
5 was killed.
Last Dny's Proceedings.
The course Of events On tho last day
OF tile trial moved rapidly, and the
matter was brought to n close rather
cartier than had been anticipated. All
testimony was finished at the fore
I noon session Of court. Immediately
after the cnnvening Of court after the
< dinner recess arguments were begun.
Three attorneys for the defense
spoke. eaci, for approximately 30
minutes, while tho solicitor alone
spoke for the prosecution. his argu-
rnent requiring something Nkc IN:
hour and q half.
q At $50 the court began its charge
to the Jury, and at G:lO o'clock the
.casc was given to .hem for decision.
Within % minutes tho jury had
agreed, and Immediately returned
their verdict OF ''nct guilty." -
No Excitement. H'
Tho verdict had been expected, con-
sequently, there was no surprise eX-
pressed or demonstration when IT was
s announced. Tho decision OF the Jury
seems to meet with general approval
or those about here. Within short
while the court room had been clear
ed and tonight the streets OF Walhalla
are deserted, and there Is no evidence
OF IN intensely interesting trinl hay
ing been staged In this little noun
tain town for the past three days.
There were several dozen Ander-
son people In attendance on the trial
from the first. but the number was
considerably increased on the last
day. Those out-of-town people and
the men who were acquitted leave
for their homes Friday morning,
though some OF the defendants and
spectators who could reach their
homes conveniently by automobile
left hero tonight.
The Trial Today.
All testimony In the case had been
4 completed when court recessed at /
4 o'clock for dinner. and upon RECON-
ventng an hour and half later the ar.
guments were begun. When court met
at! 20 O'clock this morning the de-.
fendant. William T. Mcclure, who
I y; TOOK the stand Wednesday afternoon