The Palatka news and advertiser., 1915-04-30
GARDNER MURDERER
FOUND GUILTY
Jury Renders Verdict After
Deliberating Ten
Minutes.

The spring term of the circuit
court opened Monday morning, Judge
Wills presiding. The docket con-
tains 29 criminals and II civil cases.
The grand and petit juries were
drawn and the business started. The
iuries were not drawn sooner on ac-
count of bill pending in the legis-
lature to change the date of meeting.
When court convened Tuesday
morning Judge Wills stated that the
proceedings of Monday were null and
void on account of the passage of a
bill in the legislature Monday chang
ing the date of the spring term to
the third Monday in April instead of
the fourth. To avoid any complica-
tions he therefore discharged the iu-
ries and called a special term for
Putnam county.
The new juries drawn are as fol-
lows:
Grand JTry-P. J. Becks, Tom Can
non, ]. M. May, J. Hammontree, E. E.
Dodge, E. 7. Lancaster, H, Merwin,
w. L. Cheeves, C. H. Davis, H. A.
Broward, J. D Hagan, A G Phillips,
A Granger, j. Baughman, G. C.
Smith, T. z. Notes.
Petit Jury-W. H. Tucker, J. C..
,Wilroy, A. B. Purdom, L. J Owens,
David Benbow, F w. Turner, w. M.
Notes, J. w. Cannon, Jr., E. S. Neck,
D. A. Mullis H. W. Taylor, R. F.
johnson.
The first and only case of Tuesday
was that of w. G.. Tilghman VS.. G..
E. Melton as the Melton Lumber Co.
After the hearing of evidence the
jury awarded the plaintiff 81, ,493.00
and costs. E. E. Haskell and J. N.
Blackwell for plaintiff; Hilburn &
Merryday for defendant.
The grand jury reported ten true
bills and three no bills.
The case that will attract most at
tention at this term is the Clyde
Slower case for the murder of the
Gerdner brothers. A true bill was
found against him and he was ar
Iraigned Tuesday.
Court was occupied all day We'd
lnesday with criminal cases with the
exception of the case of the Capital
Cooperage Co. Of Indiana, VS.. J H.
Roberts. Verdict of 81 100000 for the
plaintiff, and attorneys fees of $1O9.-
90.
The criminal cases tried were John
Q'Neal, assault with attempt to kill
$50 or four months in prison; Sunny
Williams, twelve months for forgery
John Nelson, aggravated assault, Il
months; W. L. Bobbett, selling
liquor, having been in Jail nine
months, was set free; Walter Dolby
breaking and entering, three years
Edward and Tom Jones, breaking and
entering, six months each; Oliver
Williams, breaking and entering
three years; William Matthews, grand
larceny, u months; Harry Miller
forgery, had been in Jail 10 months
set free; Sam Anderson, aggravated
assault, in jail six months, $1,000
and costs, or thirty days.
The grand jury having finished its
work was discharged about 4:15 yes
terday afternoon. The Judge COM
plmented the iurvmen very highly
for their quick and efficient work
The case of Clyde Slower came up
yesterday morning and lasted until
4 o'clock at which time the jury re-
turned a verdict of murder in the
first degl ee, after celebrating about
I10 minutes. The Judge Immediately
sentenced him to hang.
Slower was indicted Tuesday for
the murder of Alonzo and Horace E.
Gardner at a camp up the Ockli.waha
river last January, a full account of
which was published in The News at
the time.
The following jury was empaneled:
G. W. Hall, Thos. Sanders, Jos. Kinds,
W. W. Moody j. c. Wilrov, ] W..
Cannon, Jr., E. S. Neck, D. A. Mullis,
j. A. Bair, ]. A. Mobiles.