The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1917, 1915-03-05
EVENTS MOVED SWIFTLY
ON CLOSING DAY TRIAL.
All Testimony Completed by Close of Fore
noon Session. Afternoon Was Devoted
to Arguments and Courts Charge
Three Days Hearing.

over Green Gibson's body because
they were not present when he was
killed. The defendant denied the ac-
cusation made by other witnesses that
he struck Green Gibson over the head
with shot gun, or shot at him with
the breech loader which he took from
Nose Williams. Mcclure stated that
he did not fire at C.pson ut ALL for
the pistol he carried ut the time Glib
son fired shot gun at him would not
shoot when he pulled the trigger.
Throughout the examination the de-
fcndant stuck steadfastly to the state
ment that he had nothing to do with
the whipping Of the negroes at Knox's
Bridge or the killing of Green Glib
son, and that tho other defendants
had nothing 10 do with either trans
action.
Testimony Bnrred.
A number of other witnesses were
placed on the stand by the defense
after Mcclure came dow but the
testimony given b.. tho-- not of
very great impo' Il the
Wlthesses was Wood
row Campbell. VIII. that on
December 10 the wife h.. dauch-
ter Of Spights came t. VA. Camp-
BELLS house while fleeing from Tom
3pigts; that Tom Spights followed
close after them and came into tho
mouse: that Mrs. Campbell ordered
Tom Splghts out OF the house. but he
refused TO 60 and cursed at Mrs.
Campbell: that Mfr. Campbell then
came around the house to where Tom
Spights was. The Witness stated that
II her father took Tom Spights of and
whipped him for his conduct before
Mrs. Campbell. she did not know
anything about It. -
At this jnncture tho defense was
abou. &c introduce testimony which
was intended to show that the de-
PENDANTS were prompted to administer
whipping to Tom Spights because
OF threats he had made against Wood
row Campbell, but the court held that
such testimony was not competent.
as It had no bearing on the issues at
stake. Announcing that II had con-
siderable evidence of this nature to
offer, In case 1. had been admitted,
the dCsenso proceeded to call n num-
Der OF character witnesses, both for
the purnos, OF testlfying as to the
equation OF Green Gibson for tur-
oulence and violence and TO the repu-
.ation OF the defendants for peace and
,.der.
Character Witnesses.
The defense produced number of
Witnesses who testified that the re-
putation OF Green Gibson for ''vio-
lonco and turbulence" in tho COM
nun.ty was bad. But none or these
witnesses could cite any instance of
where Green Gibson had been guilty
of turbulence. or violence prior to his
death. Neither could any OF the wit
nesses cite any instance of where the
negro had been convicted of anything. ;.
Several witnesses OF q large nuriJ
ber who had been summoned to t6Si
tify as to the reputation OF the de-
PENDANTS for peace and order were
put on the stand. Among these wit
nesse3 were several citizens Of An
derson, namely, Clerk OF Court James
N. Pcarman. Sheriff Ashley, Lee O.
Holieman. j. j. Fretwell and Coroner
Harden. The Witnesses placed on the
stand testified that the reputation of
the defendants for peace and order
was good. After listening to a few
OF the large number of witnesses on
this point the solicitor agreed to
accept similar testimony from all
other witnesses without their going
on the stand. Z,
Refute Green Testimony.
In rebuttal OF the testimony offered
as to tho reputation of Green Gibson
for turbulence and violence. the State
put up q number of witnesses, Among
these witnesses wasSAir, Allen ,Merrif.
on whose farm Green Gibson had sllv-
cd for the past TO- or ~ years.. who
teatified that the .negro's reputation
FOR peaGe and order was good. Anoth-
er witness was q former auditor OF
Oconee county. who testified that he
had known Green, Gibson for some
IA ycars; md .ithat the negro's repu-
tation for peace aud order was Vary
good. Qthers wttnesseS from sthe Fair
Play section who had Known Green
Gibson for q number OF years testi-
fled that the negro reputation swaa
| good and that they never heard al
his being In trouble, - Y z : "
Testimony Closes. 3
With the examination or the ,charac-
ter witnesses completed, the prosecu-
tion and the defense announced that
all testimony wasss IN q Tho attornays
then conferred as ito sargufnenta,i n it
heing announced that ~ the dafexss
i,wculd have three speeches TO Mljb1;
lofE 80 minutes each, and that 81 E iIne
iBpeech would be MAJ de sby tte State
Iof less I,irat ton than TIE totsss jStiue
ArlteS by the deteise sorss ssits afsH.
ny shsa sisns 81 ysas 81 o'ciock W IS, Z
aaS she attpsns;s I'D not Gre 10
y sgj 81 yai