The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1916-12-05
NOT GUILTY Is VERDICT
OF YORK COUNTY JURY
Ernest Isenhower, Jim Rawls and
Jesse Morrison Acquitted Of Mur-
der Charge on First Ballot

York, Nov 29--It took York
county jury today only 10 minutes to
acquit Ernest IsenhOwer, Jim RaWis
and Jesse Morrison Of the murder OF
Sheriff Adam D. Hood, of Fairheef
The case was placed in their hands
shortly after noon and they voted to
acquit the defendants on the first bal
lot The jury, however, remained in
the room until o'clock when court
reconvened, following the dinner hour.
After the verdict the defendants went
over to the jury box and shcok the
hand of the y jurors. Former Gov
ernor Blease Of their counsel did like
wise. No demonstration greeted the
verdict. which was generally expected.
The Fairfield men will be tried next
spri.g for the murder of julie Smith.
Ex-Governor Blease declared that 1t
was unnecessary to try the defend
ants for the murder Of the negro since
the trial would only be a farce. NO
jury is going to convict white men for
killing a negro rapist," he declared.
Still we don't mind coming back for
the trial. I always like to come to
York county myself
T. F. McDow made the opening ar
gument for the state He said the is
sue in the case was whether sheriff
after taking an oath to defend a prls-
oner is to surrender that prisoner for
private vengeance or whether he is to
protect his prisoner and uphold the
majesty of the law. When you write
your verdict you will oe pointed to III
the future as the jury that decided
what protection an officer Of the law
in South Carolina Shall have; whether
the law is to be upheld or whether
We are to revert back to Indian days
when a man went out and scalped his
enemy
Even estate" Immune.
81 would not even shoot the editor
OF the Columbia State if l saw him IN
the act Of shooting a negro raplst, and
God knows there is NO man whom [
( hate worse said former Governor
Rlease, who opened the argument for
the defense. "If julie Smith, the ne
gro rapist, had been lynched immed-
lately after he was caught, this tragedy
would not have happened" he added.
He said the only way to stop criminal
assaults on white women by negroes
was to put every negro rapist six feet
under the earth, court or no court.
'sNo man is more willing to defend a
sheriff than l." said Mr.. Blease. "Out
of As sheriffs in the state 81 are my
personal and political friends, bur
they can make mistake !am Hood
made a mistake Instead Of trying to
arrest Clyde inhoWer after Isea-
hover had S! Jule Smith he shot
Clyde. have BROTHER who is sheriff
of Newberry county and know ne
would never have shot man who kill
ed a negro rapist.''
]. ". Hannahan. Of WiaDsboro.
counsel for Is, Rawls. sought to dis
credit the states theory of conspir-
acy on the part of the three defend
ants.
:, r. Hart cited from the Bible
the story of Shechem, who defiled
'Dinah, daughter Of Jacob, and read
the account of his lynching by the
sons of Jacob. He said that men
were lynching for criminal assault
thousands of years ago, even as they
are today.
81 can speak no i'll of Ernest lsen-
hover" said Solicitor Henry. "He has
been in my home. and Sheriff Hood
was my friend What | want to do
in this matter is to get at the truth.
want you gentlemen to seek the
truth in this case and return yer
dict in accordance with the truth and
without fear or favor. Our very civ
Eilization is at stake in this trial"