Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-02-29
EADY'S MOTHER AND
SISTER FAINT WHEN
JURY ACQUITS MILES
Mrs, Eady Is Soon Revived,
but Physicians Work Long
to Restore Mrs, Elizabeth
Berkey to Consciousness

Not guilty was the verdict of the
/ jury Friday IN the case of J. II. Miles.
/ on trial for murder. Miles shot and
killed Anderson Nj. Eady the night of
| January 10. Miles was acquitted on
his plea Of self-defense and defense of
his family, and home.
Mrs..W. c. Eady, mother or the slain
man, and Mrs. Elizabeth Berkey. his sis
ter. tainted when told of the verdict.
| They were IN an a::Seroom of the court.
| Mrs. Eady was soon revived, but Mrs.
Rerkey was unconscious for long time.
/ Her condition worried physicians who
/ were summoned.
The jury went out at 11:1O o'clock and
/ returned it's verdict at o'clock. During
this hour and fifty minutes & court room
| full of people waited. When II. IL.
White, the foreman, announced I'VE, the
| Jury, find the defendant not guilty. the
room was so crowded that persons were
standing up in the aisles and against
| the walls.
The trial of Miles began Wednesday
morning with Judge w. E. Thomas, of
Valdosta, presiding over the criminal
division of the Fulton superior court.
Miles was charged with murder in
that ne shot and killed Anderson NJ.
Eady the night Of January l5 in font
of Miles home, % East Ellis street
Miles admitted the shooting from the
time he was arrested on the same night,
but contended that there was nothing
else for him to do-that he had to
shoot in defense Of his home ana fami-
/ ly."
The arguments began Immediately aft
er Miles statement Thursday aft
1 IL Ian a
/ ing off for the prosecution. He was
followed by John Y. Smith, chief of
counsel for the defense. Court adjourned
at o'clock at the conclusion of Mr..
Smiths plea and at O'Clock Friday
morning John A. Boykin, of counsel for
Miles, began the final argument in be-
half of his client. The closing argument
| for the state was made by Solicitor
General Hugh NJ. Dorsey and Judge w
E Thomas, of Valdosta, then delivered
his charge.
Miles statement could not be called
dramatic, for IT was made in a calm,
straightforward manner. But the court
room; crowded to the shut doors, hung
on every word of IT, and the jury listened
intently.
~ am forty-eight years old" said
Miles. II have lived in Atlanta most
of my life, and have never. had any
ling house at % East Ellis street.
IT was playing cards with some la
dies and men on the night of the
| shooting, January 10, when / heard a
shot up the street and some loud talk
ing.
II thought the disturbance was caused
| py negroes, and paid no more attention
until Mics Payne came running in anu
said a man was killing a woman outside.
and GiHa-
| walk / saw a white man and woman
| scuffling The man was cursing very
| loud and was saying"-here Miles re-
peated some of the language used.
The man kept repeating that he
would kill anyone who insulted his sis
| ter.
II went I'D to him and told him that
there were ladies in my house and asked
him to go away or stop using such Ian
guage.
He cursed me. started for me, drew
a pistol. and thre6. s1ed to kill me. He
struck at me twice.
The lady with him, his sister, told
him to stop and asked me to go away
and not to hurt him. She grabbed him
as ne pulled his revolver. and 1 jerked
away and went back to the house.
| "I ran in and teleFhoned the police.
The man was still outside, cursing very
= u
and told me to give him the gun, saying
/ he would protect the house, and he would
not shoot the man If l wouldn't. But
kept the gun. telling him no. the police
would soon come.
Il went upstairs on to the porch and
looked down. The man was threatening
to get into my house. / heard door
| slam downstairs and heard a woman
| scream. The women in the house ran
and hid, terrified.
II went downstairs and telephoned the
police again. The women told me that
Eady was trying to get in at the door.
| "I shouted to my step-daughter to
come away from the door, and then
started crawling toward the door, was
afraid to stand UP, as l thought he
might see me through the glass of the
door and shoot me. tried to find key
to lock the door, but could not.
"Then the man, Eady, opened the door.
shouted: rye got you nowI' and Started
In.
"Then / shot him.
gentlemen, when finally shot him /
did so in self defense. 1 had to do it. 1
fired to protect my wife, my family and
my home. That's ALL"
Miles stepped down from the witness
stano.