The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-02-09
MRS. 66aa SET Free,
WOMAN CLEARED OF MURDER
OF HUSBAND.
Negroes Brown and Spellman. are
Held Responsible for Actual Shoot
ing Of Doctor.

| ing OF Doctor.
Providence, r. H.. Feb. 5.--Mrs
Elizabeth F. Mohr was acquitted by a
RJury tonight Of a charge of having in.
istgated' the murder Of her husband
DR.. G. Franklin. Mohr. .,,.
II =. Victor, Brown and Henry Spell.
tmanr two negroes who were accused
fof the actual killing, We're found
equity. The penalty is life imprison-
1ment. The jury reported at 6:07. after
i having been out since 1850 O'Clock
tnls morning. r.~ .4,t @4,4.s ~. 4-.
Mrs. Mohr swooned when the fore.
man announced the verdicta
rs there any other charge against
these defendants inquired Justice
Stearns. y
+. There is. your honor" replied At
torney General Rice, but Mrs. Mohr
Is on bail on, the other charges" q.
The defendants. Brown and SPELL
man, ffare committed without BAIL"
said the court, 'and Mrs. Mohr is dis
charged from custody on this COM
plalnt." So ," + i isis.
< The other charge against Mrs.
Mohr and the two negroes is that
they committed an assault on Miss
Emily Burger with intent to kill. i.
T. Miss Burger was shot while riding
withSDr. Mohr on the night he was at
tackled. Brown and spellman were
accused Of actually firing. the. shots
at'Miss Burger, while Mrs. Mohr was
charged with being an accessory be-
fore the fact. <.;s-s,a .i,., j. 49,
r. The jurymen looked worn as they
fled into the court room. After each
man had. taken his place the clerk
said: h"Do you find the defendant
Gecil Victor Brown guilty or not
guilty?., 81, ,...- !,..a g
Is Assths foreman rerlied. Guilty"
Mrse MoAri collapsed. '@" ~
+ The clerk continued: w.. /. i,
EstsDo you nnd the. defendant Henry
tspef'man guilty or not guilty?" '-'e
8 Guilty" ~ ~, ssn s..& a.Y..
Iaa do you find the defendant Eliza. !.
|'Reth'F. Mohr guilty or not guilty e"se
I mot guilty." ~ @ z :;
|t,syi"Ths fight has only begun" was
the, comment . OF. William H. Lewis,
Iaeurssl for Brown. Lewis said that
he might take the. cases to the ,su-
kpreme court. ,.s,,&. ~, ~
bsIAttorney General Rice declined to
comment. He would not say when
|the other charge against Mrs. Mohr
would be tried, -
The trial began January 10 and The
jury had been kept together all the
time. The Jurors went to their homes
tonight for the first time in four
weeks i,.ss,, . sc.
Dr. Mohr,.a physician practicing in
this city aand Newportp was shot on
the evening of August 81, 1915, as he
was sitting in his stalled automobile
In q lonely,spot lin harrington. ..s.
4 George w. .Healis, the negro. chauf-
feuH confessed and alleged that Mrs.
fMohr had agreed to pay him. Brown
and speilman $4,000 If they would
murder her husband. ~, 10,
f. The police also claimed that the
other two negroes made confessions
which subsequently were repudiated.
Healis pleaded guilty to manslaughter
and became a witness for the State.
Is Rfs and Mrs. ;Mohr had been living
apart TOR /, two years. Separation suits
were pending and the State, claimed
that Mre. Mohr sought her husband s
death, for revenge and to obtain his
estate fsfN ao1i. ,sa -. &p,ui I:
Is Mrs. Mahrs made a brief statement
Fsfter4 returning to her home tonight.
She said, she had been confident from
the beginning that, no jury would con-
Eyict,her, adding that the charge of
bringing about the death, of the man
who was the father of her children
land to whom she had always hoped
to become reconciled was the culmina-
Iuon of a. series Of f.misfortunes that
had cloudAd, her ufe.~4 ,q.qs, ~. ~ ars.s
:, Mrs. Mohr expressed her apprecia-
tion Of the. consideration shown. her
lby the grand jury. the fairness of the
Jury. the. kindness Of her friends and
the general sympathy of the public at
large, 49,. ,n.3 = ..n..- =.
h. II am .home; again. she said. with
my children and hope to be. allowed
in peace to- devote the rest of my life
to their welfare, sa..s :, ....
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4 .t. sla =