Lexington dispatch-news. [volume] (Lexington, S.C.) 1917-1919, 1919-09-24
LANCASTER FREED
BY COLUMBIA JURY
COLUMBIA POLICEMAN IS &C
Quilted OF MURDER CHARGE
INEREST WAS GREAT.

/ Columbia, Sept. 22.-E. NJ. Lancas-
ter. Columbia policeman, who shot
| ick. Il Lexington county farmer, on
,, May % Of this year. was acquitted by
Jury late Friday night of the murder
! of his wife. An effort was made by
| the defendants attorneys to have him
| tried on both indictments, that Of kill
| ing Lorick as we'll as the CDe for kill
; ing his wife, but this was overruled
by Judge Ernest Moore. who presided
at the trial Solicitor Spigner has not
yet said whether he expects to try
! Lancaster at the next term of the
court for the killing of Lorick. but it
is supposed that this will be done.
Lancaster was placed on trial Thurs
day morning. Several hours were
consumed in the selection of a jury
The trial lasted until about I o'clock
Friday night, when the jury retire;.
and returned verdict Of not guilty
about four hours later.
There were two outstanding features
of the trial. One was the testimony of
Lancaster himself, and the other was
an affidavit submitted by Lancaster's
16-year-old son, who was i'll and could
not attend court in person.
Lancaster told of circumstances
which led to doubt of his wife's fidel-
ity to him. He said that several weeks
before the killing he sustained brok-
en- leg and had to go to a hospital.
| Upon his return to his home, and
while still unable to work, his leg
being in a plaster of Paris cast, his
wife's actions were suspicious. On the
day of the tragedy she left home and
| he went in search of her and hired a
negro chauffeur to drive him to the
| Gervais street bridge. He told the
driver toEwait there, and soon Lorick
came driving across the bridge from
the Lexington side with his wife on
the scat beside him. .As they ap-
preached he said, he drew his pistol
and fired at Lorick, He declares he
| Il ,o+ iCp Of 40
! first shot until he came to himself in
| the police station several days later.
He says it is all Il blank to him. He
was closely ross-Questioned by Soil
citor Spigner, but stuck to his story.
An affidavit by Lancaster'S son was
put in evidence, after physicians had
! examined the boy and reported that
| he was i'll and unable to appear in
court in person. The boy said he had
long known of the intimacy between
| Lorick and his mother. that upon one
occasion he caught them in q COM
promising position and that Loricll
had given him $50 to keep his mouth
shut Upon two occasions. he said, his
mother had tried to get him to kill his
father. He said that on one occasion
she got a pistol and gave it to him. and
! that he went into the roorl where his
father WAS but did not har" tho nerve
to fire the shot
Several witnesses for the State gave
the details of the KILN" at the end
Of the bridge. Lancaster, who was on
crutches at the time. got into 4 public
service car at the Jefferson hotel and
told the driver to carry him to the
bridge. After going n short distance
he made the driver put up the Cur
tainS OF the machine. After reaching
t!,c ''-ldg" tho driver turned the ma
chine around and they waited until
Lorick and Mrs. Lancaster drove up.
one Of the witnesses said Mrs Lancns-
ter had her arms around Lorick's
neck. Lancaster opened fire on them
and cmpticd two revolvcrs at them
every shot taking effect. Both Lorick
and Mrs Lancaster were killed in
Stantly Lancaster then sat down on
the edge Of the street and waited until
! officers arrived and placed him unde,
arrest. Witnesses said he begged Chief
Of Police Richardson to kill him. that
| he did not want to live any longer.
Lancaster said he did not remember
making this request.
The trial attracted a large crowd.
! and the court loom was packed from
! the beginning until the end. Many
nf those ir attendance were women.
| Solicitor Spigner was assisted in the
| prosecution by Solicitor George Bel
! Zimmerman, Of Lexington, while the
! attorneys for the defense were Former
Governor Cole l. Blease and y. w.