The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-02-28
MRS. L.R. EE.E
FREE;HADK
HUSBAND'sEOVER
Jury Applied Unwritten Law
to Case OF Binghamton
Woman After Having De-
liberated at Lunch Hour.

"Noi guilty. was the verdict re-
turned saturday afternoon o. the Jury
trying Mrs. y. r. krlamH for the 3nUr-
der IT Mrs. Mart smalleg
Seated beside her attorney Harry
holnlan' and with her dauFhtes apd
son GEAR her. Afrs, kellama heard the
wqfds Nat mean her ire dom az they
feil Wda TN lips offhe lierk IT First
diytsaH ot crlminai court
a Sigh ~ relief followed hy 4 smise.
the FIRST that has been seen on aer
face since the trial began Wedaesd&y
made lie appearances, before thu woman
burst into tears " jey at che giadaon.a
news
II II. Kuilams. husband u the woman.
whose Illicit relations with Mrs MARI
smsliey caused the fatal shooting was
not ~ the courtroom iie did vt atA
morning nor was ho nresent wfesa tfFe
verdict was brought in
As the jurors assured Judge Rich
ards that the clerk HAD read thsfF yer
dict correctly ard received the tliauks
of the judge fnf their service, the
tense silence that had fallen oyFr I'D
well-fiiled courtroom. fell away. A buzz
OF conversation that told III wei dr.
fined manner the approval of the sNsr.
tators WIS evident
A deputy cheriff voiced In stenEafIa n
tones the adjournment OF court Until
$3.50 O'clock Monday morning Thc
crowd quickly dispersed and another
| indictment was wiped from the records
by d Jury sustaining plea for tie
9nwritten law and The right of self
defense.
In freeing Mrs. Kelihns on this PLEA.
the jury which tried her delegated ID
women that same right ID protect 41EfV
nome and family as the same unwYittnlk
law has for years past assured ID
be a mans privilege and right
Mrs. kellams was charged with muir
der in the first degrees for shooting 0f
Mrs Mart smailey at Binghamten. on
the evening OF July 81. 1913.
The shooting occurred AZ the two
women allghtsd from a street c4r nj
| Broad and Merton streets, BinBhagHton.
Mrs, snalley left tho car first and was
walking ahead Of Mrs. keliafux at the
time the fatal shots were fired.
Mrs kellams used an automatic PTS
toll which she had CARRIED III her hand
bag during the greater part III the tIay
| IN which she testified that she had
lsrarofted the Dotels and rpolniQg houses
1 n u aR aliS sssa ,'iss slH i
i n VII sAa witness sIAha Ieilayss sgis
ted that his reIa tions with Mrs. sIAah
ley had been intimate for q period ~
more than year, that tho dead WON 4
ans husband had called meeting be-
tween the smailey family and kcllams
at which their relations had been dis
! cussed and promises made to break OF
the relations existing between Kellams
and the woman
| Mrs. Kellams on tho witness stand
| declared that she had begged Mrs.
| Smalley 10 cease her attentions to KEEL
lams; that she had requested friend
i VI hers TO use his influence with kei-
/ lams to leave the woman alone and that
she had begged her husband to break
with his paramount That Mrs Snialley
| had threatened her IL she attempted to
interfere with kellans and the woman
| and that bottle containing caTbDllc
acid had been taken from Mrs. SmaIley'S
| dress after she had been shot, were
stated on the witness stand.
1 Harry Holman, attorney for Mrs. Kel-
| hams, delivered most touching appeal
| TO the Jury In his clients behalf. Her
act WAS characterized by him as the
exercise Of the right Of ef-defens and
also as action under the unwritten law
which gives 10 a man the right 70 pro-
text his home and loved ones. Mrs.
Kellams' act in shooting Mrs. Smalley
was compared by her attorney as sim
liar to that Of Charlotte Cordax. In
removing from France q demon whose
acts had despoiled the hopes OF SO
many OF her countrymen and women.
Sam 0. Bases. states attorney, closed
the argument for the state and present.
ed 9 strong case e the, jury He char
acterized Mrs. Ksllams' action in plac.
81 ing a revolver IN her handbag and GO
ing TO Memphis and searching for hei
, husband and the woman whom she la
! ter killed as generalization ot murder
He asked the jury To weigh all TIL
facts in the case Thoroughly Y befoI.
passing Judgment aAd 10 take ssnt
| consideration the answer Mrs. keilams
had made on the stand as TO the rea
reason why she had killed Mrs. Small,
ey and her reply: because she hat
broken up my home"' THAT, Mr.. Bate.
I declared. and not fear Of injury o.
( death at Mrs. Smalleys hands, was thu
reason for the shooting.
Judge Richards eparge to the j,r,
was concluded at 1922 o'clock srhs
! jury was taken TO lynch before begin
ming consideration q Athe case. Cour
then adjourned until Y O'Clock