The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1920-04-15
KENNETH GOSSETT
GIVEN 40 !. YEARS
RECOMMENDED TO MERCY AF-
TER JURY DELIBERATES 4
HOURS AND SIS MINUTES

have to serve what is practically a
life sentence in the State penitentiary
for criminal assault on sixteen-year-
old girl, a native of Abbeville.
After being out for four hours and
ffty-fve minutes the jury which heard
the case of the Honea Path youth re-
turned at 6 o'clock Saturday a YER
dict of rape with recommendation to
the mercy of the court, and Judge
kThomas S. Sease Immediately pro-
nounced the extreme penalty of the
taw-forty years Imprisonment at
hard labor.
The finding of the jury and the pro-
nouncement of the sentence were heard
in stoical silence by the youth. Two
of the brothers of the prosecutrlx
were in court, and tears ran down the
cheek of the older one.
Attorneys for the defendant, who
had fought the case bitterly since last
Monday in the face of public indigna-
tion against the crime, appealed for
a new trial on the grounds that the
court was illegally constituted and
that the venire was not drawn accord
ing to the law, in contravention to
both the Constitution of South Car
olina and of the United States. The
motion was overruled. They will ap-
peal to the State Supreme Court.
In passing sentence, Judge Sease
said he presumed that the reason
Why the jury recommended mercy was
because of the extreme youth OF Ken
meth Gossett. He hoped that the les
son which has been taught in the
court this week will have a deterrent
effect on others who commit like
crimes. He said that, in passing the
sentence, he did, which was in effect
a life imprisonment, he hoped that
he prisoner would contemplate on
Ehe wrong he had done.
There was no demonstration when
the verdict was announced. There
was some surprise that the youth
should be found gui lty.It was thought
by many that there might be an ac-
auittal, and it appeared when the jury
stayed out as long as it did that there
might be a mistrial.
When it became known that the
jury had agreed, the courthouse began
slowly to fill up and there was hush
of solemnity as the jury filed in and
announced its verdict.
On the same verdict which con-
demned Kenneth Gossett was written
the verdict, at the direction OF the
court, which cleared John. Gossett, his
twenty-two-year-old cousin, who was
his companion on the automobile trip
of March IA.
The jury could have found Kenneth
Gossett guilty of criminal assault or
attempted criminal assault which
would have meant the death penalty,
)or attempted criminal assault with
recommendation to mercy, which
would have carried sentence Of from
five to forty years, the same as In the
first count, or of assault of highly
aggravated nature, which would have
carried a verdict of from three months
to ten years.
The arguments were brilliant eff
forts by all council, Homer S. Black
well, of Laurens, solicitor OF the
Eighth circuit, opened for the State,
and he was followed by Gen. M. l..
Bonham of Anderson, and his son,
State Senator Proctor A. Bonham OF
Greenville, council for the defense,
George Bell Zimmerman, of Lexlng-
ton, solicitor of the Eleventh judicial
case went to the jury at LOS o'clock
and the verdict was returned at 3
o'clock.
The jury was tied up so long be-
cause it was divided as to whether it
should find a verdict of guilty or one
of guilty with recommendation to the
mercy of the court, it is rumored.
Mrs. Gossett, mother of the defend
ant, held up throughout the trial, but
when sentence had been passed upon
him she threww her arms about her
boy, kissed him and prayed over him.
His father threw his arms around him
and cried.
lne defendants father and mother
homeward bound in an automo-
b., passed him as he was being car
: ried to the Jail.
hThe defendant left for Columbia on
HE 7:10 o'clock train in the custody
of United States Deputy Marshal