The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1921-06-16
Brutal Murderer I
Brave Officer Ls
DR.. Peacock is Still in
Jail to Await HearinI
OH His SAM
The Hearing WIN Take Place Be
Judge Finley at Lexington OnE
June 22

The Hearing WIN Take Place Be-
Judge Finley at Lexington Onl
June %
Lexington, June 15.LDr. J. w. It
cock, who was found mot guilty.
murder Saturday night by jury !
Rowan county citizens on the grol
that he was insane at the time I
killed Chief of Police j. E. TaylorI
Thomasville, remains in his ceIlf
the county jail to await the hearl
on his mental condition at the presl
time, which will be held here befi
Judge T. B. Finley, on June 38.
judge will then make a final ruling
to whether the physician shall
committed to the criminal insane
partment of the state penitcn.i1ry.a
Few big cases here have come i
to a less dramatic close. There wi
no demonstration of any kind on
part of anyone when the jury Il
nounced it's verdict, except that vii
DR.. Peacock resumed his seat afl
standing up to hear his fate his vi
placed her arms around his ceck al
he held her in his embrace for pl
haps a minute. In the meantiIl
Judge Finley turned to the jury al
merely said: Gentlemen of the jul
you are excused"
When the jury came in and stat
they had arrived at their verdict, thl
arose and in response to the luestit
"What say you?,' they answered
unison, "Not guilty." After the arc
ment as to the time of hearing al
been overruled, which required abe
half an hour, court was adjourned al
members of the jury came over al
shook hands with DR. Peacock.
When DR.. Peacock entered Il
court room at 9 o'clock Saturdl
night to hear the reading of the e1l
dence of DR.. Isaac Taylor, Of Morgai
ton, which enabled the jury to soa
agree, he supported Mrs. PeacoC
who leaned heavily on his arm al
appeared almost completely exhaus
ed after a most trying week: 9th
members of his family appeared 4
most too tired to display emotion.
It was upon the testimony of Il
three alienists that DR.. Peacock is nc
a paranoiac, coupled with that of
number of other physicians who hi
known him for years that. they b
lieYed him insane at the time of b
act, that the, jury returned a verdi
holding him not guilty of murder. T
Judge had charged the jury that
they found the defendant to ha'
been insane at~tse time of the XII
ing they should return the verdict
not guiltq.
Many here are inclined to draw
sort of parallel between the trial hel
and that of Harry K. Thaw, who W.
found not guilty on the plea that !
was a paranoiac. Of course, most
are different from the famous Ne
York case.
1t is generally conceded here b
those to-Whom the verdict is nC
pleasing that the jury did their dut
as they saw it, and thae if they az
cepted the large mass of testimony a
to Dr. Peacock's insanity no othe
verdict could have been returned.
Some discussion hinges around tn
reports that Henry Shaver, who AVA
shot through the stom
ach by a bullet passing throug
Taylor, and Mrs. J. E.3Taylor, widov
of the slain chief, had taken steps t
bring suits against DR.. Peacock fo
large sums of damages, In view 9
the fact that the jury apparently kel
him to be insane at tpat time and in
capable of committing crime, an intel
esting question has been brought u
as to whether he could commit a ton
upon which damages might be recoy
cred. The result Of the insanity ir
QUESTION before Judge T. B. Finle
oh June % may throw more light UI
on this question.