Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-03-22
JURY FREES IRONS
OF MURDER CHARGE
State Fails to Make Case Against
Him for Death OF George
L. Hasson.

James Irons. Negro, charged with muir
der IN the first degree, was acquitted iate
YESTERDAY afternoon IN Court of Gcncrai
Sessions Irons was accused OF shooting
George |, Hasson, Negro, IN the rear oi
I-95 West Sixth street, on August so,
lqao Hasson died three days later IN the
Delaware hospital Tho case of Irons
attracted unusual attention, the court
room being crowded throughout the hear
ING Thirtv-cight members of the jury
panel were examined before the jury was
finally completed j Frank Ball and
James Salisbury represented lrors. lhe
prosecution was conducted by Deputy
Nttorney-Gencrals Finger and Souther-
he'd
Probably one of the most uncorccrned
persons IN the court room was the dc
fcndart himself. although facing a death
Scnt,rcc in The event Of his being CON
wet II oi the crime charged against HIM.
The case was narrowed down TO the point
whore Irons vns either guilty or not
guilty of first degree murder.
Following the shooting. IL was tcStlhcd,
Irons wort - the hospital and vlSlted the
wounded man. hut IL was not untll later
when. IN diving condition, at the solicita-
tion of a friend llasson made the deClara-
tion u Detective Mcdaniel. accusing
Irons as his assailant
Tho deputy encouragement pointed
ont that the state had 70 70 To the jury
V.th practically no evidence except the
i've diving declarations of Hasson. made by
hn when hc was informed there was no
chance for his recovery. One of the dcCiar-
'tions wasitaken by Detective Mcdaniel
ard the other by Charles J. Coleman, clerk
4 the Municipal Court.
Rllcv Jones. Negro, told Of finding
IIaSsnn il his room the morning following
tn, shooting. and of his notifying Charles
.Iohasuu. Negro. of HaSSon : condition at
the injured Ncgros request. johnson also
told az finding Hasson living helpless on
the floor of hls room and Of his removal TO
the Delaware Hospital Dr Hurdle, in
terra at tho Delaware Hospital, testified
thai IlaS~ons death was caused by
paralvsis resulting from the shot wound
IN has neck II was testified at the hearing
that at the time of TlasSon's $ removal to
;hc hospital he refused to tell the dctec-
tlvcs who had shot him and not until
Informed that he vas dying did he make
thc diving declarations The fate of Irons
rested oh the ncrc thread Of thus written
settlement and ln which Hasson accused
lrt n' th. shooting
~ ff,s-. Introduced evidence 10
~..pN fhl' ttt,-oB and Irons were aDpaT-
t1 -. tu,ndl, terms the day of the
ar.r ad he'd been intimate friends
tur '1 ,,.,,- The defendant testified that
hc h.. pyeu to the home of his brother.
~olouoa. urti about 10 o'clock the night
~ thc shooting. that he had stopped At
sixth ard Scott streets. bought box Of
IS, ,ecam for himself and wife. and had
goa, ,hrccilv - his home.
lbe diving declaration said that about
% 50 a lors knock came 10 my door,
#d s. timr ! was shot II was then
t,>tn.d NAT tho accused was nowhere
aft thc home Of HaSSon ~ $50 o clock.
Thus testimony was corohorated by wit
uesscs both FOR the defense and for the
State. Both Irons and his wife denied the
implication that the men mad quarreled
tt.. her
Nu,5 dcllberatIlg 20 minutes, the jury
rctar.cd 4 verdict u not guilty