The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-06-20
SELF DEFENSE IS
PLEA OF NEGRO IN
MURDER OF ECHOLS
Court Room Jammed at Both
Day and Night Ses-
siOns Of Trial.
ALLEGES ECHOLS BEAT r
HIM WITH IRON SPRING
Dead Mans Shirt Burning From
ShOt-M urder Re
Enacted in Court.

The county court room was crowded
all day yesterday and also at the evening
session, IN the case of the state VS. Albert
Thompson, who shot and killed Sam A.
Eehols OF Cora, In Santa Rosa county.
The murder came near to bringing about
a lynching and on request of sheriff
Mitchell of Santa Rosa county, the negro
was rushed to the Pensacola Naval Air
Station for safe keeping, later being
placed in the county Jail.
Echols was a young married man and
a teacher, well liked, and 1T the time
of the murder. February "a, 1921, feeling
ran high In Santa Rosa county
QUARREL OVER CUTTER
The testimony revoIved around a stalk
cutter, the ownership of which was
questioned, and a quarrel over which
resulted in the death or Echols. the negro
claiming that the stalk-cutter belonged
to him. Five shots were said by Witness
es to have been fired. two entering the
body of Echois. causing his death. Echols
was accompanied by Joe Yarber. at the
time of the quarrel, and counsel for the
defendant sought to bring out the fol-
lowing facts in his favor.
SELF DEFENSE PLEA
That for thirty years he had worked on
the pace farm: that he was law -abiding
citizen; that just few days before the
quarrel which resulted in murder he had
loaned the stalk cutter to a colored man:
that the cutter had been broken; that
he had also been In the habit OF loaning
1t to white people. that Echols and Var
Der went to d field where the man to
whom IT had been loaned, had left tt
for mending; that the negro told the
white men that they could not get the
cutter, as he was going to take It to the
blacksmith shop; that he was beaten
over the head with heavy piece OF iron.
in the quarrel which followed, and then
fired the shots In seif-defense.
CARRIED GUN
The weak spot in this evidence seemed
to be that the negro carried gun. The
counsel for the defendant, however.
sought to bring out the fact that he.
had left the pistol at the blacksmith
shop, and had picked it up and dropped
it into his pocket, intending to take it
home. meeting the men Immediately
afterward and firing when attacked.
The state was represented by Harry
w. Thompson. assisted by r. A. Me-
Geachy, John Clay Smith representing
the defendant.
ENACT MURDER SCENE
The defendant told a very straight
story, declaring that Joe Yarber had him
down. holding him, while Sam Eohols
was beating him over the head with tbs
iron spring to the stalk-cutter.
The iron seat of the sstaIl1-cutter was
introduced as evidence. and both the de-
fendant and several of the witnesses were
to re-enact the murder scene.
SHIRT WAS BURNING
The wife Of the defendant Mrs Matte
Echols, was introduced as a witness. and
the shirt of her husband, as she and 9th
ers had cut IT from his dying body, was
as evidence Mrs. Echols said
that. when she reached her husband, his
shirt was stln smoking and she had to
put out the fire.
The court rested the case until this
the jury being charged TO keen
together during the night. The trial
will probably consume the better part Of
this morning If not the day.
Following are the Jurors: Robert P.
Butler. @. NJ. Barrow, J. c. Peaden, M.
J. Allen, Jos Jacoby. Christian Frost,
Jack w wilkins. w. s. Everett. D. B.
Reed, A. H. crooke. Hugh Maloney, chas. I
NJ. Hoffman.