The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1922-03-22
VERDICT OF MANSL LAUGHTER RETURNED
AGAINST TIMMONS and WILLARD


doing police duty On the county high
way and that Timmons and Willard, al
| though on an unlawful errand. were
not subject to arrest by him and that,
even though they had known who he
was, which they denied they had the
right to defend themselves. 1t is said
that the latter plea had strong weight
with the jury in it's deliberations
! 10 substantate their case, the state
introduced the examining physician on
the night Nof the tragedy, DR.. s. c.,
Rays, who gave the course of the bull
let from the left,abdomen in a slightly
inclning direction to It's exit in the
rear about four inches to the right of
: the median line, and the four othdi.
officers, Rural Policemen c. i. Owens
and Il. ID. Abrams, and City Policemen
Jas. L. Crews and Robert Wham, two
or whom testified to seeing the flashes
from the Timmons car which brought
the deceased officer to his death.
| Outside Of the general denial as TO
taking part in the shooting that night
and the attempt to show the imprac-
tlcability of either of the defendants
having shot with precision under the
conditions as they existed when they
passed Policeman Martin the defense
attempted to support it's theory that
Martin was killed by fellow officer
by proving that the bullet which kill
cd Martin and was later found in a
local undertaking establishment came
from the same gun (which fired tho bul-
let found lodged in the back Of the de-
PENDANTS car the next morning. AS
Chief OF Police CrSws admitted firing
, the latter bullet the inference, though
never directly brought out in the tcs-
tlmony, was that he also fired the Mar
tin bullet. 1t was on this point that
the greatest struggle Of the case was
fought. The two bullets were admit
ted by the state to be Of the same cal
lbre, 40 steel jacketed, and that CHIEF
Crews fired such bullet on the night
OF, the killing. But, the defense had
the obstacle to overcome OF a dissimi-
larity in the bullets themselves. On
the butt end Of the Martin bullet a let
ter ~" was found imprinted but
there was no such letter On the butt
end OF the bullet found in the Timmons
car and admitted by Chief Crews as
having been fired by him. The infer
ence Of the defense was that some one
interested in Chief Crews behalf, real
| y no !, r1n
state, had willfully tampercd with the
Martin bullet by stencilling~the letter
"U" on it to make it different from
the other bullet. To lend color to this
inference, the defense introduced four
witnesses claiming expert knowledge
OF firearms and ammunition, including
three ex-army officers and former
ammunition dealer, who testified that
In their experience they had never
known before OF bullet having any
kind Of letter imprinted on the butt
end. Each Of them, alsostcstified that
the flash Of smokeless powder bull
let, such as caused the death of Mar
tin, was shorter than that OF the old
fashioned black powder, and that a
person standing some distance away
could not tell, as the police officers
claimed in this case, from what drec-
ton the bullet was fired.
The defense's expert bullet testi-
mony was introduced Friday morning.
The state evidently took advantage OF
the noon recess to secure further in
formation on the bullet. question, for
during the afternoon, If it's redirect
examination of Chief Crews and its
introduction by reply Of w. p. Hud-
gems, local ammunition dealer, 1t
Isprang a surprise by having these wit
!nesses open bullets Of the Remington
Arms Munition Company plainly show
ing the letter "U'' imprinted on the
butt end. Replying to question from
iSolicitor Blackwell, Mr.. Hudgens said
THAT he did not have, this kind OF bull
7 let in stock now though he had han
died 1t at one time. Replying to Mr.
knight, Mr.. Hudgensew unable to
say whether or not Mr.. Crews had
made purchase of bullets OF this
make and calibre from him previous to
the night of the homicide. He was now
carrying, he said, Seniy the Western
4 lAutomatic Arms Company shells OF
} this calibre, Mr.. Crews having previ-