The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-05-24

MURDER TRIAL
Harrison, One of Defendants
Describes Killing

Glenn Treece and Frank Jeffords.
for the alleged murder of John c..
Annette. partner with Jeffords in
the Elmwood Filling Station. on
the night OF May 9, was replete
with startling developments.
The defense first offered charac-
ter witnesses for Jeffords. Harri-
son then was put on the stand, and
he was unsparing in his testimony
as it related tt himself and his al
legged confederates. He told Of the
plans for the killing of Annette,
how the execution of the alleged
plot had been delayed by the
movements of Annette. He said
he struck Annette with a stick, but
denied that his blow caused i'm
mediate death. 1t was the two
blows delivered by Jeffords with
an iron axle, he said, that put an
end to the one-eyed victim.
T .eece, he declared, was outside
the building watching in accord
ance with the pre-arranged plans.
Harrison, speaking calmly and in
clear voice, told the jury of his
ride in Arnette's car with the dead
body Of the latter on the seat be-
/ side him and how the swerving Of
the car threw the head OF the
dead man against his shoulder. He
said that the original plan had
been to make way with the body
at Smiths branch, in North Co.
lumbia, but that passing automo-
bi1es had prevented this chapter
in the plot and he continued on to
Kirkland avenue, where the car
was rolled down an incline. Harri-
son saying that he jumped from
the car as it rolled down the en-
bankment.
Harrison testified that Treece
had lost his nerve and left the
machine near the branch. JEFF
fords, who, he said, engineered the
scheme, promised to follow in his
car to bring them back, but he
failed to show up.
Harrison contended that he at
tempted to leave the garage when
he struck Annette, but came back
upon the demand of .Jeffords, who,
he said, he thought was armed. In
conclusion he testified, after say
ing that Jeffords had promised
him and Treece an interest in the
business in response to the So
licitor on cross-eXanlination: Il
am guilty as can be; 1 have told
the truth and lied on nobody"
A packed court room heard the
testimony. When court rceonven-
ed fer the afternoon, Mrs. Treece,
mother of one of the defendants,
and the youngest, told in broken
voice that her son had been a
good boy, that she always waited
up for his return home at night;
and that she was waiting for him
on the evening of the homicide as
usual. He did not say a word to
her about the alleged murder, she
said. The testimony Of the heart
| broken mother was a dramatic
prelude to the testimony of her
son, Glenn Treece, who followed
her on the stand.
He was readily responsive to the
| examination by his own attorney,
Mr.. Herbert, and the solicitor, Mr..
Spigner. He said he never touched
the body of Annette. His story was
discriminating as to himself to the
highest degree, and it appeared
that his defense was that he car
ried out his part IF the alleged
agreement because BE feared JEFF
fords. His line of defense was
similar in that respect, and in 9TH
er details to the testimony of Har-
rison.
While Treece was on the stand
two developments occurred. and
one. the sudden illness Of Juror
Taylor, brought the trial to an end
for the day. The other was the
pathetic despair and anguish OF
Mrs. Treece, who gave way to the
strain and grief under which she
had been laboring and cried out,
"My boy, my boy" as relatives led
her from the court room.
Two physicians attended the
stricken juror in an ante-room. II
was said that he was seized with
a form of collie; and that he would
probably be able to be in his seat
in the morning, when the testl-
mony of Treece Will be resumed.
Jeffords, who, according to the
alleged accomplices, was the
master mind in the plot and MUIR
der of Annette, has not been put
on the stand. The trial will not
be concluded before late Friday
night. if then. The attorneys fel
the three accused are serving by
appointment from the presiding
judge. w. II. Townsend.
Harrison is represented by j.. H
Cooper and Jeffords by John Quinn
and James H. Hammond, while
freezes counsel is r. Beverly Her
betr and William Nelson. The
trial enters it's fourth day Friday
and fifty witnesses had been or
the stand up to Thursday night. o.
this number the state has called
thirty-two.
Columbia. May i9-Blaming tht
entire crime on Ira Harrison, J.. NJ
JefTords, who took the stand in hi!
own behalf today, brought to
climax the sensational trial Of the
trio charged with the murder
j.. c.. Annette. Jelfords testified