The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-05-20
TRIO MAY KNOW
FATE TODAY

4
fessions staring them in the face and
their attorneys asking nothing more
than mercy" for their clients, the
case of Frank NJ. Jeffords, Ira Harri-
son and Glenn Treece, charged with
the murder of J.. c. Annette, will go
to the jury today. ....s !.
3 Taking Of evidence in the trial, be-
gun Tuesday, was concluded at 80
o'clock yesterday afternoon and four
Of the seven arguments to the jury,
heard before the court adjcarned for
the day. Three more arguments by at
stortneys and the Judges charge remain
to be heard today, after which the
fate Of the three men will rest in the
hands Of the FIVE farmers, two mer-
chants, two clerks, the railroad man,
the salesman and the mill operative
who compose the jury. No time limit
has been placed upon argument by
either counsel for the defendants or
by Solicitor A. Fletcher Spigner.
The lone feature Of yesterdays ses-,
sion Of the trial was the testimony Of
Frank M. Jeffords, the last Of the
three defendants to take the stand
Faced with the direct accusations Of
Harrison and Treece that he was the
master mind" and the ring leader. In
the murder plot" and its execution !
Jeffords denied all knowledge Of any
plot against Arnette's life, denied that
he knew the insurance policies were
in force, denied that he had struck
Annette, and placed the burden Of the
blame for the killing upon Harrison;
he denied that he had told officers
when first arrested that they would
have to prove the crime on him, denied
that he had admitted to Sheriff Heise]
and Chief Of Detectives Shorter that
he "helped kill NJ Arnette," and adj
mitted only that he had aided in loads
ing the body into Mr.. Arnette's auto
mobile and that he had attempted to|
conceal the crime. y
This story. contradicting the testi-
mony Of Harrison and Treece and In
conflict with much Of the circumstan-
Htial evidence, Jeffords told with little
emotion and for over an hour main.
tanned it as the truth under torturing
cross-examinati0n at the hands Of So-I
licitor Spigner and counsel for Hars1
rison and Tfeece. Jeffords, who had
sat and smiled as Harrison and srfeece|
4ttotd their stories, swass visibty .undeF1
heavy nervous strain during his Cross
examination, but despite all this he
did not alter his story in any essen
tial detail and left the stand at 1870
o'clock yesterday afternoon, maintain
ing to the last his innocence of par
ticipation in the actual Staying of his
business partner. Jeffords was on the
witness stand exactly three hours and
ten minutes.
Harrison it was, Jeffords claimed
who issued the orders, who struck the
blows that killed Mr.. Annette and
Harrison was, he said, the "guiding
hand and mind" Mr.. Annette, Jeff
ords said, short time before the
killing had learned frmo some one
of Harrison's past record and was in
tending to discharge Harrison. Mr..
Annette and Jeffords, according to
Jefford's story, had talked over Har-
rison's record between them and after
this conference, Jeffords said, he had
told Harrison that Mr.. Annette had
found out that he was an Escaped
convict" At Harrison's request, JEFF
fords, according to his own admission.
then on several occasions attempted
to find out who had told Mr.. Annette
Of Harrison's record and it was for
the purpose of accompanying Harri-
son to ask Mr.. Annette who had told
him of Harrison's arrest and convic-
tion, Jeffords said, that he went to the
filing station Tuesday night and there