Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-07-14
ZIMMERMAN CONVICTED
Mrs. HuggfnS Acquitted Of COmpll'
city in Killing Of Husband.
HARD FOUGHT CASE is CONCLUDED


Defendant on Trial Yesterday Convict
ed by Jury After Two Hours of De-
liberation-Motion for New Tria
Made This Afternoon-Mueh oi
Testimony of Sordid and Revolving
Nature.
After celebrating about two hours
the Jury trying the case of Albert Zim-
norman, textile worker, charged with
the murder of j. Pink HuggiHs re-
turned a verdict of guilty with recon-
mendation to mercy at 9:05 Thursday
night. Immediately Thos. F. Mellow,
Esq, of counsel for the convicted man
gave notice of a motion for new
trial He said the motion would be
argued this morning at $3.50 but when
that hour arrived the plea was made
that counsel for the defense were not
ready to argue the motion because of
the fact that w. B. Wilson, Esq, of
defense's counsel could not reach the
court before II or l o'clock. Albert
Zimmerman, the defendant received
the jury's verdict last evening with the
same degree Of stoicism that had
characterized his manner throughout
the two days of the trial. There was
some delay in receiving the verdict Of
the jury because of the fact that it
was improperly written on the indict-
ment and Judge MCGOWAN required
Foreman Whitesides to write the
words: Guilty as to the defendant
Albert Zimmerman with recommended
ton to mercy"
When first received by the clerk it
could not be determined whether the
verdict as to Zimmerman was mot
guilty." guilty Of manslaughter," or
guilty of murder with recommenda-
ton to mercy" The jury in charge
of the sheriff's deputies was taken
to supper at the Shandon Hotel
about 8 o'clock last evening and a
short while after they had returned to
the jury room from supper announced
that they had agreed upon a verdict.
Judge MCGOWAN was notified. The
prisoner was brought in from the Jail
and his counsel were notified. About
100 persons who had loitered around
the courthouse were present when the
verdict was announced, they being
confident that an early verdict would
be reached.
Case Closed Early.
Testimony in the Zimmerman case
was concluded about o'clock Thurs
day afternoon, the principal witness
for the defense that day being Zm-
norman himself. w. B. Wilson OPEN
ed the argument of counsel for the de-
fense followed by Thos. +. McDow
with Solicitor Henry speaking for the
state. Argument of the defendants
attorneys were that Zimmerman had
shot Higgins after the latter had at
tackled him and that he had right to
shoot in defense of his life. They
painted the dead man Huggins as n
man unfit to live because he had al
lowed his wife to have illict relations
with another man. They declared that
Higgins became angry and attacked
Zimmerman after the latter had
repented of his conduct with Mrs
Higgins and had determined to give
her up and return to the support of
mis- father and mother and live right.
This determination on Zimmerman's
part enraged Huggins, they argued,
who wanted to put both his wife and
children on Zimmerman.
Defense For Higgins.
Before beginning his address Solici-
tor Henry showed the jury a photo
graph of the dead Huggins. He de-
Tended the dead man, claiming that his
countenance showed that he was not
the kind of man he had been pictured.
His argument was that Higgins was
not aware of the Illicit relations OF
Mrs. Higgins with Zimmerman until
few days before the killing and that
Zimmerman desirous Of getting rid of
Higgins had framed plot to get him
out on the road and kill him, which he
had done. If Zimmerman had been an
honest man he would not have waited
to come to the home Of Huggins under
cover of darkness, he argued. Letters
offered in the defense said the solicit
tor, showed that Huggins was a good
friend to Zimm 2rman and that he was
not mad ut Zimmerman.
1t was unnatural, continued the
solicitor that a man should sell his
wife as the defense insisted that Hug
gins had done. 1t was contrary to the
laws of natuIe-even contrary to the
instincts of animal nature. There was
no evidence that the dead man had
ever gotten any of the money that his
wife had testified she got from Zim-
norman.
| know of but one case anything
similar to this case in the recent annals
of crime in South Cai iolina, said Soil
citor Henry. That was the case of
Fox, Gappins and Kirby. They killed
a man for his automobile. The state
charges that Zimmerman killed Hug
gins for Huggins's wife.
Judge McGowan's charge was brief
and the case was in the hands of the