San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-08-12
TAYLOR FREED
ON CHARGE Of
KILLING WOMAN
Jury Deliberates. Only
About Two Hours to
Reach Verdict.
SELF DEFENSE PLEA
Sensational Trial Wins
Acquittal for Rooming
House Keeper.
SELF DEFENSE PLEA
"we, the jury find the defendant,

we, the jury ina the deiehuah''
G. C. Taylor not guilty"
These words, read by Judge W.
w. McCrory, in the Ninety-fourth
District Court room shortly after u
o'clock Saturday afternoon were the
signal for a suppressed demonstra-
ton and brought Mrs. G. c. Taylor
to her feet like an electric shock.
For it meant freedom for her hus-
band who was placed on trial last
Monday for the murder of Mrs.
Elizabeth Jackson, tenant in his
apartment house on June PC last.
Taylor, himself, overjoyed by the
verdict after six days of tortuous
suspense sprang to his feet beside his
wife and the two Of them, their faces
showing plainly the emotion they
felt, grasped the hands of the twelve
jurors as they filed out of the box.
Taylor's relatives and friends, legion
in number, formed another reception
committee along the aisle and the
jurors hands were limp when they
at last reached the corridor. Scat
tered hand claps, when Judge Nc
Crory completed the reading of the
verdict, were quickly silenced when.
Deputy Sheriff Antonio Diaz called
out "order in court"
The iury. witch had begun deliber-
atoms at 4 80 after District Attorney
ID. A. McAskill closed the argument
for the state, announced ready to re-
port shortly after 9 O'Clock. Some
delay was occasioned by the summon
ing Of states and defense attorneys
and the district judge. 1t was q 80
when the jury filed into the court
room in charge of Deputy Sheriff
Dick Lambert. The verdict was
handed over TO the clerk by Foreman
III. L. Scott. It's reading by Judge
McCrory brought TO close one OF
the most interesting murder cases in
the history of Bexar county.
Claim Room Rent Overdue.
The killing ofsMrs. Jackson. who
was formerly n resident of Dallas,
occurred shortly after Z O'Clock on
the morning of June &c at the apart
ment house of which Taylor was the
proprietor at $50 Carson street. 1t
followed trouble between Taylor and
Mrs. Jackson, according to testimony
brought out in the case, when Tay-
lor ordered the dead woman TO leave
his place, claiming that her room
rent was past due.
Because the victim in the case was
woman, the trial of Taylor aroused
widespread interest and attracted
large crowds to the Ninety-fourth Dis
trict Court room. Hundreds of wo-
men were among the spectators and
they in. particular followed every de-
tail of the evidence and arguments
in the case. The court room was
crowded from the time Interrogation
of the veniremen was begun Monday
morning until District Attorney Nc
Askill closed his argument Saturday
afternoon. Even safter the jury had
retired for deliberation. the crowd
still remained. seemingly expecting n
speedy verdict and when the jury
returned TO make its report. the court
room was comfortably filled.
Claimed Self Defense.
Taylor, as was the case when Of
ficers. in response to a telephone mes
sage from him on the morning of the
killing. claimed self defense and his
attorneys, Chambers. Watson and
johnson, Wilson and Wilson and c.
A. Davies builded a magnificent de-
Tense around this plea. The state,
represented by the district attorney
and his assistants. w. s. Anthony
and w. p. Mahaffey. made a hard
fight TO secure the death penalty.
Interest in the case throughout
centered in the ownership of %
caliber automatic pistol found in the
hollow of Mrs. Jackson's arm as her
body lay pre- lie on the floor. at the
foot of yfhe stairway in the Taylor
hall. Mrs. ID. r. York, with whom
Mrs. Jackson spent the night prior
to the killing. testified that she
had. seen the deed woman leave her
apartment three times that morning
on her way down stairs to bring up
her effects. At. no time. she testi-
fled. did she see n pistol on Mrs.
Jackson's person. Jerome Jackson,
son of the dead woman. testified that
he had never known his mother to
own a gun and that she would not
allow one around the house. Another
woman with whom Mrs. Jackson has
roomed. testified that she had never
seen Mrs. Jackson with n gun.
Defense Is Strong.
Mr.. and Mrs. c. W. Bowden. state
witnesses, however. testified to hav-
ing seen Mrs. Jackson sitting at her !
machine cleaning a gun about n
week before the killing. A Dallas !
woman with whom Mrs. Jackson |
had lived also testified that she hac
seen pistol in her possession. Tay !
Tor. testifying in his own defense. I
stoutly denied that either he or
Mrs. Taylor had ever owned n pistol
similar to the one found by Mrs /
Jackson's side. I
Rnth s.ntn nnd dnfnnsa ,ritnasena