Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1924-10-11
DEFENDANT DEEPLY
AFT ECT Ed, GIVES
NOTICE OF APPEAL
Verdict Reached Friday -
Found Guilty Of Second
Degree Murder

Scale, Ala, October 11.-Mrs.
Leila C. Humber, tried the third
time for Staying her husband, Luc-
ius F. Humber, was found guilty
of second degree murder in Russell
court Friday afternoon and sentene-
ed to serve 10 years in the peniten-
tiary.
The verdict was returned at $50
O'Clock, twenty-five hours after the
case was placed in the hands of the
Jury Thursday night at 1880
o'clock. 1t was the second time that
Mrs. Humber had been convicted
of second degree murder In Oc-
tober of 1922 she was found guilty
of the offense and sentenced to
serve eleven years in the peniten-
tiary The judgment of the trial
court was reversed by the supreme
court of Alabama and Mrs. Hum
Der was again placed on trial last
April. A mistrial <gas declared at
that time after the jury had failed
to make verdict after celebrating
% hours.
The ten years sentence imposed
on Mrs. Humber lis the minimum
in Alabama. A lifetaoi etaoishrni
in Alabama. A life term is the
maximum. There could have been
no capital punishment, due to the
fact that a jury hsd previously ac-
quilted the defendant of first de-
gree murder by finding her guilty
of second degree murder.
After Judge J.'S. Williams, pre-
siding, had passed sentence on the
defendant, notice of appeal was
given by Frank M. deGraffenreid,
leading counsel for Mrs. Hun Der
and an appeal bond Of $4,000 was
assessed.
Sheriff Pal M. Daniel, who was
in Girard at the time the verdict
was returned, was notified over
long distance telephone and he or
dered Chief Deputy Sheriff Monroe
Bush to keep the defendant in his
custody until the bond was signed.
When the verdict of the jury was
read, Mrs. Humber was deeply af-
fected. She was surrounded by
relatives and friends at the time.
Her married daughter, Mrs. Marie
Patterson, and her husband have
been with Mrs. Humber throughout
the trial. Mrs. Numbers aged ia
Their has also been with her, as
has her young children, Robert and
Mary Humber.
The trial started Wednesday af-
ternoon at 3:05 o'clock. The fatal
shooting of Lucius F. Humber oc-
Cured at. the Humber home, near
Girard, on the night of May 10,
1922.
The state relied, for the most
part on alleged dying declarations,
quoted by several witnesses. The
testimony was to the effect that Mr..
Humber shortly after the shooting
and only a few hours before his
death, stated that he was shot by his
wife. He was quoted as saying that
she shot him after accusing him of
stealing everything she had.
Five Bullet Wounds
He said, according to the testi-
mony, that she shot him in t
back. Six wounds were found on
his body, according to a physician.
Five of then. were pistol bullet
wounds, it was declared.
1t was the contention of the de-
Tense that the bullets which killed
Mr.. Humber were fired in a scuffle
over a pistol between the wife and
the husband after the latter had
threatened to kill Mrs. Humber and
himself. 1t was claimed that Mrs.
Humber had acted in self-defense as
much as if she had had the pistol
in her own hands and pulled the
trigger herself.
The defendant who took the stand
in her own defense, stated that she
engaged Mr.. Humber in a tussle af-
ter he had advanced on her with a
pistol and threatened to kill her
and then slay himself, She said
that both, had hold Of the pistol
when it was fired. She said she
made an effort to empty the re-
volver by discharging it in the scuf-