Smyrna times., 1927-03-09
TWO MURDER CASES IN KENT
COURT DREW CROWDS TO DOVER
SURROUND THE GREEN AND
ALL THE AVAILABLE SPACE
Verdict of MansIaughter Given Both
Lee Harris and Edward Green at
Court in Dover Last Wednesday

The Kent county jury in the case
of Lee Harris, negro, indicted for
murder jointly with Edna Edwards,
white woman, for the drowning Of
the six-weeks-old child Of the Ed
wards woman at Carter's Bridge, near
Henderson, Nd, on May 27, last, r.
turned a verdict Of manslaughter
Wednesday morning after being out
all night. Thomas G. Frame, attor
ney for Harris, made motion for an
arrest of judgment and motion for a
new trial. The morning session Tues
day was taken up wholly by the de-
fense witnesses including the wife Of
Harris and other relatives with the
attempt to establish an alibi, in that
Harris was at his home at the time
he is alleged to have been at Carter's
Bridge with the Edwards woman on
May 27. At the Tuesday afternoon
session of the court, evidence was
produced by state, of eye witnesses
testifying to having seen the Edwards
woman and Harris in woods near Do
yer and elsewhere in the country on
more than one occasion. Both sides
of the case completed evidence and
rebuttal at o'clock, argument to the
jury beginning shortly afterwards and
concluding at 6. The jury was sent
to the hotel for supper and returned
within one hour to the court room
where the charge was delivered by
Chief Justice Pennewill. The Ed
wards woman was convicted at the
last term of court and is now serving
life sentence.
Edward Green Guilty Second Degree
The case of Edward Green, negro,
indicted for first degree murder of
Joseph Briscoe in Dover in November
last, was taken up Wednesday morn
ing for trial. In view Of the two
murder trials in the Kent county
Court last week all civil cases sched-
uled for the week were deferred until
this week.
Guilty of second degree murder was
the verdict returned in the case Of
Edward Green, colored, charged with
killing Joe Briscoe, also colored, in
Scottown on November 28th. The
case was heard in the Court of Oyer
and Terminer on Wednesday. The
case was given to the jury on We'd
nesday evening and they deliberated
slightly more than fifteen minutes
when they were ready to return their
verdict. The verdict carries with it
a sentence Of life Imprisonment. The
shooting occurred on a Sunday after
noon and followed some trouble be
tween the two men. The testimony
showed that their had been an argu-
ment between the two men which was
followed by fight in which Green
cut Briscoe on the shoulder with a
knife The shooting occurred a short
time later when Briscoe returned to
Green's home and while he was at
the front door, Following the shoot
ing, Briscoe was removed to the Of
flee of a local physician where he
died. Green testified that he shot in
self defense claiming that Briscoe
was coming after him with large
knife and was trying to get the door
of Green's home open when he fired,
Following the shooting, Green fled
into Pennsylvania where he was ar
rested a few days later and brought
back. Charles L. Terry, Jr., and
James H. Hughes were assigned as
counsel for the defense while the
State was represented by deputy At
torney- Generals Earle D. Wiley, Of
Dover and James c. Mumford, Of Will
mington. Green had been indicted
for first degree murder by the Grand
Jury but during the trial on the mo-
ton Of Mr.. Mumford, this was chang
ed to second degree murder.