Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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DEATH SENTENCE FOR TWO OF TRIO Chair Awaits Jeffords and Harrison Life Imprisonment for Treece OVER THREE HOURS TO REACH VERDICT Alen show Little Emoticn When Ver dict is Read and Sentence Passed -Mother of Harrison Stays with Son to Last. With the crowded court room held in awesome silence Frank Ml. Jefford's and Ira Harrison, convicted 12 minutes before of the murder of John C. Ar nette, at 6:28 o'clock yesterday after noon were sentenced to (lie in the electric chair. Glenn Treece, the third defendant, found guilty of murder with recommendation to the mercy of the court, was sentenced to life impri sonment. Jecord's and Harrison's executions were fixed by Judge W. H. Townsend for some hour between 10 o'clock in the morning and 2 o'clock in the afternoon of June 15. The jury was three hours and 22 minutes in reaching its verdict, taking the case at 2:54 o'clock and arriving at an agreement at 6:16 o'clock. The absence of counsel for one of the de. fendants delayed the reading of the verdict and it was until 6:20 o'clock that the three learned their fate. Standing in the (lock, surrounded by officers, .Jecords, Harrison and 'T reece heard the verdict read without a sign or symptom of the emotional strain under which they labored and then lis tened to the reading of the indictment to all outward appearances as unper turbed as when they first heard it read at their arraignment Thursday after noon a week ago. The reading of the indictment com pleted each in turn was asked if he had anything to say as to why sen tence should not be passed. Hlarri son shook his head and his lips fram ed the word, "No." Treece and Jef fords made no sign that they had heard or understood the question. Then in the order in which they were indicted, they were sentenced; Jef fords, Harrison and Treece. Treece grew visibly more nervous as he lis tened to the sentencing of Jeffords and Harrison and the solemn "And may God have mercy upon your soul," which ended each sentence. Harrison and Jeflords, however, maintained their composure until the end when they were led away from the court room to be carried to the state peni tentiary to await the day they must (lie unless a new trial is granted them or an appeal made. No notice of either a motion for a new trial or of an appeal was given yesterday on the part o fany of the three and it is not known what move, if any, will be made by their counsel. Three days are allowed in which to make the mo tion for a nel trial and ten (lays for the filing of an appeal. Mother Hears Verdict Harrison's mother, who day after day during the trial had sat behind her son, occasionally resting her hand on his shoulder, was in her accustom ed seat when the verdict was read and set there alone sobbing silently through the remainder of the trying ordeal. Treece's brother-in-law was also present, his face buried in his hands. Treece's mother did not hear the verdict read nor witness the sen tencing of him. Jeffords' mother, sis ters and wife were also absent from the court room but his brother was present. Mr. Arnette's two brothers and other relatives were also present. Under instructions from Sheriff T. Alex H1eise no one moved from his seat until after the three men had been escorted from the court room and the readling of the' veriet and sen tene'ing of the t ria was heard in almiost dleathllike silence.. WVit h the wordis of .Jud~ge Townsend still rinaging in their caris the th roe mten we hand 1 e ufred( andl, sur'roumndled by omheers, were led from the cout troom) and1( (arried to t he penitent iary. Tlhe threi'e menm, who duram mng the trial had occasnanlly jokedl and laughed a mong themselves out or< MEMORJ Again we pause with filled with gratitude to pt the sacred memory of ou: Oh, dauntless heroes flee was not in vain, and with you that this loved for which you fought and be a fair sweet land of pt Bank will not open Me: First Natioi W. C. DAVIS, P A. C. BRADHAl J. T. STUKES. C the court room, did not speak during the run to the state prison. Led to the death house, Jeffords and Harrison showed no more emotion than they had previously exhibited. Treece, how ever, broke into tears when the Rich land oflficers who had seen him every day since his arrest the morning af ter the crime, and "goodbye" to him in the cell house that for "the re mainder of his natural. life," under the sentence, must be his "home." Court Doors Opened Sentence passed an dthe three men escorted from the court room, the doors were then opened and the crowd still silent and depressed, surged out. The jurors left their seats and Judge Townsend announced the adjournment of the court until 10 o'clock Monday morning. It was the end. The trial, begun less than a week after the commission of the crime. went into its fifth day yesterday morning, the court being oicupied with the hearing of arguments by attorney for Treece and Jeffords and the clos ing argument for the state by Solici tor A. Fletcher Spigner. These were concluded at 1:05 o'clock and the court was then recessed until 2 o'clock. At 2:05 'o'clock Judge Townsend be gan his charge to the jury and less than an hour later the case was in the jury's hands. R. Beverley Herbert, attorney for Treece, who was the first to address the jury yesterday, based his argu ment for mercy for his client upon the plea of his yoth. "I wish we could go back," Mr. Herbert said, "to the time when these three men were innocent. But we can't. 'The moving finger writes and having writ moves on.' I would not ask that you acquit Glenn Treece, but I do argue that Frank M. Jecords, his employer and friend, a man 29 years old, led him astray. Glenn Treece, I do believe, is not made of the stuff that such mur :lerers are made of." Asks for Mercy "We are asking only for justice, justice tempered with mercy," James [. Hamomnd, who made the closing argument in Jefford's benefit , said. 'Jeffords has told you that he did not strike a blow and I think that the physical facts of the blood stains will bear him out. He admits that he did not give the alarm, that he helped load the body. From there on in the crime he is as guilty as.he can be. There are so many things that he left undone, that he ought to have done. But he is not the mur derer of his partner. The whole case against im is based upon the testi mony of Harrison, an escaped convict and a self-confessed thief." Solicitor Spigner began his asgu ment at 11:30 o'clock and for an hour and a half went over with the jury the details of the crime and the part each of the men, as he saw it, had taken in it. "In the criminal annals of the state there has never been a crime," Solicitor Spigner said, "that has touched this one in its brutality. Tese men did not seek a stranger. They did not seek a man deserving neath-but they chose the husband of a good woman, the father of children They chose their own partner and em nloyer. They took the life of their friend." In order then the solicitor took up the defense put up by the three men. "Their lawyers," he said, "ave ad mitted their clients' guilt and they only ask for mercy. Harrison and Treece only say, 'We are young; we told it first.' Jeffords told you a story that I do not believe you can stulify 'ourself to say yoh believe it. le admitted to Liehtenant Swearingen and Policeman Banks that 'they had planned the thing aboht a week in advance,' and yesterday on the stand he said that he did not say so. Are Liedtenant Swearingen and Mr. Banks perjurers and liars or lid Jef fords tell them this? "Mercey they ask for, Merry! What merry did they areordl John C. Ar r66 quickly relieves Colds, Constipation, B i I i o usneCss andl~ Headaches. A Fine Tonic. AL DAY heads bowed, and hearts ,y our nation's tribute to e gallant dead1. of all wars, your sacri we will keep the faith land of yours and ours, bled and died, shall ever ~ace and freedom. mnorial Day, May 30th. ial Bank resident. /1, Vice-President. shier, THAT BAD BACK Do you have a dull, steady ache in the small of the back-sharp, stabbing twinges when stooping or lifting distressing urinary disorders? Foy bad back and weakened kidneys Man ning residents recommend Doan's Kid ney Pills. Read this Manning state ment. Mrs. C. Cochran, S. Boundary St., says: "A few years agoI was feeling out of sorts on account of kidney trouble. At times the action of my kidneys was too free and I had severe pains in my back. The small of my back was sore all the time and I felt tired and run down. If I stooped or turned suddenly, sharp. twings of pain shot through my back. I got a box of Doan's Kidney Pills at Zeig ler's Pharmacy and it wasn't long be fore the trouble disappeared. I am feeling as well as ever now and have had no return of the complaint." Price 60c, at all dealers. Don't simply ask for a kidney remedy-ket Doan's Kidney Pills-the same that Mrs. Cochran had. Foster-Milburn Co., Mfrs., Buffalo, N. Y. nette? Mercy! What mercy did Harri son show that good woman, his hoth er, to force her to sit through this ordeal? And Frank M. Jeffords, what mercy did he show his two sisters sit ting beside him and his brother and that innocent woman, his wife? What mercy did Treece show his mother? Mercy! What mercy did they show the poor wife of John C. Arnette and his little children? "The verdict ought to be, must be and shall be 'Guilty."! Killed Twelve Days Ago John C. Arnette was killed in the Elmwood filling station at the corner of Elmwood avenue and Main street at about 11 o'clock Tuesday night, May 9, His body, thrown in his own car; was discovered in a ditch beside the Bay branch bridge on Kirkland avenue at 11:30 o'clock. Tuesday night by six National Guardsmen, who had seen the wrecked automobile as they passed on their way home from drill. Sheriff T. Alex Heise was no tified and he and Deputy Sheriff Wil liam H. Thompson began work on the case. At about 12.30 o'clock the fill ing station was discovered on fire and at 1:30 o'clock Sheriff Heise and Dep uty Sheriff Thompson, learning of this fr.ct went to the filling station, to become convinced that the crime had been committed ther and the body later carried to Kirkland avenue and deserted. Cheif of Detectives S. S. Shorter, Detectives Bob Broom, Jim Broom and W. T. Kelly were then called in on the case by Sheriff Heise and by 2:45 o'clock Ira Harrison had been arrested at his home, 1529 Hampton street. Glenn Treece was taken into custody at the same place by county and city officers a few min utes later. Confronted with his blood stained coat found by officers over the head of his bed, Harrison con fessed to the crime when he was taken to the poice station, involving himself. Treece and Frank M. Jef fords. - Jeffords was arrested at the filling station at about 4 o'clock. Treece at the police station also made a confession and Jeffords, oflicers said, admitted that he had "had a part in it." Jeffords was Arnette's part ner. Harrison and Treece were em ployed at the filling station. At 7:30 o'clock Wednesday night May 10, the coroner's inquest was held. At 9:30 o'clock the following morning the indictment, charging the three men with murder, was presented to the grand jury and at 3:42 o'clock Thursday afternoon they were ar raigned. . Trial Begun Tuesday Tuesday morning, May 16, the trial was begun, the empanelling of the jury being completedl at 12:41 o'clock and the taking of evidence begun at 12:541 o'clock. For three (lays the state built up its case against the three men, 32 wit nesses being called to establish thle truth of the confes sions, which otlicers te(sti fied had been madle by the three men and upon which the sta te( based its case. Tfhe state rested at 6:15 o'clock W\ed nesda y a ft ernoon ando the dlefense was begun Thui irsday morning. At 10:12 o'clock Hlarrison took the stand to recite calmly in detail his version of the (crime, which throughout the trial, accordling to the state's con tention was the true stor'y as to the manner in which \l r. A rnette came to his death. 1Harrison admitted strik ng. the first blowv, claiming, how ever, that Jeff'ords a fterwards choked Mir. A rnette and struck him in the head withI an automobile axle. Tw\o unisuc'cessful attemptls at, Ar. A rnette Iifec, H a rri son sa id, were made Sun day and Mlonday nights, the plot to kill him hoavinig been tir.at mentioned to h im by H arrison andl Treece, he said, Thursday of Palmafesta week. At 4:04 o'clock Treece'went on the stand, to testify that he had not he Iieved that 1Harrison and JTeffords were toJ kill Mr. Arnette and that he had nmerel y fol lowved orders. Under cross examination he abandoned this story to admit finally that Harrison's ac ('ount of the plot and crime was the truth as he knew it. At 10.20 o'clock Thursday morning JIeffords was put on the standl in reply to I Tarrison's and Treece's accusations of lhis being the "master mindl" in~ the allegedl plot and its execution. On di rect exam innation he dleniedl all knowl edlge of any plot to kill Mr. Arnette, (lenlied striking any blow andl admlit ted that he had helped load the body inl tihe automobile and had attemptedl to conceal the crime. Under torturing cross-examination he maintainedl his story until the end. At 4:30 o'clock Thursday afternoon the (defense rest ed and at, 4:32 o'clock arguments to Candidates' Cards FOR PROBATE JUDGE I hereby anounce myself a can didate for tile office of Probate Judge for Clarendon County subject to the rules of the Democratic Primary. If electedl I promise a faithful admmnis 'tration. C. II MA'PRT. nn'.. Bane Waeoue SUMTER, S. C Will be Open this season as usl for the Sale of Leaf Tobacco b AUCTION SAL! We will have a full corps of buy s from all the big companies and y u will get your money the day t e tobacco is sold. Our house will be open July 1st o receive tobacco from the farmers o be graded and tied, for which e will make a reasonable charge. Bring your tobacco to Sumter and sell it with the Banner Warehouse, W. T. HARNSBERGER, - - - Proprietor the jury were begun. 1 29 o by the end of the month. This gives Many Witnesses Heard the tractor a new high sales record, Thirty-two witnesses testified for and shows 100 per cnt increase over the state while 26 new witnesses were Sol p the best month in 1921. called by the defense. These testified The Ford Company is enjoying a to evidence totalling approximately Ford Retail Sales lit banner year in all departments. Out 250,000 words, all of which the jury New High Mark put of Ford cars and trucks for the had under consideration and all of year; according to present estimates, which was recorded by John K. Aull, According to a report just received will exceed 1,100,000, vhich represents the court stenogiapher. from the Ford Motor Company, De- a ten per cent increase over 1921. The crowds attending the trial were The Ford factory at Detroit is now limited to persons able to find seats sa operating at full capacity, having a and daily hundreds attempted to get been reached by the close of April in force of mre n 0,0 en on t into the court room and were turnedteUiitlSttsaoepyrl. Te chded uptfr awvay. Despite the huge attendance, Fr ae fcr n rcsfrMywl rbbyrah1500cr howecver, the trial was not marred by h oticuig10h(oeti n rcs hc vl e apid a single untowvard incidlent, county n oegttld1729 hs gis resapoiaig1500 and city oflicers cooperating to main- etllse evhg eod xe~- Dsieteatmto h atr The extra expeOnse of the trial, out-191by1,6.Iltsith UntdSaesoprue side the salaries of the judge, sheriff, Th saeo Frlontatr hsasufcnt um rof astom t clerk of court and the court stenog-alohe seaiyci in.Attlheu saly evydm dths rapher, it is estimatedl, will reach aof1,8 Ioron weesl duigbnim sile or od(ear i This imr omnth ior oBrComny, Sevc- REt o we wll iv REEtroit, adsom veae oo 5,21 retUheks ithout a machie enrables byo thecos oprec thinut fyu check from b ei nied JStrte ourne.otedeie Coil at Forakd e of car a tk feosr a ipro he oth, w ihwna intboth doestic eneit JosephSprot 1 P te revsousnmonT. , JuneCahir Jamese end of themonta.tTCashger.