113 Ga. 721 | Ga. | 1901
The accused, Ike Williams, was convicted of the murder of Otis Word, and sentenced to be hanged. He moved fora new trial, on the grounds that the verdict was contrary to law and the evidence. The motion was overruled, and he excepted. The evidence showed that the accused was acquainted with the deceased, who was a boy not quite fourteen years of age; that on January 1st they were together in a store; that the boy purchased two silk handkerchiefs and a pocket-book, and had a small amount of money remaining; that these purchases were made in the presence of the accused; that just afterwards they were seen together on the street of the village. The accused was shown to have had
We have carefully read all of the evidence brought up in the record as having been produced on the trial in the court below, and
From the reports in the public prints- we know that the people of the county in which this trial was held have a grand example of a law-abiding citizen in their midst. Their own sheriff may have been of their opinion as to the guilt of this accused; yet when the trial judge, after refusing a new trial, granted a supersedeas in order that this writ of error might be sued out, the sheriff protected his prisoner at the hazard of his own life against an infuriated mob. He taught the mob that the law wbuld shoot as well as hang. In our opinion, if other sheriffs in the State would exercise the same-courage and fidelity to duty as did this noble man, many lynchings would be prevented and mobs grow much less frequent. All honor to this sheriff and his little posse!
Judgment reversed.