SC1896_FF1_138

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of Talladaga County, Ala. In fact, he stated
it publicly, on the public square in Winchester
immediately after Kelly swore as he did, as a
matter that he had himself witnessed.
The jurors, with the exception of Faris, all resided
in the upper end of the County; he was
doubtless accepted by the Prisoner & his Counsel
because his father was then in Jail on a charge
of Murdering, one of his own Slaves by whipping of which
he was clearly guilty - but was tried and
acquitted at this same court, in which there
was no law to punish a murderer.
After a laborious investigation of several days
the examination of many witnesses, & lengthy
arguments pro & Con, & a boisterous, windy charge
from the Judge, the Jury retired & perhaps in
less than an hour, returned with a Verdict
of Not Guilty.
From what I had ascertained in relation to
the Corruption & partiality in packing the jury
and that a portion of them, had sworn
falsely in order to get upon it, I had lost
all expectation of a Conviction, but I still thot
it possible, that there might be one, honest man
on the Jury, that there be no verdict_but
in this, I was mistaken.
Now, altho' there was a great deal of illegal
& incompetent evidence admitted, & much false
swearing to my knowledge, yet in regard to the
main facts, there was no conflict, there could
not be. It was a cold blooded murder, committed
in the open day, perhaps in the presence
and hearing of 500 men _ without the slightest
justification or excuse _ the murdered man
not knowing the person of his murderer, (altho'
his brother in law), or dreaming of his being