The Trial of Wiseman
for Murder Is Begun. . . Special Venire of 75 Men Ordered to Try Alleged Slayer
of Dr. Hennessee. . . 150 Witnesses Present
Shelby, May 12—A special venire of 75 men was ordered by
Judge B.F. ?? who opened the special term of court today to try Aaron Wisema,
charged with the murder of Dr. E.A. Hennessee of Burke, who was shot 10 times
in the back on the night of January 31, last year, at the little station of
Glen Alpine. After the venire was ordered and a grand jury appointed, court was
adjourned until 2:30 Tuesday afternoon, when the tedious process of selecting
the jury will begin.
J.M. Ramsey of Statesville, whose evidence was largely
responsible for the acquittal of the Pitts brothers, and Fred Amos, a newspaper
man, both arrived on the train the night of the tragedy, arrived today and will
be star witnesses for the State. Evidence upon which the Pitts brothers were
acquitted will be used by the State in an effort to convict Wiseman.
About 150 witnesses from Burke, Mitchell, Avery, Haywood,
Catawba, and Iredell counties are here and the cost of the trial to Burke
county is variously estimated at from $3,000 to $5,000. This depends largely on
the time it takes to try the case, which will consume at least a week.
Solicitor R.L. Huffman of Morganton; W.A. Self of Hickory;
and C.R. Hoey of Shelby appear for the State while the defense has J.F.
Spainhour and S.J. Erwin of Morganton; J.W. Pless of Marion; W.L. Lambert and
John McBee of Bakersville; and O.M. Mull of Shelby.
Wiseman was brought to Shelby jail Friday. He is an averaged
sized man of 50 years and son of an ex-sheriff of Mitchell county. It is said
that he and his father at one time owned 4,600 acres of fine Mitchell county
grass land, but somehow his holdings escaped him. He was tried once before for
murder, but acquitted, and in the case against the Pitts boys was one of the
defense’s principal witnesses, but left court and was brought back on a capias.
It will be remembered that he was arrested, charged with transporting liquor between
Carolina and Tennessee and while in federal court at Salisbury the charge of
murdering Dr. Hennessee was lodged against him, the case being removed to
Cleveland for an impartial trial.
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From The Hickory Daily Record, May 17, 1919
Wiseman Guilty of
Murder First Degree. . . Convicted of Killing Dr. Hennessee at Glen Alpine Last
of January Last Year by Cleveland Jury at Shelby Before Noon Today. . . Will
Ask for New Trial
Shelby, N.C., May 17—Aaron Wiseman accused of the murder of
Dr. E.A. Hennessee at Glen Alpine on the night of January 31, was convicted of
murder in the first degree by a Cleveland county jury here this morning at
11:30 o’clock after being out an hour and ten minutes. Sentence will be passed
this afternoon some time.
Judge Long announced that he would open court at 2:30, when
Solicitor Huffman, who had gone home, would be on hand. The trial began Monday
morning.
Counsel for Wisemen already have indicated that they will
ask for a new trial.
The case was moved from Burke county to Cleveland for trial
after Garfield Pitts and his brother had been acquitted for the murder. Their
names and their store were frequently mentioned by witnesses in the Wiseman
trial.
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