Pages

Saturday, May 18, 2019

Aaron Wiseman Found Guilty of Murder of Dr. E.A. Hennessee, May 17, 1919

From The Review, High Point, N.C., Thursday, May 15, 1919

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.

-=-



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.

No comments:

Post a Comment