Newton, July 21—The jury in the case of the state against Kohler Holtsclaw returned a verdict last night at 7:45, after having been out for two hours. The jury had no trouble in arriving at the verdict, it being unanimous almost from the beginning. Holtsclaw, who is 24 years old on December 29th, last year, shot and killed John W Gabriel at Terrell. He escaped after the killing and was arrested in Alabama about six months later and brought to this city and placed in jail. The trial began last Wednesday and the evidence was completed Saturday afternoon. Argument began Monday morning and concluded yesterday afternoon at 4:30. The judge’s charge to the jury consumed about an hour, which was clear leaving no room for misunderstanding as far as positions on law was concerned, In fact Judge McElroy made a very favorable impression on our people by the fair manner in which he has conducted the case as he has unquestionably made rulings fair to both the state and the defendant.
The state was ably represented by Solicitor J.J. Hayes of Wilkesboro; W.A. Self of Hickory; and L.F. Klutz and Wilson Warlick of this city. The defendant was represented by A.A. Whitener and M.H. Yount of Hickory. Mr. Whitener closed the argument for the defendant yesterday morning, making a splendid appeal to the jury.
No case tried here in recent years has attracted so much attention and been so largely attended as this, as both deceased and defendant’s families are people of high social standing, and scarcely can there be said that there is a bad citizen by the name of either Gabriel or Holtsclaw in the county.
The prisoner has held his own throughout the long and trying ordeal, showing little nervousness, and when the verdict was announced he appeared as calm as he had been throughout the entire trial.
His parents and brothers have been in attendance since the trial began, and left for home when the argument was concluded. The widow of the deceased has also been present in the court house throughout the trial, weeping at different times.
The prisoner will probably be sentenced today.
A venire of 50 men have been summoned to appear here today from which a jury will be selected to try John Cook, a white man, on the charge of criminally assaulting a young white woman, which rime occurred in Hickory township. The defendant was bound over to superior court by the recorder at Hickory. After this case is disposed of, the civil docket will be taken up. Quite a few lengthy cases, involving large amounts, in both money and property, are to be held at this term of court.
From the front page of the Hickory Daily Record, Wednesday evening, July 21, 1920
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn91068423/1920-07-21/ed-1/seq-1/
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