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MARTIN IS FREED OF MURDER CHARGE.Jury Out Forty-Five Minute Only When It Found Columbia Colored Boy Not Guilty.SELF DEFENSE PLEA WAS A STRONG ONE.Man Exonerated Makes Statement Expressing His Thanks for Treatment.tip]or*1iitoiG.1Sixrtf;CcTheodore Martin, of Columbia, the Colored boy charged with the murder of Romeo West, right hand man of President Allen, former hend of Lincoln Institute, was found not guilty by a jury iu the circuit court lust Wednesday. He was immediately discharged from custody and walked out of the court room a free man.The trial came to a conclusion after the attorneys Had finished their arguments. Both sides were well presented, but the demeanor of the defendant on the witness stand had much to do with the creating the Idea In the minds of the Jurors that he had killed West only In an effort to prevent West from killing him first.fbe fact that the automatic pistol found on West had not been discovered until the morning after the ahoot-tng raised some doubt In their minds, but the fact that West had made stunt* previous efforts to stag Martin with a finh-gig and had made threats were sufficient to warrant the belief hla life was in danger.After receiving the instructions from the court the jury took forty-five miti- ^ ules to make up Its mind which it is understood was a unanimous opinion.l4mt night Martin made the following statement:I desire to express my thanks to my friends, both white and Colored, for thir most kindly consideration during my stay hero as manager of the boarding department at Lincoln Institute and ulflo for the degree of regard in which 1 was held while under it cloud a wetting trial. I was alwaysI ^ made to feel os though as I were a citizen and never at any time was I humiliated.I also wish to express my thanks to the officers of the law and the dally mres% Of the city, particularly the Capital News, and shall strive to live In the future that none shall over have reason to feel their confidence in me misplaced.”atonthfthlt;oftinpnK.ifinAthlt;L.CrThlt;aLdncMiC.E.e.clt;3clW nap IT Al PAYMFNTR.
Newspaper Details
Kansas City Sun
Kansas City, Missouri, US
Sat, Sep 21, 1918
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Mark S.
USA 13 Apr 2025
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