STOKES MURDER TRIAL
-Continued from Page One
highway. C. D. Davenport, Clar
ence Cochran and Walter Cochran.
The defendant, Stokes, age 44,
took the stand, told of his life near
Greer, S. C., and the 11 years in
Polk County; various jobs, last 6
months with State Highway driv
ing truck; told of happy beach and
mountain trips with his family;
told of bringing young Mike Gantt
to his home the night of the mur
ders to visit his son. Of a visit
to Clarence Cochran after supper
to trade for a mule and mowing
machine to cut some grass. He went
in Jim Good’s pick-up truck, and
returned keys to Good that night
as he went through his room. His
wife was. awake and quarreled with
him for not telling her where he
had gone. Said he wasn’t giving her
enough money and that she was
going to sell the cow to get some
money. They finally went to sleep.
Next morning he built a fire, milked
the cow and came back. He asked
his wife if she wasn’t going to
cook breakfast and she said no,
never anymore for him. He said
he sat on the side of the bed to
* talk with her and she kicked him
off. They started scuffling. She
reached for the pistol on the chif
ferobe, but he beat her to it. In
the scuffle she was shot. She called
her brother, Jim Good to come and
kill me. He had a shot gun. I took
it awav from him a%d shot him
when he said he would kill me
with a rock. I picked up the gun,
put them in the truck and took
the boys to Prof. Gantt’s. Turned
the highway truck keys over to the
prison camp. Got in my own car
and drove to Mill Snring, down
to New Prospect. S. C., then over
to Greenville County near mv
mother’s, where I drove on an old
country road and spent the night
in the car. I stayed there all the
next day. Bought some food at a
country store. I drove on a little
road I used to travel when two
of my brothers drove up and said
they wanted to take me to Sheriff
Hines. So I came on with them.
The defendant stated that he had
no intention of killing his wife
or Jim Good, that all were in
good humor until the quarrel that
night; that he had not mistreated
his wife.
After this testimony court re
cessed for lunch.
Court was re-opened by Sheriff
Hines at 2:15 following the noon
recess. ,
C. 0. Stokes was still on the
witness stand.
Mrs. Lucille Burnett, daughter
of the defendant, was presented
by the State. She said her father
had slapped her mother; called her
names. She said her mother had
been suffering from cancer for
6 years.
Hearing of evidence was conclud
ed at 2:50 p. m. Tuesday.
Attorney J. T. Arledge oj«“ed
the argument for the defen^V,td
reviewed the evidence, attempting
to show that the kilings was not
premeditated, but were done in self
defense in the heat of a struggle;
that the defendant loved his fam
ily and provided a living for them.
Mr. Arledge concluded his address
at 4:10 p. m.
Attorney J. E. Shipman followed
at 4:20 aloner the same line and
quoted the Bible extensively, ap
pealing to the jury not to render
a verdict of first degree murder;
that the evidence didn’t justify it.
But that if they saw fit to render
such a verdict to ask for the mercy
of the cdUrt which would save the
defendant from the gas chamber
and give him a life sentence. He
f»«ked for nothing more than man
slaughter. He concluded at 6 pm.
Court wil re-open this moj^ja?
at 9:30 to hear the addre^P_>f
Solicitor C. 0. Ridings fo^-tne
State and Judge J. Will Pless Jr’s,
charge to the jury. The problem for
the jury will be to determine what
decree of murder to fix on the-'
defendant.
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