463 Page – American State Trials 1918 Volume X Leo Frank Document

Here is the translated text as follows:

WILLIAM WEMMS AND SEVEN OTHERS

The bell rang, as we all thought, for a mission for peace; they fired, he ran out in order to go, with no regard to me or my orders. I went to it, but encountered an old man who was coming by, before my face, and some of them struck at me, but did not hit me; I do not know that any of the soldiers were among them.

John Hill, Esq., saw a party of soldiers near the Rope Walks with clubs; he ordered them to disperse. He commanded the peace and told them he was in command.

Mr. Samuel Quincy addressed the jury at length upon the facts which he reviewed, and then laid down the law, which he said was applicable to the case. He closed with these words:

"The use I make of the evidence is to show you that from the conduct and appearance of the soldiery in different parts of the town, the inhabitants had reason to be apprehensive that they were in danger of their lives; children and parents, husbands and wives, masters and servants had reason to tremble for one another. This apprehension, together with the ringing of the bells, collected numbers of people in different quarters, as is commonly the case when there is any appearance of fire. The center of the town, when there is a doubt where the fire is, becomes naturally the place of rendezvous; this accounts for the number of people that were there, and for some having sticks and canes. I mention this only to take off the force of any evidence or pretense that may be made, that there was an intention of the people to assault, or as it has been expressed, swallow up the soldiers."

"I have now gone through the evidence on the part of the Crown, in support of the charge against the prisoners. I shall make a very few observations, and leave it with the prisoners and their counsel to make their defense, and Mr. Paine, who is on the side of the Crown with me, to close the case."

"I think, gentlemen, upon the whole evidence, you can, in the first place, have no doubt but that all the prisoners at the bar were of that party of soldiers headed by Capt. Preston, who went down to the custom house on the fifth of March, the evening mentioned in the indictments; that the five persons named in those indictments were killed by someone or other of that party, but who they were that killed those several persons..."