Crumley, Gilbert - murder trial - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

The Crumley murder trial which had been grinding in the Covington circuit court for the past three weeks, ended Monday morning at 9 o'clock when the jury after 40 hours deliberation rendered their verdict of manslaughter, which means imprisonment for Crumley from 2 to 21 years. Their verdict read:—“We, the jury, find Gilbert Crumley guilty of murder in the third degree, manslaughter. We find that he is of sound mind and that his age is 43 years.” It is understood that nine of the jurors were for conviction and three were for acquittal! Four jurors were for the death penalty, and that Levi Bever, the oldest man on the jury, was the last to change his vote, holding out for the extreme penalty. The verdict is said to have not a general public disapproval, and the attorneys for the state may ask Judge Schoonover for a grand jury investigation. The Judge has deferred any further action the defendant’s behalf until the matter is properly disposed of.