JURYMEN IN ROOM AND FILING BACK INTO THE COURT-ROOM. DEFENCE AND PROSECUTION COUNSEL ENTER; COLEMAN LEAVES THE COURT; LEGAL MAN MAKES COMMENT (SOF) ON THE VERDICT.



TRANSCRIPT: "WHAT HAPPENED IN HAYNEVILLE THIS WEEK DOES NOT DO JUSTICE TO ALABAMA. WHAT HAPPENED IS APPALLING. WE HAVE WITNESSED THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESSES GOING DOWN THE DRAIN OF A RATIONALITY, BIGOTRY AND IMPROPER ENFORCEMENT OF THE LAW".




Initials RM/N-TELE/WH/ES


SEE ALSO PROD NO. 9356/65 "USA; DEPUTY SHERIFF COLEMAN ACQUITTED OF MANSLAUGHTER IN ALABAMA TRIAL FOLLOWING SHOOTING OF CIVIL RIGHTS DEMONSTRATOR" SERVICED 1 OCT 65.

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: AN ALL-WHITE JURY IN THE ALABAMA TOWN OF HAYNEVILLE YESTERDAY (THURSDAY) ACQUITTED DEPUTY SHERIFF THOMAS COLEMAN OF THE SHOTGUN MANSLAUGHTER OF THE WHITE CIVIL COLEMAN, WHO CLAIMED HE SHOT DANIELS IN SELF-DEFENCE, ALSO SHOT A YOUNG ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST WHO IS STILL SERIOUSLY ILL IN HOSPITAL.

DANIELS AND THE PRIEST, FATHER RICHARD MORRISROE, WERE SHOT ON THE 20TH OF LAST MONTH WHEN THEY WENT TO A STORE IN HAYNEVILLE TO BUY SOFT-DRINKS SHORTLY AFTER BEING RELEASED FROM IMPRISONMENT FOR TAKING PART IN A CIVIL RIGHTS DEMONSTRATION. THE DEFENCE CALLED 15 WITNESSES, SOME OF WHOM TESTIFIED THAT THE TWO MEN HAD BEEN ARMED WITH A REVOLVER AND A KNIFE.

PROSECUTION WITNESSES CLAIMED THAT THE MEN WERE NOT ARMED, AND THE DEFENCE WERE UNABLE TO PRODUCE THE ALLEGED REVOLVER AND KNIFE IN COURT, CLAIMING THAT THEY HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM THE SCENE BY AN UNIDENTIFIED NEGRO. THE JURY DELIBERATED FOR ONE HOUR AND 45 MINUTES BEFORE BRINGING IN A VERDICT OF "NOT GUILTY".

HAYNEVILLE, ALABAMA, IS A "HOT-BED" OF THE RACIST KU KLUX KLAN, WITH AN 81 PER CENT NEGRO POPULATION. CIVIL RIGHTS DEMONSTRATORS ARE STRONGLY DISCOURAGED. COLEMAN, WHO SHOWED LITTLE EMOTION DURING THE TRIAL, MERELY SAID "I'M HAPPY" WHEN HE HEARD THE VERDICT. HOWEVER, A MEMBER OF THE UNITED STATES FEDERAL ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE HAD THIS TO SAY LATER...