Justice?

Who has to follow the law?

I don't' have much information about my 2nd great-grandfather, Robert Nutter, or his parents. Because of their last name, I have been researching the Nutter family. In doing so, I came across the following clipping on Newspapers.com. 

Z F Nutter in The Native Virginian. Source: Newspapers.com

What I found amazing, is there is no mention of an arrest. So... they fought, one guy is killed, they say ok you can go now? A man died. It is known that the other man wounded him. He didn't go to jail? I can't help but think of my 3rd great-grandmother, Susan Fisher. She was held in jail for no reason. Possibly about 2 months. But Zadock Nutter can kill someone, and... nothing? I hope I just didn't find where there was a trial.

Source Nwespaper.com

I also found a series of articles about Henry Winston Bowyer. Slavery connects my family to his family. His sister, Emaline S Bowyer, married Edward Johnston. He owned Susan when her first children were born. 

Source Newspaper.com

I'm still trying to process what happened. But I'm positive there would have been a completely different outcome if Susan's husband William P Girty, had killed the bank manager. Mr. Bowyer was acquitted, with applause from the courtroom.