The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-05-21
TEXAS TOPICS.

Hampstead waller county, Courier, May
"A. The past ten days has been glorious
Il leather fur farmers.---ESrmers in the vi
.rity OF Hampstead are well up with their
IONS. and 10Th cotton and corn are ing
vail NM Thos. G. WaIlingford, OF
Peed prairie, reports crop prospects in that
nortion of the county as better than he ever
sw them before Mt this season OF the year.
The Orange Tribune says; at is thought
an agreement between the company and MIR
Upper, mail contractor, will be effected in
fine for daily trains to commence next week
between Orange and the Mermentsu river, or
the eastern terminus of this division of the
road At present, more for accommodation
of the people than any other considerat on,
about three tripsa week are made. From
Orange 10 the Mermentau river is about sew
enty-fve miles. From the Mermentau river
or the terminus of this division, to the point
of connection with the Eastern division is
80 miles. The grading on this gap is entirely
finished, and good force OF men Is now en-
gagged in laying the track. lack of ties suf-
fcent to close up this gap, however, Is re-
ported, and the work will perhaps be delayed
for few days, until ties can be shipped from
Orange by schooner to Morgan City, thence
by rail to the point where they ARE needed.
Work on the Mermentnu river bridge is
progressing steadil,. All the piling are
driven on the cast side and the men ana ma
chinery ARE now at work on the west side.
After the piing are driven it will require
about three weeks to put up the iron slruc-
ture, by which time it is expected the thirty
mile gap will be entirely closed up. 1t is
generally agreed now that the road will be
completed and through train, put on by the
fourth Of July, but Captain Van slycke
thinks it will be finished before that time I'M
less some Unforeseen obstacle arises to hiader
the progress Ct the work. Anyway. all that
remains to be done TO connect Texas with
New Orleans by rail is the laying of thirty
miles Of track and the putting up of n one
span iron bridge. The company have five
powerful locomotives, one at this and four at
the other end Of the line. At Vermillion-
vile, the eastern terminus of the road. 1.-The
machine shops are being erected, the COM
pany having secured one hundred and eighty
acres of land"
From the Waco Telephone, we learn the
following. "The negro Mason murder has
so often been referred to in these columns
that we doubt not every reader in this
county, and we may say in this section, Is
familiar with the circumstances. Yesterday
A. w. Jones, the colored preacher, who has
lain in jail four long years, and who has
been considered, if not the principal, at least
particeps criminis, in the murder of Jim
Mccain, walked forth from the District
Court room, pronounced by jury OF twelve
good citizens, an innocent man. Several
were released two years ago, and have since
been enjoying that freedom which Jones mas
been unable to share, and to-day ne Is Tree
and considered no more guilty than they'
Those who were found guilty have, many
months since, gone to the penitentary for lie,
but it Is doubtful II In the last two years lhey
have not been better of than Jones was
When the prisoner was brought lhto the
presence ct the court and llry, ne betrayed
as much anxiety rs upon previous tr'ais' vi
both OF which he was found gullty ana inc
death penalty affixed. lhe prisoner
demanded trial, to which in both law and
justice he was entitled, and the Distric'
duce or argument to make, Judge AleXan-
der charged the jury, stating IN substance
that the prisoner bad been twice convicted,
in that court, ni both times the decision
had been reversed by the higher court In
Wow vi WIS A"o'i "i'N 49,
being presented or obtAinable, 1t would
entail unjust punishment upon Jones and al
unnece' ssry expense to the county to
attempt further prosecution, and he instruc-
ted the jury to return verdict of not guilty
Jones listened attentiyely, but he did not
at first seem to realize that the jury were
bound to find verdict in accordance with
the instructions of the court, When the pa
pers were handed them the verdict was writ
ten by the foreman without leaviEg the jury
box, and when handed TO the clerk 20 be
read the deep drawn breath and nervous eX
preston and action of the prisoner indicated
the deep suspense in which be rested As
soon as the words mot guilty, fell from Tue
lips of the clerk, the iace OF Jones became
even more expressive OF agony than before
but in an instant the change came, ana
smile passed over his countcnanee when Is