The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1888-02-17
.John ID. Bodice Committed for
Arson.

81 |
The prelinary trial OF John D
H0bee, on the charge of attempt
ing to burn the Scranton Methods
Church on the night OF Monday tll'
9Th inst, was concluded before jus
tlce Alfred q. Krebs last Frida,
night. JusticTKrebs took the cast
under. adtisement until Saturday
morning, when he found the deten
;. dant guilty and remanded him tt
iaii in default OF a bond OF $500 fol
.hIs appearance before the uext Cir
cult Court. The investigation pro.
ceeded slowly, az all the evidence
was taken down in writing. Quite
a.RumbeP Of -citiZeus attended the
trial and manifested considerable
interest IN the result, it being gen.
orally believed that all the church
burning that has disgraced our
community for the past few years
had u common origin, and was set
by the same criminal hand. Tue
evidence a entirely circumstan-
tial, bat all pointed to the deniend-
ant 10 the entity party. He was
ieeu by several lurking in secret
places neaI,the sccue of the dlsas-
ter passive aud suspicious FROM the
very beginning OF the fire until it
was under control. He was then
bOastful- OF bis service in helping to
Save that which was already safe,
shut himself up in his house on the
following day, while the shirt he
wore, ON the. cveutful night was
j spirited away aHd was no more to
be found of. .navcounted' for. His
little son, about seven years Of age,
told the prosecuting attorney and
two other. gentlemen, a very DANA
ging story of his fathers where.
abonts on that night, but when put
On tic stand told a very different
story, with such confusion and con.
tradictio1 that his evidence was
worthless. He was either tamper-
ed with or his memory was remark
ably treacherous even ron OF his
age.
Dir. H.. B. Everitt, representing
the State, prosecuted the case with
yigCr and ~carliestness in search OF
the truth, but with perfect fairness
and liberality. The defendant was
ably represented by, Mr.. q. S. Mer
iwelher wHO watched aud seized
upon every point Of vantage ground,
but Without avail. The presump
ton Of gntIt grew stronger at every
The defendant Introduced
but one witness, and that one did
him no good. The prisoner himself
made no statement, bnt has remain
ed mum on the subject since Ms
Scarcely a mHa who heard the
evidence doubts Bobee's guilt, aud
but one mystery occupies the atten- /
ton of every one, with regard to
the animous and moving cause, In
other words, what is at the bottom !
of all these dark aud deUiiiSh crimes 1
Of misunderstanding, even though
they all be laid At the door of John
ID. Bobee. Does he harbOr within
his breast all the burning malice to ,
drive him To- the commission o; so I
much crime without profit and with. ]
out Fewardi Time will doubtless {
prove this, for "murder will out" J
In the meantime our eiiizeus +
should be -yigilant to the end, that
no gullty'man escape aud no inne- !.
cent man be punished. !
The arrest was made by Sheriff
Lewis upon the advice and request B
Mr.. Eyeritt aud one or two 9th. =
erS, which action many considered :
Father pfscipitate, desiring that a a
detective be employed to work the c
case first. Mr.. Everitt desires us I
% state, and we fully agree with !
MIN, thstihe whisper OF detective
mas been the rock of inactiou upou
which the community has split after
each OF the three burns of the past
tnree years, unril;ithad become The a
.ueceptiye cry of wolf, not to be y
.eosted. Hence, his determination n
% act at bis own peril. The result =
soiar has been all that could be de- il
sired aud We believe DO barn has .
Oeen done BY action, and all we =
1ant is more of it lar the future !,
until bottd@is sfhek.r a Al
w. n o4se- Al