The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1894-03-01

Since our last weeks paper was Is
sued, sentence has been passed upon
the following named persons, tried at
this term of court. Those given
term in the penitentiary were:
Robert Brown. colOred. larceny. |
year.
w. r. Bulls, larceny, years.
Alex Bass, colored, larceny, 3 years.
Bill jackson and Sonny Baxter. both
cOlored, 10 years each for burglary.
This was the case for which a special
venire Of 80 was summoned fDr last
Friday. The prisoners were arragued
and pleaded not guilty. AS they were
to be tried for their lives and having
no counsel Judge Bynum requested
Capt. w. B. Shaw and L. T. Hicks,
Esq, to defend them. DisagreeaJle as
was the task thus assigned them these
gentleman readily asscnted and faith
fully discharged their duty. Mr.. A.
G. Zollicott'er, representing Mr.. w. I.
Estes the gentleman whose residence
the burglary had been committed upon,
counsel for the defendants and Solicitor
Woodland having conferred over the
matter it was agreed that the prisoners
nj ght plead guilty Of burglary in the
second degree i'll lieu Of being put on
trial for their lives. This was done
and evidence was then taken to deter
mine the degree of punishment that
should be put upon them by the Judge,
with the result above stated. There
is Il difference Of opinion as to this
termination Of the matter though the
I 70 tla,,
concerned did what they thought best
under the circumstances and had reason
to feel that the ends of justice would
be fully met by adopting such course.
Mason Cheek, a small negro boy,
was convicted of stealing and after
learning what sort of an inorriglble
little cuss he is Judge Bynum's first
impulse was to give him a year in the
penitentlary, but we understand he
| has concluded not to do this and at
this writing has not determined what
disposition to make ofhis case. Though
young i'll years and small of stature
Mason is an Old offender and well de-
veloped in general depravity-and al
together a tough citizen. He has been
whipped repeatedly by his mother and
at the instance of the Mayor, but that
mode of punishment seems to do no
good.
Sam Harris, colored, assault with
deadly weapon, was sentenced to
months imprisonment in the county
Jail, county commissioners to have
privilege of hiring him out. Sans
otfense was rather too heroic asser-
ton of his marital Misunderstanding
his wife with fence paling and burn
ing sundry dresses and other wearing
apparel to her belonging. 1t is a, pity
there is no law by which he might be
given a dose Of his own medicine or
family corrective, and if it had been in
his power to do SO we are quite sure
Judge Bynum would have made him
smart little more than term III the
county jail or work at hard labor three
months. The wretch who is mean
enough to beat and abuse his wife ought
to have a special statute made and pro-
yided for his individual case separate
and apart from the punishment melted
out to the ordinary offender against
the law and society.
Ed Coley, colored, ARRAY, in which
he used a pocket knife for purposes it
was not originally designed by the
makers, was sentenced to months III
the county Jail, the commissioners to
hire him out