The Forrest City times., 1894-11-02
Failed to ConNiol.
The Case ofthe State vs,Lee Moore. WR Moore, Jett Kennedy and Bob Hudspeth Results m
 AcUuittaI.


 State of Arkansas vs. Lee Moore. w R. Moore, Jett Kennedy and Bob Hud- speth, charged with arson and on trial in the Phillips circuit court last week 4 chancv, of venue from this county. was closed Friday eveuing. aud instil tinns acreed upon and given | tie iur~. The whole of Saturday was taken up by connsel in arguing he case. Special dispatches to the Arkansas Gazette and Memphis Commercial Ap- real. says that Hon. R. J. Williams. a talented and learned lawyer of Fo,- rest City. M-. N E. Nizer the preacher lawyer. who stumped tue State four years ago as Populist candidate for Governor against Gov. Jas F. Eagle. and Prosecuting Attorney Roleson did the speaking for the State. sum- ming up the cases of the State in a maaerly and convincing manne~, that Judge T. c. 1rimble. of Lonoke. and Hon. J. A. Coates. of Bolivar. Tenn. i, ipprese nted the accused"
 These same dispatches predicted the result of the jury's deliberations which was verdict of not guilty. arrived at in few hours after retiring to consider the case. On tine first poll of the jury 1t stood 70 for acqu;txl and two For conviction as charged.
 The prosecution labOi ed under the disadvantage of having only neg'O wit nesses to the material fact of the burn ing. The testimony of the three negroes. Alex Alexander, Charles Cot ton and Gnf Arnold. was straight and to the point. and although not con- taI fnc tiVSrn n. duced with the intention 0f weakening the weight of their evidence.
 TIE I MEsis indebted to the Helena World and dispatches for tue following points on the trial:
 Jim Bell, another of the states evi- drnte with sses. upon whose stimony tie g,and jury found indictments against majority of the accused. like lis fHeruunsr. Gus Bryant had. suffer ed rrepa,able injury to his mental fla entities aud could remember notbing of his former story. He says he was either drunk or in imminent fear Tor his sa,ety when he appeared before the ot. Francis grand jury.
 The State introduced Gen. Geo. r. Taylor, Mir. Tull-v. the clerk o' the Grand Jury. Deputy Sheriff sherman. aud M,. q GibsOn. who declared upon their oatIles that both Bryant aud Be" testified voluntarily and apparently willingly, before the St. Ffancis Gra"d Jury and that they were not under compulsion. by any means.
 The fact that the detective, Richard son. who woEed mp these cases, IS m Jail, himself charged with the mt de- of SIX helpless negroes. and that Webster who assisted him and also Cf unsavorv character. is uead. also weakened the prosecution and the result was not unexnected. thoG~h tue impression prevails that some tall sweating mas been done on the part of the tends ot the defendants. There Is n" d"uot that some twenty odd so,isrs were burned; that negroes were drive'i out Of tue BeighbO' hood that some or tue defendants were known to be arrayed against neg.U labor. but the trouDie was in the fact that the State was weaker in eviuences against them. w'fIe the D, ,isoners are welt fixed in the mao ter O. true and faithful friends.
 The ploSrcui ,On only introduced h = teen witnesses, while the defense i'ad irty-two. of whi. T three of the mo | important were Mrs. Hill, Parson Wal son minister of the Missionary Ea?-- list Church. and Je.ly kepnedy. one W the deeendantr. These hree witnesses hwore that cn the ui' Int of the 2Oth or janua last Kennedy slepG with Tar son Wi.son al, night in the home or Cne Hills That was the night on wu'cn the three ne. .rcps-CoctOn. Arnold and Alexs nder-said thev saw Kennedy ard othe.s bG Il two ouseS on l1eii' Banks g.la 6. .'arson Wilson was m tue habit of sty :ps at the Hill house when ever he went into that neighDorhood so pfeac'i. but ould not name anoth4E date or w"'ch he had enalned Ino U. Mrs. n hll swore that ParsOn Wilson and Kennedy slept tOGethc.' C.,en. DuC neither Kennedy nor the parscn eou'u remember that they had ever slept to- Gether on any other Occas on lnan tue night of the burning. A dozen w.t- nesSes Swo"e to tine previous good cIai- acter of the accused. but admitted on close cross-txs mliaL,On that the ques. ton nf character had not been discussed by neighbors until after the trouble.
 Ira Gorum. an intelli"ent looking man. gin and mill owner at taiestlne:. admitted that he was memoer oi Gideon's Band, and said It was an or ganization composed of reputable law abiding citizens, who had banded to- getler for the purpose of futhering the financial and political good of the com, munity. He said the organization had many bands scattered over many states :"d numbering many thousands or n mbel s.. Witness iiad been informed or tn. total membership of the band put co lid not recall Ine exact membership, but knew there were thousands. lie