The leader., 1895-08-20
TO THE PEN FOR LIFE.
That is the Fate Of Marshall, Colsma,
and Fox. the Brandon As<assins.

Il Iuat u the f8tc OF hatrA@ttf &0tffn&n
and Fox. the Brandon Assassins.
The case of Marshall, Coleman and
Fox, the Brandon murderers, came to
very sudden and unexpected termi-
nation last week. They were indicted
on Wednesday for murder in the first
degree, arraigned, plead guilty and
sentenced on Thursday, and on Friday
lodged in the penitentiary for life.
Vollar, Marshall's law partner, was not
indicted. How 1t all came about so
quickly is told by Hon. R N. Miller,
leading counsel for the prosecution, in
an interview with the Clarion-Ledger.
STATEMENT FROM R. N MILLER.
an this case the defendants coun-
sci suggested to Judge Mayors that
they were willing 10 enter plea of
guilty to the charge of murder, pro-
vided the State would agree that the
jury might return verdict fixing their
punishment at Imprisonment in the
penitentiary for life. Judge Mayors
communicated that to us (the repre-
sentatives of the Statel and after con-
sultation among the lawyers, the dis
trict attorney, his assistant counsel,
and full confesence with the friends
and relatives of the deceased (Mr.
Dinkins), it was decided on behalf of
the State to accept the proposition.
ave were influenced to that decision
by many considerations, chief of which,
however, was the fact that there were
three men to be tried, who were emit
tied to a severence under the law, and
a separate trial for each one, and it
would have been matter of impossi-
bility to have tried all three of the
cases at this term. In view of that
fact, and together with the uncertain
ties of the jury system and the delay
growing out of appeals to the Supreme
Court, which would have been taken,
we thought that it was the best policy
to accept the plea of guilty upon those
terms, and this morning that was done.
"a jury was empannelled and the
defendants were arraigned upon the
Indictment, to which they pleaded
guilty, formally, to the charge of MUIR
der. The agreement between the coun-
sci was stated to the jury, and a pre-
pared verdict handed to the jury, and
they were requested to return it, which
they promptly did. Thereupon the
court asked the defendants if either of
them had any statement they desired
to make before they received sentence.
"In response, Mr.. T. Dabney Mar
shall said, in substance to the court,
that he very much regretted the kill
ing of Mr.. Dinkins; that he had high
respect for the law, and had always ia
vored its enforcement, and that the
difficulty in which Mr.. Dinkins was
slain, that is, the fight in which he was
killed, was precipitated by accident,
and an evident misunderstanding be-
tween himself and the deceased, and
that he especially regretted that cir
cumstance on account of his associates
in the crime; that their purpose in 60
ing to Brandon was wholly foreign to
anything like killing Mr.. Dinkins; that
they went there to have an understand
ing with him, and with no purpose of
murder in their hearts, and that this
accidental precipitation of the difficult
ty involved his friends, which he re-
GREETED more than his own misfortune
in the matter, and with that he closed
his statement. He made no illusions
to the charges made against him by
Dinkins, except to say that he and his
friends had come out to have an un-
Outstanding with Dinkins "about ru-
mors which you have all heard"
"The court thereupon stated that on
the verdict rendered it sentenced each
of the defendants to the penitentiary
for life, and they were Immediately
taken back to Jail.
Everything was very quiet, just as
if it had been an ordinary case. There
was no excitement at all. There was
/ quite a crowd present, but no demon
stration of any kind one way or an
other.
'There is no doubt that verdict
rendered now would have been to hang
one of them, not a shadow of doubt.
, We would have tried Dabney Marshall
first.
"This settlement of the case was
what the family of the deceased, Mr..
Dinkins, desired. There was no spirit
of revenge or anything of that nature
displayed by them, and one of the pris-
oners, Mr. Fox, stepped Immediately
off the stand, after receiving the SEN
tence, shook hands with Mr. Paul Dink-
ms and expressed his gratitude to him
for his forbearance in the matter, and
kindly dealing with the subject in not
pressing the case to trial.
''There was no intimation of any
agreement, nor hint looking to fu-
ture pardon involved in the agree
ment.
.Judge Mayors ordered the sheriff
to notify the warden Of the penitentia-
ry to send for the prisoners at once.
They will certainly be placed in the
penitentiary tomorrow morning"
MR.. DINKINs' STATEMENT.
Mr.. Paul Dinkins said:
"Aside from the considerations stat
cd by MI. Miller, as counsel, Mr.. Fox
was connected with our family by mar
riage, and had been on personally in
innate terms with all the defendants,
and our relations we're very friendly.
On account of the relations of our
families, this proposition was accepted.
/ knew, too, that it would be my moth
er's preference that they be not hung
if she had it in her power to decide
their fate. If she had been given her
J preference, our mother would have
|. preferred this settlement rather than
to have executed these men, the slay-