The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1896-10-09
]. Rosentha|.
CIRCUIT COURT PROCEEDINGS.
Frank johnson Found Uuilty and SEN
fenced to Hang.

Frank johnson Found uuilty and SEN
fenced to Hang.
The case against Geo. Frierson,
colored, charged with murder, is set
for trial to-day.
The case against Mrs. Moore, alias
Stone, and sWalker Stone, charged
with larceny, resulted in hung
jury. The jury stood eleven for con-
viction and one for acquittal. Mr..
J. L. Jaynes stood for acquittal.
The case against Jim Porter for as
sault was tried Yesterday; he was
found guilty and sentenced to nine
months Jail service.
The case against Mrs. Stone and
Walker Stone, charged with stealing
turkeys from Major Jamison, was on
trial yesterday.
The case against f. d. Lander,
charged with furnishing 81 to buy
votes in the municipal election last
| November, was called and tried last
Tuesday. The only witness for the
State was John u. LOchridge, Jr.,
upon whose evidence before the
grand jury the Indictment was OBJ
tanned, who reiterated his statement
that Lander had given him the
money with which to buy the votes.
For the defense Mr.. Lander denied
positively an unequivocally that
any such transaction or.cOnversation
as detailed by Lochridge had taken
place. He denied having given
Lochridge any sum of money for any
purpose whatever, or having any
conversation with him that day on
the subject. The other witnesses
introduced by the defense were
| Messrs. John Latta, n. B. Cheairs,
A. S. James, o. p. Rutledge, w. S.
Fleming and Peter Stratton, col
ored. The State then introduced
| several witnesses as to Lochridges
good character, and the proof clos
ed. After the proof was all in, At
torney General Boyd, of his own mo-
ton, addressed the jury in substance
as follows: "Gentlemen of the jury
hope understand and appreciate
the dual capacity of my office. | am
sworn officer of the Court as you
are, and without meaning to cast
any reflections upon the States wit
ness in this case, l cannot, under all
the circumstances and after listen
ing to all the proof, ask you to re-
turn verdict of guilty. | feel it my
duty, under my oath, not to ask you
to return a verdict that would moi
be entirely warranted, and there
fore, with the consent of the Court
will ask that you render verdict
of not guilty" Whereupon, Judge
Patterson said to the jury, gentle
men, the position the Attorney
General has taken in this case, anC
what he has said to you, meets will
my hearty appreciation; with you
consent, therefore, 1 will enter yer
dict of not guilty. Without leav
ing their seats the jury assented anC
the verdict was so entered.
Guilty of murder in the first de
gree" was the verdict brought in b,
the jury Saturday against Franz
Johnson, the young negro charged
| with the murder of Austin Rye, col
. ored. The jury was out only twent,
! minutes and was cOmplimented b.
4 Judge Patterson for returning a veI
: dict in accordance with justice S
: promptly. This was one of the mos
D deliberate and cold bloOded murder
/, ever committed in Columbia. In tn
: early evening, on the pavement i
1 front of DR.. A. l.. Pillows residenc
: on West Seventh street, Rye, tn
4 murdered man, was knocked in tn
/. head with an ak, killed and robbed
E Below we give the jury: S. "
Smith, w. l.. Cheek, J. G.. Hight, 6
M N
Coughran, Hugh Henly, S. S. Craig
S M. P. Fox, John Husband, Bru
\ Fleming and L. S. Harris.
Sentence was deferred till Tue
day, when it was read in the pre-