The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1896-10-10
THE JUDGES SECRET.

f.aLi ~ Mfut tuth SIREN
,lls|tt.g5s -, uoua effort 20 con
go = vince a jury Of the
iaaotencc OF the
Or pr.aoucr. Many
,oars ago q was
- - that the noted
ees-' trial took place. but
the ncene All comes back 10 me as
wildly A. AZ the time It occurred, row
hat a startling revelation has recent
y been made. after the death OF the
Judge who sat upon the bench.
Although not more than boy, | Wit
icrsed The trial Of Andrew Hastings
s,ih more absorbing interest than any
hing Use In my lie has since awak-
ned remember the geglures' the
mnass.oned face Of Hastings attorney
'ol. George Harvey ialmer. aud | can
llmoli repeat the very words he ut
cred when addressing the jury. II was
, wonderful defense he made-wonder-
ul how he fought every inch Of ground,
shlle a chain o; strong clrcumsiantiai
fsidenoo was tightening the halter
thout bis clients neck. His cross-Ques-
ion.ng OF the states witnesses was 70
'Ahauniivc. bis pleadlngs 90 the judge
ma TO the jury so earnest as 10 arouse
he sympathy Of rany In the packed
courtroom. II was, as remember, the
arsi Important case with which Col
Palmer had been connected In Monroe
county courih. lie had moved TO Ala
5ama from Virginia and had been Ia
his new home but a few months be-
ore the Hastings MURDER case became
The sensation Of the hoiH.
Last week Judge James c. Garrow
He'd In Monroe county. Alabama. and
among his papers was found q state
mcnt. In connection with the state
ment written 10 b. made public
after his death. have read that state
meni. and II. ia Connection with The
Trial OF Andrew Hastings. makes such
A remarkable chapter Of court history
that ! have written II all down here.
Il was In the days Of the noted ku'
klux Liam. that organization which
pranF into NE IN the south durlnl
the memorable days OF 'reconstruc'
ton" Il Is supposed that thu organ
iters Of the klan originally Intended 4
control the suddenly freed slaves By
appealing 10 their superstition. Tor ta'
suklux gave birth 10 hcbfo5lins
fhosis and spooks. AMI was shroudet
"a the most profound secrecy and mys
tery. Dut the khan aeon became charge
lble with many inexcusable and out
ragcous crimes.
Some time In the srrinF Of 1867 thu
judiciary tegan to take active meas
lres Tor the suppression OF ylolenc'
lilrihuiahle to the khan. or. ra,hsr. 1,
he lawless bands calling themselvoi
SukluS. for the original organization
had by that time ceased to exist
On March II. 1857. near the town o.
Claiborne. Monroe county. Alabama
Amos Bivlns. a camp follower Of th'
union army. who had opened a stor
In Claiborne. was found dead on thl
side Of the public road. lie had beet
beaten 10 death with a club or sem
other heavy weapon.
Another kukiux victim" vas III
public verdict. and With this the peopl
we're disposed 10 discard the ;nat,c
from any further consideration. bu
Judge Carrow was ole q the mos
rarucft among officers OF the law. WI,
had decided the time had come In N,
south Tor the suppression o. crime. II
instructed the sheriff TO make a mos
borough Investigation. and. u pos
able. TO BRING the murderer OF murder
,Ts TO justice.
Il dld not take Ions 10 ~ the Grim
ln Andrew Hastings. who olerked 70
nlylns. The evidence agaias, Hasiiugl
while clrcumfiantial, was very sirong
Having been raised Ia the south. Has
inns had no love Tor his employer, VIII
was regarded as one Of the desplsc
class OF carpet baFgcrs' In those day,
lie finally quarreled with his cmploye
when reproyed for insulting the unioi
soldiers and negroes who traded at IN
store. Witnesses testified 10 this quar-
q rel which resulted IN Hastings bsin
= discharged. and there was an ahun
! dance OF evidence TO the fact that o
he left the store he was heard to re
q mark: "rn Ak the a. Yankee"
|, Il was only two nights after Has
tlngs' dlscharse that nlv.ns was killed
I, Two Witnesses sgore that Hasuns
tried to borrow a shotgun from thcr
b on the day prior 10 the murder. Il wa
!. also proven that Hastings was hear
n 10 say when speaking Of the killing
THE people ought TO give the man VIII
did Il a vote OF thanks"
Added to all this vas the fact tina
Hastings could not account for hi
whereabouts ON the nigat OF the XII
Ing between the hours OF eight an
: twelve o'clock. Blvins LEFT his stoF
about ten o'clock 10 10 TO his homl
aud Il was presumed he was Killed
few minutes after that hour.
When on trial Hastings stated tbs
ne had gone possum hunting alon,
leaving home about eight o'clock an
returning about one o'clock the nei
morning. Il was Tor this purpose b
y attempted 10 borrow a gun, lie prove
that Il was hls custom TO 20 on thes
night hunts by himself With his pr,
yious good character, this was all thoI
was for the defense.
but Col. Palmer made the most OF
and fought the evidence OF the pros
cution at times with an impasslons
manner that almost amounted 70
: madness. remember an old lawy,
, In the courtroom remarking: "Wcll,
Q never have seen an attorney 80 tho
: oughly Identified with hls ellont'a II
+ tcres;s before" Col Palmers arg
, mont TO the jury. a. said. was a mo
4 mastery effort. Ills face wgs pa
!. when he arose and walked TO the jui
/. 5ox. His voice. although stern an