The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1898-11-23
CIRCUIT COURT.
Fore Acquitted-King Gets Ten Years in
the Penitentiary on Plea of
Manslaughter.

BTeSS Siuce ldSJ thursday mOruluR,
was given to the jury Monday evening.
The jury was out less than ten minutes
and returned a verdict of mot guilty"
Judge Powell showed manifest disap-
proval of the verdict and promptly
suppressed an outbreak Of applause in
the audience. At the last December
term, Fore was convicted of murder
and sentenced to the penitentiary for
life, but obtained new trial on appeal
to the Supreme Court. The case was
very vigorously prosecuted by Judge
H. Cassidy and Hon. r. N. Miller, two
of the ablest criminal lawyers of the
Mississippi bar, and ably defended by
Hons. A. c. McNair and j. l.. Ramsey.
The argument before the jury was
opened on Saturday night by Judge
Cassidy, followed by Mr.. Ramsey.
Most of the day Monday was consumed
in speeches by Messrs. McNair and
Miller.
After Fore's acquittal, James King,
who was convicted at the December
term of court for the murder of Joseph
Bufkin and sentenced to hang, and
whose case was also reversed by the
Supreme Court, was permitted to plead
guilty to the crime of manslaughter
and received sentence of ten years
in the penitentiary. The murder of
Bufkin was one of the most cold
blooded and unprovoked of any which
ever occurred in this or any other
county of the State, but it is stated
that the prosecutors of King were SO
disguised at the miscarriage of justice
in the Fore and other murder cases
which preceded it that they concluded
to end the farce without going to fur
Their expense by accepting a plea OF
manslaughter as stated. Prentiss
Easterling, who was associated with
King in the murder of Bufkin, was
given life sentence at the last Decem-
Der term.
The following is list of the cases
disposed of by the Court since our last
weeks report:
The State VS.. Louis Martin.-Nol
pros.
The State VS.. r. A. Wooten.-N Mol
pros.
The State VS.. Henry Gaines.-Nol
pros.
The State VS.. Saml Aird.--Nol pros.
The State VS.. John Ferdinand. Petit
larceny. Verdict not guilty.
The State VS.. Jack DickerSon.-Gam
ing. Plea of guilty, fined $40 and costs.
The State VS.. Tan Dickerson and
John oberts.-Gaming. Plea of gull
ty, fined so and costs.
The State VS.. VIII Freeman.-As-
Sault and battery with intent to kill
and murder Plea of guilty, sentenced
to penitentiary for one year.
W. M. Lea VS.. II. G. Crawford.-Or-
der to retax costs.
The State VS.. Lena Moore.-Disturb-
ing peace. Verdict of not guilty.
The State VS.. Willis Magee.-Nol
pros.
The State VS.. Thomas Goodman
Defaulting road hand. Plea of guilty,
fined 50 and costs.
The State VS.. Lige Smith. -Judgment
visi against sureties on bond.
The State VS.. Harris Coon.-Defend-
ant required to give bond to appear
before Justice of the Peace of Beat 3
to answer the charge against him.
The State VS.. Nathan McLean.-Nol
pros.
Charley Quin VS.. l. G. r. r. Co.
Verdict for defendant.
John Cooper VS.. |. G. r. r. Co.
NarIict for t,IaintiR for 9IO1
Caroline Markham VS.. Neil Edwards
Dismissed at plaintiffs costs.
The State VS.. Ernest f. Kirker.-
Continued.
Charles A. Kerl VS.. |. c. r. r. Co.
ants costs.
The grand jury made its final re-
port last Wednesday afternoon and
was discharged. The report is given
below:
GRAND JURY REPORT.
To the Hon. Robt. Powell. Circuit Judge for
said county and State:
The grand jury for said term of said
court of Lincoln comfy respectfully
submit the following report
We have examined LAG witnesses and
have found IA bills of indictment.
While we have found fewer indict-
ments than are usually found, still we
submit that our investigations have
been none the less thorough.
A number of violations of law have
been brought to our notice which we
have not deemed of sufficient import
ance to demand the attention of
court other than that of Justice of
the Peace. Such cases as these we
have referred to the Justices of the
Peace of the proper districts, with in
structionS that the same be investigat-
ed and disposed of by them.
Upon an investigation of the dockets
of the Justices of the Peace, we find
that in some instances there has been
too little care exercised in the manner
of keeping the same. All Justices of
the Peace should be provided with
suitable, well bound dockets and they
should be carefully and accurately
kept.
There seems to be disposition on
the part of Justices of the Peace to
make their punishment of offenders
too light. If the commoner offepses,
such as gaming, are to be broken up it
must be done by such punishment of
the offender as will make him realize
that he has been guilty of a violation
of the laws of his State.
In cases of sufficient Importance be-
fore Justices of the Peace, where the
offender is bound over to await the
action of the grand jury, we advise
that important witnesses be likewise
required. to give bond for their APP
pearance. This will greatly facilitate
Investigations by the grand jury and
will go far toward preventing an i'm
portant witness from getting beyond
the reach of the grand jury.
If Justices of the Peace will do their
,chole duty under the law, it will re-