The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-11-10
NEW TRIAL FOR LDE?
CELEBRATED CASE COMES BE-
 F0RE SUPREME COURT.
Story of the Crime and How the Prisoner Spends His Time in the County
 Jail.

One of the most important cases to be decided by the Supreme Court which meets at noon tomorrow Is the appeal of 8; A. Lide, the Montgomery county mer- chant who has been sentenced by the low CT courts to a life term In prison for the murder of A. B. Johnson.
 The deed for which Lide was sent up the trial: the appeal to the Supreme prison life of the now famous survivor oi that terrible tragedy-all 90 to form one or the most celebrated eases ever record ed in the court annals of Alabama. Lide calmly awaits the legal ter1nina- tion of his case. confident that he will be granted another trial. He has been 1T the county jail since March 10. 1901, but appears none the worse for his confine- ment.
 L.ide and Jacobi. the young man con victed of assault and sentenced to twen- tv years in the penitentiary. occupy the same cell located on the second floor or the jail immediately over the jailors of. flee. Jacobfs case has also been appealed to the Supreme Court and he and LAde frequently discuss their chances of secur. ing another opportunity to prove theii innocence to the world.
 Lide has his cell fixed up very neatly The three windows are adorned with plants which he carefully waters and looks after each day. He has bed oi many other conveniences. The door Is unlocked in the day time and Lide and Jacobi come out in the small hallway on the second story to take exercise. At the jailor's office, assisting in making He is very fond of company and knows every person who frequents the jail Ever people who pass regularly along Wash ington Street on the side from the jail know Lide and Lide knows them. His wife is frequent visitor to his cell and ID to some month: ago she was a daily caller. nide's children still call to see him and every day they can be seen play ing around the jail yard
 Lide reads great deal and when he gets tired of talking he goes to the win dows of his cell to gaze out at pedestri- ans. Thus the day. weeks and months have passed by and the time is rapidly approaching when he will know wheth 1T he will have another trial or whether he will spend the balance of his life in a convicts ward at the State penitentiary. The crime for which Lide is being held was of the most sensational in the history of the county of Montgomery. It homicide but because of the many sensa- tions which followed close upon each 1th- CT during the memorable spring of 190o. For. the first time in years a special term was empanneled to investigate a crimi- nal case. The legal fight was ono of the | most stubbornlv cont ssted in the history Of the locai courts; while interest in the
 
 this section of the State.
 Story of the Crime.
 On Friday morning, March g, 1900. four men were standing in the public road about eleven miles from Montgomery. The men were A. B. Johnson, a formidable candidate for Sheriff of Montgomery county; s. A. Iide. wno kept store near the spot where the men had gathered; T. J. Reynolds, Lides father-in-law, and William Blakey, neighbor.
 Lide pulled flask of whiskey from his pocket and invited his friends to have a drink. After the bottle had been passed | around Lide gave q special invitation to Johnson to come in his store with him and have another drink. Johnson follow ed. A, gun shot was heard and soon Lide. with 8 smoking gun in his hand. came out of the store. He coolly announc- ed he had kilietd Johnson, locked the door, got in buggy and drove to Mont gomery where he surrendered to the Sher-
 Lide stated, to the officers. as he en- tered the jail door, that Johnson had at; temptedto assault his wife and he killed him for that attempt.
 The news of the homicide spread rapid ly The Sherin and several deputies, the Coroner, physicians and the writer hast fly secured buggies and after a ride oi eleven miles reached the scene of the crime. The store where the killing oc- cured is located on a hill just at the eltsVSn-InltG post. ne EOdQWdy WDS DlOch- ed with vehicles of every description. The killing was the sensation of tho hour in that section of the country; all field work was suspended and all busl- ness temporarily abandoned. Lide's store was the Mecca" for hundreds of curious The Coroner empanneled a jury. The rustic porch in front of the store house empty soap box was used for desk. The witnesses were sworn and the taking oi testimony begun. The Coroner opened the door of the store and viewed the body of the dead man. He was lying in a poo of blood and was stretched at full length on the floor. A small pocket knife was IT | one hand and plug of tobacco in the | other, showing that Johnson was evident ly in the act of cutting of chew wher l he was slain by Lide.
 l Mrs. M. E. Lide. wife of the defendant | testified before the Coroner's jury tha | on Sunday evening before the killing sh' I some flour. Shortly after she had entered Johnston came in and attempted the as
 sauit. She threatened to cry out ant Johnson left. She told her husband about
 It and he said he was going to Kill John son.
 Johnson went away Monday morning
 she said, on an electioneering tour In m l interest of his candidacy for Sherin anc did not return until Thursday night. l-ldt l killed him Friday morning. -
 Other witnesses also testified The, said that Johnson had sent negro boy over to Iide's house with the reques that Lido let him go to town with him
 Lide sent word back that he would b'
 glad to have his company and when John
 son met him in the road, Lide gave hin
 a drink and then invited him in the stor'
 where he killed him.
 Johnson was a married man and had .
 family of nine children. His brother, Os
 car Johnson. a physician of Pike Hoad was very active in the yindication or hi brothers honor. He maintained from th'
 first that his brother was innocent or m charge and that Lide was trying to shlri
 the penalty of his crime by claiming h'
 acted in defense of his wifes honor
 A warrant was sworn out by Sherlf
 Parks charging Lide with murder ana m
 trial was set for March 1e. before Justlc'
 J. B. Fuller.
 It k estimated that several hundred
 citizens were here from that section Q
 the country where the crime occurred
 The court room was packed anu tn
 greatest interest appeared to De takeh !
 the trial. Lide appeared in court accom
 nanled by the Sheriff and his two attor
 neys. The case was called and the Stau
 announced ready. The attorneys TOT tn'
 defense arose and said that their cnen
 desired to waive examination. Lide wa