The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1901-05-22
GUILTY, AS CHARGED.
That Is What n Jury of His
Peers Declared of John
Sasser.
TRIED FOR THE MURDER OF TOM
LARD IN BRoOKHAvEN.
The Death Penalty Inflicted
Sentenced to Hang June 26.

me Death Penalty Inflicted
Sentenced to Hang June 26.
~ think, gentlemen" said Judge
Powell, In opening his charge to the
grand jury on the first day of the pres
ent court, "the time has come for
good, square, legal hanging in Lincoln
county. am not bloodthirsty; do
not want any mans blood on my
hands; but somebody ought to be hung
who has committed murder, for the
good Of the county. It would purify
the atmosphere and render the county
fit for aw-abiding people to live in.
Persons who have violated the law
should be brought to Justice"
Responding to this timely admoni-
ton of the court, the jury in the case
of John j. Sasser, the first man tried
for murder at this term of court, did
its duty bravely and conscientiously,
and in a manner to receive the COM
mendation Of the court and all good
law-abiding citizens. 1t was an I'M
pleasant duty, but on that account the
jurors did not shirk or shrink from
the grave responsibility imposed upon
them by the law, the evidence and
their solemn oaths. The jury was Sc
lected with great care by both sides
and was composed as follows:
c. c. Hampton, s. W. Varnado,
w. S. Fore, J. w. Mckay,
J. Q. Kyzar, Eugene Day,
Wash Peevey, VIM. Netherland,
H. II. Summers, J. Homer Adams,
z. r. Jordan, l.. L. Wilson.
Below we present full synopsis of
the testimony taken on both sides of
the case, and which was clearly lis
tened to throughout by one of the
largest crowds ever packed into the
court house.
EVIDENCES FOR THE STATE.
The State showed by DR.. Bennett
that Tom Lard was killed by a pistol
ball that entered near the middle of
the forehead and ranged upward
slightly from where it entered, and
lodged at the back of the head. The
ball was about 3S calibre in size. The
skin on forehead where ball entered
was powder burned. Didn't examine
to see whether grains of powder were
driven into skin or not. Shot must
have been fired at very close range
would say feet or thereabout.
1t was shown by number of State
witnesses in course of the trial, that
Lard was killed on the bridge on First
street, Brookhaven, near the North
corner of Aaron Hurst's fence, and
East of Connellys Foundry and Ma
chine shop. All who testified as to
the number of shots, said there were
two, fired in quick succession-time,
from to So'clock p. m. Luther Har-
vey, State witness, said he looked. at
his watch as soon as he heard the shots
and it was exactly 7:30. The moon was
shining very brightly that night and
the electric street lights were not
burning j. w. Smollen, who keeps a
lunch stand and restaurant in the
Leary Building, directly west of the
l. c. depot, and fronting in that direc-
ton, Tom Pritchard and George Mole
swore that Sasser, Pritchard and Lard
were in Smollen's restaurant about 7
o'clock. Sasser and Pritchard ate sup
per together, and Lard came in after
they did and probably took cup of
COTE with them on Sasser's invitation,
Sasser paying the bill for all. All
three we're drinking and more or less
under the influence of liquor. They
left the restaurant about o'clock and
went in direction of depot.
Thos. Pritchard, who was arrested
for the murder the day after it occurr
ed and had been in Jail ever since
awaiting the action of the grand jury,
was the only one with Lard and Sas-
ser when it occurred, and was the
principal State witness. He is young
man about 25 or 80, little over me-
dunn height, taller than Lard and not
so tall as Sasser. Pritchard testified
that after they left Smollens restau-
rant, they went to Forest" passing
the colored church. Then they "chip-
ped in" to buy more whisky, and he
and Sasser stopped by a fence beyond
the church, while Lard took the money
and went down to Charley Moses
house to get the whisky. Lard soon
returned with the whisky, and after
drinks they all started back toward
the railroad, passing back by the
church and stopping again when they
reached First street. Here they drank
some more and he raped while Sasser
danced in the road, Lard meanwhile
standing near by looking on. The
dancing at an end, Lard insisted on
coming back down in town, moving off
in that direction. Sasser then called
to him and said, tom, come back;
you're too drunk to go down town.
Come back and give us some more
whisky" Lard stopped and turned
back and the three came close to-
gether again, when Lard said to Sasser,
John, you are mad with me-" mo,
I'm not, Tom; like you" responded
Sasser. At the same instant Sasser
snatched Lard's pistol from the waist
band of his pants in front where wit
ness had seen it, and turned it on him,