The leader., 1901-05-22

Sdiu ETlJCudTu udu kOuc Out ohu bcs
while they we're at Smollen's, and then
Pritchard proposed to go after some
that was better. He gave Pritchard
paper dollar and told him to buy him
a quart. Pritchard started off east on
the north side of Monticello street
and Lard proposed to follow after him.
Witness tried to dissuade Lard from
going because he was too drunk and
he feared he would get into trouble. He
had noticed GOODNESS between Pritch- |
ard and Lard at Smollen's. Pritchard |
said there had been h-ll of row up |
at Sarah Phillips that day. and this
made him afraid il Lard went off in
the condition he was in he would get
into trouble, and as friend, he ad-
vised him not to go. Lard went any
how, and took the middle of the road
and Pritchard the side. Witness then
went over to Hardy Magee's room up
stairs in the Lucich Building next
door to the telephone exchange, to see
him about the business he had come
down here about. Magee was not there
and nobody at the telephone could tell
where he was. He then went back to de-
pot, feeling bad from the effects of a
fever, and just as he sat down or was
about to sit down on the platform to
wait for Pritchard and Lard, he heard
two pistol shots off up toward Forest.
He was there all alone. In short |
while Pritchard came back without |
any whisky and asked if negro nam
ed shorty" had brought it. He re-
piled that he did not give shorty" his
money and Pritchard was the man he
looked to for the whisky. Pritchard |
then said he knew where they could
find "Shorty" and proposed that they
go hunt him up. They then left the
depot and went to the negro den south |
of the court house, the defendants |
testimony from this point on to where
they separated at Wesson next morning
closely corresponding to Pritchard's
except in some minor details. He
said he never heard anyone had been
shot until he and Pritchard learned it |
from a negro after they had got down
to the negro cabin near the court |
house. When he got back up to the
depot, and heard it was his friend,
Tom Lard, he asked Marshal Apple
white if he thought he would have
time to go over to the court house
and see him before the train arrived,
and Bob told him he didn't think he
would.
He left Wesson on freight train
after he had seen Prtchard off on the
passenger, and came as far as Mont
gomery, where he was put off. He then
struck out on foot to 60 to Mrs. New
ellis. He was going there to collect
$500 he had loaned young Newell and
take a squirrel hunt. Newell had
promised to bring him the money at
Wesson Saturday and hadn't come. He
stopped at John Walkers and changed
his mind about going to Mrs. Newel's.
II was farther than he supposed it was,
and besides he thought of something.
A rumor had somehow got out because
he had talk with a friend about it,
that he and this friend were plan
ming to capture Ras. Newell for the
reward that had been offered for him,
and he decided if he went out there
his business might be misinterpreted
and he'd get into trouble.
Witness then gave an account of his |
movements after leaving Walkers
how he came through Brookhaven
went down in his old home neighbor-
hood that night, and spent the time at
his fathers, Mr.. Rollins and Ed.
Smiths until the following Friday
when he went to the office of DR.. Van
Martin at Moreton & Helms for some
medicine for his fevers and was arrest
ed by the doctor and brought to
Brookhaven. Didn't come to Brook
haven of his own accord, because he
had heard there was danger of his be-
ing lynched and he didn't want to take
any unnecessary risk until things
cooled down.
Sasser, with stolid face preserved
remarkable compoSure during his tes-
timony, but was pretty badly ratified
twice on cross examination when he was
unguardedly betrayed into inconsst-
ent statements.
The case was very ably prosecuted
and very ably defended, District At
torney Graves and Thomas Brady rep
resented the State and A. c. McNair |
and Chas. Chrisman, the defense.
The case was given to the jury at
$40 Thursday afternoon and next |
morning at $40 the jury returned
into court with verdict of guilty as
charged" 1t is learned the jury had |
no trouble in agreeing to a verdict of |
guilty, the only hitch being over the
degree of punishment to be inflicted. |
The few who at first held out for a
life sentence finally came over, and |
the extreme penalty of the law was
agreed to. Sasser received the verdict
without betraying the slightest emo
ton and was carried back to Jail.
Saturday morning, counsel for the |
defendant made motion for a new
trial, which was overruled by the |
Court. The prisoner was then or
dered to stand up and the death SEN
tence solemnly pronounced by the |
Court, Wednesday, June Goth, being |
named as the day of execution. Sas- |
ser's only reponse was, that he was
not guilty.
1t is understood the case will be ap- |
pealed, and if so, it will not be decid- |
ed until next fall, as the Supreme
Court will not meet again until |
October
Beware of Cough.
A cough is not disease but symp-
tom. Consumption and bronchitis,
which are the most danperous and |