The age-herald., 1901-08-26
Judoe Pelham and St. Clair.

man in a position to have full infor- nation concerning all the facts relating to the recent trial of Jim Brown in St. Clair County--a man known and honoreo all over Alabama. speaking yesterday, en- tirely without the knowledge of Judge Pelham or Governor Jelks, said:
 Judge Pelham about a month ago pro- ceeded to Ashville, and called a meeting of the citizens, at which meeting was a large number of representative men from various parts of the county. It was the unanimous sentiment and sense or that meeting that 1t would be unwise' impolitic and dangerous to bring pooy of soldiers to guard the prisoner ourlhs his trial. The men in that meeting pledged themselves to use their pest el- for.s to see the law enforced in an order ly manner. upon, condition that no mill tary guard should be brought into ttre county. Judge Pelham accepted the pledge, and these men have spent ths time in creating a sentiment in faVor oi A decent and orderly trial, and 1t is safe to say that nine-tenths of the people ol St. Clair County readily. responded 10 this sentiment, and commend Judge Pei- ham for the course he pursued. Ana IL is g significant fact that the guards who were sworn in as deputies, and who took an oath to uphold the law at the cost of their lives, were largely men from ana around Springvllle where the dastaroly crime was committed.
 T think too much praise cannot be given to the guards who voluntarily as- sumed the responsibility of upholdlng the law and especially should the untiring and courageous efforts of Judge W. s. Formon, the probate judge of St. Clair County be commended He 1t was who organized and picked the guard, and he remained until the negro was taken away.
 "There were only a very few men In sympathy with the would-be lyncners' and this latter class was composed Of certain reckless, lawless fellows, such as you find in every county. They never had the slightest chance of success To show you that the crowd as whole was orderly, I mention the fact that once during the progress of the trial, and again after the trial was over, upon mere request of the judge, the crowd, which packed the court house, cleared the room almost to a man. A short time after the sentence was passed the shoot ing occurred, and at that time not man of all that assemblage, numbering prob- ably fifteen hundred, remained in the court house, except those who were prop erly there.
 'Upon the whole. 1t is a great victory for the people of St. Clair County, and 1t has taught a wholesome lesson to the lawless element. which in St. Clair Coun- ty, is largely in the minority.
 ''I know the people of that county, al- though I do not live there, and I have no hesItancy in saying that taken as a whole, the citizenship of the county Is the equal of that of any other county in the state in the respect entertained for the law.
 'No, sir; there was no need of military guards, and the sending of them to St. Clair County would, in my humble judg- mert, have been a serious mistake. The good people of that county demonstrated their willingness and ability to maintain the enforcement of the law and that, too, under the most trying circumstances, and no one could ask any more of them than that