The Scranton chronicle. (Scranton, Miss.) 1897-19??, 1902-06-14
SAYS THEY MUST HANG
Supreme Court Anirm8 Death Som
tenee OF Cooke and Lauderdale.
Jaty sd Named - Date 81 Etssation.
whit Owens tase Hesvrasd~1m-
porfant Insurance DceisIaa.

Jackson. Miss. June 9.-Tho sn-
premo Court this afternoon handed
down three decisions that viii DO et
general Interest throughout the Stata.
lt affirmed the case Of Ashley Cooke
and l.audefdale. convicted Of murder
In Washington county
II reversed the case Of Whit Owens.
convicted OF eompllcity In the murder
OF the two Moutgomcrya in LAlayetts
county.
II affirmed The celebrated coInsur.
ance case OF Hartford Fire Insurance
Company vs.. D J. sehlenker about
which there has been so much concern
among cotton men aud insurance men
and bankers
The decision In tho coinauranoe casa
means TINT the state is confronted
with a serious condition aud one that
threatena great commercial losses. The
opinion OF the court was delivered by
chief Justice Whitfield. and the court
holds that the valued policy law ap-
plies to both personally and realty
alike and that tho ooinsurance clause
rs commonly Inserted In blanket cot
ton policies Is violation OF the valued
policy law.
Anticipating that the case would hs
affirmed the insurance companies have
already instructed their agents TO in.
sure no more cotton by blanket poll.
ciea. but 10 insure only by marks and
numbers. This means that the cotton
cannot be insured In the State. and
that holders OF cotton will have TO sell
direct 10 Memphis aud New Orleans.
Congresses viii suffer heavily and
hanka Will lose the usual cotton dis
counts and exchange; cotton buyers all
oser the State viii be practically put
ont of business. except on very i'm
tied scale and tho movement of the
crop will be seriously embarrassed and
impednd. Cotton men assert that an
extra session Of the Legislature Will DO
necessary to relieve the situation.
The decision Ia the case OF Ashley
locke and Tom Lauderdale Will meet
with general satisfaction. because Of
the cold.blooded and inhuman murder
OF Engineer wray The details OF their
crime are still fresh In the minds o.
newspaper readers. The date OF exc
cution OF the two men is July %.
The Owens Case.
Owens was convicted in the Circuit
court Of Lafayette county Of compiled
ty IN the murder OF Hugh and John
Montgomery. two deputy United States
marshals. who had gone to arrest WIN
Mathis. and who were Killed in tho
house OF Mathis and their bodies Gre
mated. The details OF the brutal
crime are still fresh IN the public
mind. Mathis was the rlngleader of an
organized gang OF unlawful liquor
dealers who we're ylolators Of the
United States reyonue laws. The two
/ Moatgomerys had a warrant for his
arrest and went to his house to servo
the papers. Mathis persuaded the Of.
ncers TO stay at the house oyer night.
| and promised 10 20 with them peace
ably the next day. Later the half
burned bodies OF the officers were
found In the smoking ruins OF the
house The arrest Of Mathis and tho
negro Orlando Lester followed, and
they each made confessions impllcat-
ing the other. Mathis and Lester we're
promptly tried and convicted The evi.
| denee also tended 10 incrIminate
Owens and negro named Jackson.
Mathis and Lester were sentenced TO
death and appealed to the Supreme
Court, which sustained the lower
court and they are under sentence u
die On the gallows June "a. Jackson
| ,rnnt N tn nenIfnnfiarv for Life ant