Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1902-06-01
The DEATH PENALTY
Verdict of Murder in First
Degree Against John
Stokes.
STOKES CHARGED WITH MURDER
OF WIN. SCOTT AT JEFFER-
SON SPRINGS.
Appeal Will BE taken If Judqe Grace
Doees Not Grant a New
TTiai
CASE WAS HoTLY CONTESTED

Shortly after Noon Saturday the jury
IN the Stokes trial brought in their
verdict finding The defendant, John
Stokes. guilty Of murder in the first
degree
In some RESPECTS this was ono of
th" most interesting trials to occur in
III" Jefferson ciloni( court for the past
decade. Counsel ter defendant
never worked harder il the interest
nj his client thaH did Stokes attol.
ney. H. y. G. Poster Mr.. Foster. in
past celebrated murder trials. has
attained distinction by his hard fight
ing and hard LOSING. and the willy tac-
ties he pursued. and while the future
a present presents a gloomy outlook
tor his client he states that he is con
fident that Judge Grace will set aside
The verdict Of the uliy, and that if the
court docs n0t tat,c HAT action he is
fathol cGafilelt that Whca the case
COS before t6e supreme court. as it
surely VIII, nnleSs Judge Grace sets
aside the verdict TIE lower court viii
ae reversed. Mr., Foster WAS A.sa--
zidesaaIy wrought up over the outS(ne
Of ...'..'' 'i1eztriai. and asserted M the
iGlSas Fe}Iicl="a = r@po Of ststice,
a5 he would Be imply able % show
"a th" supreme court He said he had
reserved certain Bfoef Chat would pre-
elude thc supreme court from doing
anything else. {
The Stokes case was one Of those
peculiar cases in which circumstantial
evidence only Was obtainablo by the
state u show the guilt Of the defend
ant. In this the stete succeeded in
weaving about the defendant . we'll
connected chain of evidence, which
convinced the jury beyond reason
able doubt Of Stokes guilt, causing
them to bring in a verdict which the
states attorney believes will stand
until John Stokes is hanged in the
back yard Of the courthouse antil he
is dead
The defense had subpocnaed as
many as forty Witnesses, but the eoun-
! sci for the defense surprised the
states attorney and spectators by
bringing the case to a sulden termi-
nation before third of the witnesses
were eXan1ined. This was done after
the counsel for the defense he'd offer
ed the testimony of two negroes of
Little Rock, who sWore that they had
seen him in that city on the day that
William Scott was killed. Mr.. Fos
ter thought by the aibi testiniC1ry--ts.-
save his clients neck, but several
states witnesses had also testified
that they he'd seen him in the neigf.
borhood Of the scene of the killing one.
or two of whom Stokes ha dt' ,e,s RI
swap shoes with. Prosecuti Ap Attor.
ney Sorrells, in his closj ..e argument.
lambasted the two little Roc,z ne
sroes, and their .sstimony as has sell
dom been he" II In the courtroom. and
succeeded With his chain of circum-
stan ..al evidence in setting aside the
.hbi testimony of the Little Roeh wit,
! nestes
Mr.. Caldwell has been connected
with the states case since the indic+
meht was returned, and conducted the
case and made the closing argument
OF the trial. Mr.. Caldwell had worked
asSlduously on the case, the outcome Of
which reflected considerable credit on
him. Mr.. Sorrells, the prosecuting at.
tofney, was also a pertinent factor in
the case. and his argument for the
state was one of the best he ever
! made
| The state offered as Stokes mo.
tive for killing Scott. the intimacy
! which existed between Stokes and
Scott's wife. BY letters written on
, tie same day to her husband and
Stokes, this 'vas proved hv her ad
d-eisfre ho~ husband as M. Scott and
S>e.ies aa lear ,rchn. The eei9>nce
presented by the ctate, though circum
stantial, was pncontroverted, and for
the first time since Ike Iones was con
victed O. murder in the FIRST degree.
about year ago, conviction.
where death is the penalty. was Sc
cured
The defendant sat through the trial.
presenting an nQdisturbed demeanor.
which remained .impassiye and ua.
changed when the verdict ives an
nounced
Scott was Killed at JesfeTsoa Springs
l.,cT s3ctoEar