The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-04-08
THE VERDICT SET ASIDE
JOHN DAWSON HAD BEEN GIVEN DEATH SENTENCE.
Judge Moore Did Not Believe the Negro's Crime Warranted Such Severe Punishment and
 Granted a New Trial.
Advertiser Bureau.

Selma, April [.
 At a late hour Saturday night the jury in the case of the negro John Dawson charged with the murder of Deputy Sher- if Joseph B. Edwards, brought in yer dict of guilty of murder in the hrst oe- gree and fixed his punishment at death.
 A great deal of interest has been taken in this case by the general public, as It is one of the most celebrated in the an nals of Dallas County. Deputy Sherin Joe Edwards was a popular man ana fearless officer He was candidate TOT sheriff at the last election. but came out of the race a few days before the primary and threw his strength to Sherin Frank Blackwell. and as reward was maoe chief deputy.
 On the night that MT. Edwards was killed he went across the river to make some arrests. He had already captured one negro who was wanted. and was on the Dawson plantation hunting Tor an other man He drove up to John Daw- son S. got out of his cart locked the ne- gro prisoner to the cart. and went to the door and told John to come out. This the negro refused to do. What passed pe- tween them is only known from Dawsoh testimony He claims that he did not know who MT. Edwards was: that nc thought he was some one trying to XIII him; and, being awakened from his sleep and having several pistol balls hreo through his door. he took his shot gun to defend his home. He threw open the door and at the crack of the gun the officer fell dead, load of shot through his heart.
 Dawson made his escape but was cap- tured a few days later by section fore man on the Southern Railroad, near Thomasville Sheriff Blackwell was wired for, and on account of the great feeling against the negro, carried him to MO bile. where he was kept for some months and was finally brought to Selma ana lodged in jail.
 His case was called last Friday and con sumed all of that day and far into the night Saturday. When the jury brought In it's verdict of guilty and fixing the punishment at death, there were about
 fifty persons in the court room, including the officers of the law and the friends or the late Joseph B. Edwards. When the verdict was read, Judge Moore asked the
 jurors to be seated, after they had been boiled, while he thought over the de- cision a few minutes.
 Judge Moore evidently did this to give
 Sheriff Blackwell time to get his pris-
 oner to jail for as soon as the presiding officer of the court made the remark. the deputies marched out of the court house with this prisoner and hurried him to the jaiI nearly a half mile away. Wheth- CT Judge Moore had arranged this plan with the sheriff before he went up into the stand to receive the verdict, your representative knows not but Tn View or | the subsequent developments, 1t was wise precautlon, and probably saved Dai- | las County the shame of another lynch | ing.
 After a few minutes, Judge Moore said kindly but firmly, after motion hao been made by Dawsons attorneys for a new trial, that he did not think the evi- | dence in the case justified the verdict, and he would therefore set the verdict
 aside and grant the defendant ne" | trial.
 There was not the least feeling of an- | ger in Judge Moore's voice toward the | jury which had just rendered its decision l It required a great deal of moral cour' | age on Judge Moore's part to set the yer | dict aside. The family to which MT | Edwards belonged is one Of the mos' | powerful politically. in the county. Puo'
 lie sentiment was strongly against Daw'
 son and the press of the city had come | out in strong articles advocating that the | negro be hanged.
 | As soon as Sheriff Blackwell and his | deputies got the negro safely in Jail they | commenced to examine their arsenal 1 They found that they were short of ann
  ! some. Unknown persons were proving around in the neighborhood of the Jail when the man went out to go after shells ! and he was captured and held prisoner | till 1 o'clock The crowd which went to the fail evidently thought that the offl- l cials had sent him out for reinforcement | and would not let him go.while they held | a council of war to determine whether | there was any chance to get the negro away from the officials in the County
 bastile Cooler judgment prevailed and | no attempt was made to storm the build | ing wherein John Dawson is confined. And it was we'll that they did not. IL | is natural for Sheriff Blackwell to want | to see Dawson punished for killing his popular deputy sheriff. but the negro l fife had been committed to his keeping i and he would have protected him. Of course Deputy Sheriff Joe Edwards s | friends are criticising Judge Moore for | setting the verdict aside. but that of1clal | does not mind the criticism as he feels | that he is doing his duty to the man who
 was tried before him for his life. Two or three negroes were mobbed ana killed over near the scene where MT. Ed | wards met his death, but the grand Juries have failed to find out who the parties | were. | It is thought that John Dawson's new | trial will come up at the next term oi | the Circuit Court but there are very lev | who think that he will ever receive the death sentence again.