The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-26
JURY RETURNS 4 VERDICT IF GUILTY Defendant In Franklin Peonage
 Case Fined $1000 JONES ADDRESSES JURY Says He Could Not See How They Could Decide Otherwise and De-
 fends Himself From News
 paper Attacks.
JONES ADDRESSES JURY

MontTomery July 5.-(special .)-Ihe fury in the Franklin peonage case re- turned a verdict of guilty, and the de- fendant was sentenced to pay me ol one thousand dollars.
 Last night 1t appeared a little douot- fui if an early verdict could be reacheo' and there was some surprise when the jury filed Into the court room at s;So o'clock this morning and announced that a verdict had ben agreed upon.
 The clerk read the verdict of guilty, and asked the mercy of the court for the de- fendant. The case has been before the court since Tuesday going to the jury late yesterday after clear and conser- vative charge from Judge Jones. In passing sentence on Franklin this morn ing Judge Jones furnished a very inter esting statement of some facts in the peonage case. He said:
 Judge Jones Talks.
 Gentlemen-I do not see under the eVl- dence how you could have returned any other verdict. With regard to your rec ommendation in behalf Of the aeiehuaie I have only to say that I shall bear Tn mind your recommendation, and that IL always gives me pleasure so far as 1t IS consistent with justice. when jury rec ommends a man to mercy, to extend IL to him.
 I think 1t is proper for me to make A further statement to the jury whlch is proper at this time as the o,ner cases have been continued, and which would have been proper, in my opinion at any time prior to this. You have seen great deal in the public prints att tacking the motives with which these prosecutions were begun, the motives or the judge in endeavoring to administer the law, some of the papers going so Tar as to insist that these prosecutions were a political raid upon the people or the south. Malice has suggested some things about the motive of the judge which no high minded judge ought to answer If a judge who has lived for hfty years among his people, and served them 10 the best of his ability from his youth up, cannot trust his motives to the Juos- ment of the people without making eN- nlanation or denial, all l have to say Is that he has lived in vain. But there are some things I think l ought to say to you now that this trial is over, to remove misapprehension on the part of many good people as to the motive or these prosecutions how they came to be un- dertaken, and what they meant am d conservator of the peace of the United States It is my sworn duty when viola tions of the law come to my knoWieuge to see that the proper officers are inform ed that they may take appropriate action to enforce the law.
 Citizens Complained.
 Citizens came to me personally and wrote me of the deplorable state of at- fairs in some parts of this district, some of the details of which you know, because they have been made public in the trials of these cases, ana some of which you do not know because the cases Whlch have developed them have not yet been tried l called the attention of the at torney general to the complaints which had been made and asked him to instruct the district attorneys In this and the Northern district to investigate these matters, and asked him to aid them in doing so When these grand juries met, composed of the best of our people-men who could not be made instruments In initiating and prosecution for any im- proper purpose-they were advised by the court that the object in the enforcement of these laws was to stop the evil, and that as this was the first enforcement of the federal law, that they should indict only those guilty of real oppression and wrong, and not to concern themselves with technical violations of the law. This was the spirit in which the grand juries have investigated these matters.
 Jury Msrepresented.
 These grand juries have been represent ed broadcast by some of our own peopls as making raid upon the honor and good name of the people of our state. How little truth there was in this, Is shown in the fact that the grand jury lately ad- journed returned only eighteen indict- ments, and all of those in fragrant cases.
 When these investigations began, you will recollect that statements were given out at one time in Washington by some one in the secret service there for pub lication as to matters which were the subject of investigation here This in- censed me, 1t ncensed every right think Ing man, because the cases ought to be tried solely by what would be testified on the stand, and the information should not have been used as basis for assaults upon the honor of a whole people, as was done by a small section of the press abroad whose act inflamed the people here. It deemed 1t my duty to call atten- ton of the president to this matter, to the injustice that was being done by some papers abroad, in trying to hold the whole people responsible for the misdeeds of a very few.
 AeLad proeiden+ for Aid