The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-12-31
Advertiser Bureau.

dict was sealed and delivered to Justice Crawford who was acting as coroner. The following is a copy of the report: Hon. c. A. Crawford, Justice or the
 Peace in and for Pine Apple precinct,
 Wilcox County, Alabama:
 we, the jury empanelied by your hon- or to inquire into the cause of the death of one Arthur Stewart, do hereby ind from the evidence before us that the said Arthur Stewart, while prisoner confined in the Pine Apple calaboose or prison about 1 o'clock Saturday morning, Decem- Der 26. 1908, came to his death uniawtuhy at the hands of a mob composed or Elm melt Barlow, Evander Melton, Walter c. Stewart, Robert Ray and Presley Stew art. who did, unlawfuIly and with malice aforethought, kill the said Arthur Stew art. by striking him on the head with something, a description of which is to us unknown.
 'Pine Apple, Ala, Dec. %. 1908. p. mg' M. F. Jackson, Foreman. "A. C. Luekie. "J. T. Adams, "J. J. Cooke, 'tJ. B. Coleman, ''CIaud Hardy, "W. H. Crimes
 Sheriff Albritton and two of his deputies who were present during the investigation were immediately after the finding of the
 
 the men with murder. The arrest of the i've men followed at once. There was no show of resistance, it Is said, but the in- cIdent created tense excitement
 The prisoners were first taken to the hotel in town and were kept under the surveillance of the sheriff and his depu- ties. Afterwards, the officers moved the men to the home of the Stewards and the last report from Pine Apple is that the Stewards house is still their place of con- finement.
 The preliminary hearing was set for noon tomorrow and N is expected the trial will attract many hundreds of persons to Pine Apple. It was stated tonight that all of the business houses in Pine Apple, which since the fire are i've in number. will be closed during the trial and that all who can will be present. The defendants have engaged as Lhetr counsel Messrs Miller and Miller of Cam den and Messrs. Jones and Jones of Camden. The State will be represented by its Solicitor for the Fourth Judicial Circuit, Hon. W. W. Quarles, who has indefatigably worked during the coroner's 8 investigation.
 | 1t is not known now whether the citi- 1ens of Pine Apple will hire counsel to assist Mir. Quarles, but such a movement Is expected.
 Justice Crawford, before whom the cor vner's inquest was held, will preside over the court.
 As has been stated the trouble resulted from a quarrel over a game of craps in ed by a negro named Wesley. The play CTS were several white boys and four ne- groes. and it is said they had been driuk- ing. An altercation occurred between Melton and Wesleyfi 1t is reported. and in quarrel Wesley drew his pistol. The weapon was fired during the struggle. and Melton received wound that may prove fatal.
 Wesley escaped, but Arthur Stewart, another negro in the game, was arrested, 1 1t being alleged that he had covered young Melton with a gun during the seuf- ne. The charge against Wesley was as- sauIt to murder and against Stewart, pre- senting pistol. Stewart was placed in jail.
 Early Saturday morning. it is charged. a mob forced an entrance into the little kcalapoose of Pine Apple, crushed Stew arts skull so that he died, and. pouring oil upon his body. ignited 1t. The fire consumed the jail and nearly the whole town. It is suspected that the mob's vio- lent acts were to avenge the hurt done to young Melton.
 the people of a community as has the murder and the arson committed Satur- day morning perturbod the citizens of Pine Apple and of Wilcox County. Mur- der had been done and by mob too. It had been deplored, it had been sometimes punished. but 1t had never before de- stroyed almost the whole of a prosperous
 town involving a monetary loss of nearly $50 900.
 The lesson was writ so plain that he who ran might read and from all accounts the
 better element of the people of Pine App pie has read.
 Wit determination to find the guilty Ipersons and to punish them, the citizen ship of the town has declared that 1t will
 with all its financial and its personal aid. And the excitement that prevailed just after the discovery of the crime was but more tense when the finding of the jury was published by ths arrest of Barlow,
 Melton. Walter Stewart, Ray and Press
 ley Stewart. The case holds the undivid-
 ed attention of the entire population. It
 Is discussed on the street corner. in the
 store There is not loud talk. There are
 no threats.
 The men under arrest have powerful
 kinsmen and relatives and friends. The
 innocence of the men under arrest is pro.
 claimed by themselves and their friends. Solicitor Quarles who will represent the State in the trial tomorrow, 8 Gd tonight "We shall leave no stone untuFned tC find who has done this crime and to pun. . fish the guilty personR.