The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-06-17
NO DECISION AS
TO CONTINUANCE
After the Filing of Affidavits by Both Sides
IN the Jones Murder Case Court
Adjourns,

in Jail until few days ago, they have
not been able to make arrangements to
employ lawyers to defend them in this
case; they have spoken to lawyers and
discussed the matter of compensation with
them, but have not yet been able to ar
range with them adequate or satisfactory
compensation. If forced to go to trial at
this term of the court, most of the affiants
have no assurance that they will have
counsel to appear for them, except such
as may be assigned to them by the court
that affiants greatly prefer to be de-
Tended by lawyers of their own selection,
who have had sufficient time to prepare
their defense and they vii. be able to EN-
ploy and compensate such counsel if this
case shall be continued until the next
regular term of this court.
The defendant w. p Groom, specially
alleges that he is not ready to go to trial
for that he has no counsel to represent
| him in this trial: that he is a stranger in
this community and having been confined
to the jail from the 14th day of May until
very short time ago, he has been unable
to raise sufficient funds to employ coun-
sell
For that he expects to prove by l.. E.
Cooper and George Owens that he was
elsewhere at the time that the homicide
took place; that the said L. E. Cooper
has been away from the town and county
of Wilson ever since the date of sail
homicide, and that the defendant has been
unable to locate him and have him
subpoenaed to appear at this court as a
witness in behalf of this defendant that
IL
warehouse business in the town of Wilson,
which said business will open on August
1st, 1908, for business, and affiant alleges
that If this case be postponed he will be
able to have the said Cooper here as a
witness in his behalf at the next regular
term of this court; that as to the where
abouts of George Owens affiant has Just
been informed that he is in the city of
Norfolk, in the State of Virginia; that
affiant has not had sufficient time to have
the deposition of the said George Owens
taken to be used at this time. and affiant
alleges that if this case is postponed until
the next term of this court affiant will
have the deposition Of said George Owen
here to be used in his behalf And the de-
fendant w. II. Rich specially alleges that
he is a resident of the State of Alabama,
about eleven months ago by Mr.. George
Leder who is the chief Engineer of the
Southern Cotton Oil Company to take
charge of and run the plant of the said
company at this place; that he is now and
has for many years past been in the en-
ployment of the said company; that ever
since the date of the said homicide he has
been confined in the Jail of this county,
that ha 10 10 70
relatives until few days ago; that his
brothers, owing to their business do not
have settled residence, and that he was
unable for some time to learn as to their
whereabouts; that he has not had time to
have depositions taken in his native state
as to his character and he has lived here
too short time to be able to establish
his character by witnesses within the
jurisdiction Of this court; that owing to
damaging reports which have been pub
llshed IN the newspapers of this town and
county in regard to him. he has been un-
able to give bond and thereby be released
from JAIL that owing to the fact that the
reports published by newspapers as afore-
said have had a wide circulation in this
county his character has been greatly
damaged in the estimation of the peonIe
| of this county, and it is especially i'm
/ portant that ne be given an opportunity
to establish the fact that he is man Of
good character by witnesses who have
known him from his boyhood that this
defendant has assurances tnat he can give
| the bond reuired by the court for his re-
lease from iail if he is given time to do
so; that he would have given the said
bond, but for the fact that he was unable
to communicate with his relatives and
! friends in Alabama and Mississippi; that
a few days ago there was published in the
! Daily Times, a newspaper published in tie
county of Wilson and which has a large
/ circulation III the county and town OF
/ Wilson, an article stating that the de-
| fendant Rich had made a confession by
which he implicated most of the other
defendants; that copy of said article so
published is herewith filed and asked to
be taken as a part of this affidavit; shat
the said article was untrue and when the
attorneys for the prosecution were ap-
preached by this defendants attorneys and
asked to deny the same they refused to
either deny or confirm the said report,
although they knew the same was untrue
that the editor of the said paper was
approached by defendants counsel and
asked to furnish the information upon
which he published the same, but that the
editor refused to do SO: that the editor
of said paper was shown a denial signed
| by this defendant, and after reading the
same he stated that he still believed that
/ this defendant had confessed that he was
guilty of said crime. that the publication
of said article has aroused intense feeling
against this defendant, and he does not be
| lieve that at this time - can have a fair
and impartial trial.
These atlantis further say they do not
believe they can get fair trial at this
l Il c u L. 4 - L.