The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-25
Judge AIston's Charge.

The lynchers are beginning to see that the men who trample on the law for settlements sake in St. Clair county while Judge Aston is on the bench will have to answer for their acts. They are beginning to see that their county has judge who believes in the supremacy of the law, and who is not afraid to act up to his convic- tions. If every southern circuit had such a judge lynching bees would quickly disappear.
 The lynehers of 5t. Clair were a very nimble and persevering lot, thanks, no doubt, to the supply of "moonshine" within reach. But the story of their acts is best told by Judge Aston in his charge to the grand jury specially summoned by him to consider their acts. He said;
 "The report that has been brought to me is this: On last Saturday afternoon at the ball grounds near here there was negro man, known as being 'goosey;" he was "goosed' by some young white men, and at the time he had in hands rock, which he threw down, and it struck one of the young white men, who became angry The negro ran away and was pur- sued by crowd of thirty or more white men. The sheriff was present and urged the parties to desist, but his remonstra- tions were met with oaths and the crowd continued to pursue the negro and were threatening to do violence to him, several of them being drunk. The negro finally reached his home and there secured his rife, and warned the crowd not to ad- vance upon him: but they did advance and fired upon him; he returned the fire and wounded swo of the crowd. His house was fired into and child wounded and the pursued negro was also slightly wounded. The negro escaped. About 10 o'clock that night the mob returned, but failing to find the negro they then set fire to an adjacent dwelling occupied by a family of negroes in no way connected with the man, and today there is family homeless and with out food or clothing, all they pos sessed having been destroyed by the flames started by a lawless mob. It is true, gentlemen of the grand jury, that family is composed of humble negroes. but trust I am addressing sixteen men whose sense of justice as well as moral and physical courage are too high to allow them to consider for moment the condi- tion in life of any man or set of men, in the discharge of the responsible duties now devolving upon you''
 Judge Aston proceeded to show ttat the negro is dependent upon the white man for protection-that the l;y offers protection to all alike that only the coward would deprive the weak ol any right. He then pro- ceeded to denounce the burning of the negro's home, almost within sight of the courthouse, as "a cruel and cowardly crime" and he urged the jury to ferret out the perpetrators of it, and he assured the jury that the power of the court would be exerted in aiding 1t to secure the attendance of witnesses.
 Assuredly brighter day is dawning in Alabama when men like Judge All s.sn have the manhood and the cour- age to protect the weak and the hum- b-o against mob action inspired by moonshine whisky. St. Clair is to be congratulated, and the hope is that the special jury and the solicitor of the circuit and the sheriff of St. Clair will act up to Judge Alston's noble and chivalric charge.