Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1903-06-19
PROSECUTOR BYRD
CREATES SENSATION
Exciting Scene at Trials of
Jett and White.
MAKES FIERCE DENUNcIATioN.
Commonweaith's Attorney Gives No.
tice that BIOodthirsty Feuds and
Duefs In Breathitt County, KY, Must
Stop.

jackson, Ky, June 18.-There was
another circus crowd" here today to
hear the closing argument in the case
OF Curtis Jett and Thomas White on
trial for the murder of James B. Mar
cum The pleadings of Judge B. =
French, John D. O'Neal and B. B. Col.
den for the defense, and of Captain
William L. Hurst and Thomas Marcum
for the prosecution, yesterday and
last night had attracted so much atten.
ton that all wanted to hear Common.
Wealth's Attorney Byrd close the case
this morning.
The mothers of the defendants, wild.
oWs of feud victims and other ladies
We're again present. While all men
entering the courtroom are searched
every day for concealed weapons. ex-
ira precautions were taken today by
the soldiers, as there are grave appre-
tensions as to what may happen with
such crowd in town after the trial
is concluded. If it is hung jury. it
is stated that Governor Beckham. who
has State Inspector Hines here looking
on, will not have the next trials in
Breathitt county, nor Judge Redwina
sit IN other cases. Inspector Hines
came back to investigate the attempt
to bribe Witness Even. Even had
five witnesses to the attempt to bribe
and threats Of assassination and the
destruction Of his property.
There are grave fears today for
some of the newspaper men. Two cor.
respondents left yesterday and their
papers have sent new men so they
will not be known to the assassins. 1t
is dangerous for one man to remain
here long If his paper has a circula-
tion in the town.
When court convened today B. B.
Golden concluded for the defense and
Commonwealth's Attorney Byrd made
his argument, which was pronounced
by attorneys as most convincing. Byrd
has a reputation as a fearless prose
cutor. When this case opened he
announced that he proposed to do his
duty, it mattered not who was hurt,
Byrd has purchased him a home in
Winchester, KY, and is prepared to
remove his family to that place as
soon as these cases are over. The
defense objected frequently to his
statements, and in some instances was
sustained and the prosecutor repri.
manded by the Judge. O'Neal again
objected to a statement of Byrd that
motion had been made to dismiss
the jury which was sustained. and
Byrd asked the jury to be willing, il
necessary, to make the same sacrifice
that Captain Even had made for Jus.
tice Raising his hand aloft and shak
ing it threateningly toward two men
who sat in court, he said:
Il want to give warning to you and
all of your followers, that your blood.
thirsty duels must stop in Breathitt
county love this county and its
people. God knows they have suf.
fered enough; God knows the day has
got to come when the arch-assassins,
the men who are the controlling pow.
ers behind the Jets and Whites, will
be exposed to the world, and either
sent to prison or to the moose"
With clenched fists and shaking with
emotion, Byrd walked toward the jury
and said:
Gentlemen you are on trial as
well as Jett and White, and you must
answer at the bar of public opinion
as well as to the bar of the Breathitt
criminal court; you've got to do your
duty or be pillorted by the public"
Byrd followed the testimony closely
and was fierce in his denunciation oi
certain witnesses and others.