The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-10-03
The News of Pensacola

Pensacola, Fla, Oct 2.--tspeciaL)- The all-absorbing topic of conversation in this city at present is the postponed Investigation into what caused the death of two negro convicts. the ones refer red to in these dispatches for the past few days and whose death is now thought to have been accomplished by means which will make 1t decidedly unpleasant for the gentleman in charge of them at the time.
 Yesterday afternoon a jury from the city was secured and a close Inquiry is being made. This jury is composed of
 Messrs James McHugh, J. E. Dubuisson and J. C. Green, merchants; John
 White, haberdasher; J. N. Andrews, real
 estate man and Carroll George, steve-
 dore. These men are capable of weigh
 ing every statement, and the guard,
 who was Presley Dawxins, and who IS
 a member of the firm of Yarn Bros. Co.,,
 will accord him the best show in the
 world, although from the testimony
 which has been adduced so far tends to show that he did not treat the negroes with as much consideration as human ity would have called forth, even if their skins were black.
 Dawkins himself was a witness Sat- urday in his own behalf. He testified that he had taken the prisoners from the county jail about noon. and had started for the camp, more than a dozen miles away. He acknowledged as true the statement of another witness for the State that he had fired his pistol on more than one occasion during the journey. but each time he had discharg- ed the weapon with either the intention of seeing if the gun was in proper shape for quick use. or to show to a friend the peculiar advantages possessed by his weapon over those of American make.
 One other witness stated that he was driving 6 mule team when he caught sight of the guard and the two con- victs. Anxious to find out what was the matter or who the prisoners were, the teamster said, he had followed on but was unable to Keep up with them, as the little party was going along at a pretty swift rate.
 Another person, a woman, said that she was attracted by the report of a pistol. and upon getting to her front porch beheld the guard on horseback and the two prisoners walking along at an alarming rate of speed, much higher than she would have liked to have walked with the mercury standing at 96 in the shade.
 The State officials have interested themselves in the matter.
 Sheriff Van Pelt is in receipt of telc- grams from B. B. McIIin. inspector of State convict camps. instructing that nothing be left undone to get at the true facts in the case, and to fix any responsibility. if such can be done. The sheriff is pursuing the instructions tO the letter, and there will be a sitting of this case with as much zeal. with as much consideration, as if the two men who met their death In the questionable manner had white skins.
 There has nothing occurred in the city or county In a long time that has stirred up public feeling as much as this has done. and If possible the guilty per son will be punished, if the least crim- inal neglect can be shown. The men composing the jury are we'll known m this city for fairness and good, sound Judgment; they will certainly be guided in rendering verdict only by the spirit of fairness, the spirit of humanity. and it Is expected that case will be made