The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-01-15
JUDGE IN SELMA.
Court ofRcials Returning Home from
 Camden.

Court oficials Returning Home from Camden.
 Selma. Jan. 14.-kSpecial. )-The grand jury empaneled by the Circuit Court con vened in Camden for the special term to investigate the murder of negro Arthur Stewart confined in the Pineapple calaboose on December 26 1903. was dis charged by Judge John Moore last even ing when, after a session of about three hours, it reported finally that it had heard the testimony adduced in the case and found no true bill.
 Emmett Barlow, Evandor Melton, Walton c. Stewart, Robert Ray and Presley Stewart who were in jail pend- ing an investigation of the crime were by order of the court released from custody.
 The court convened for it's special term Monday morning when juries, grand and petit. were drawn. The grand jury was organized yesterday aftcrnoqn, fourteen men being empaneled and E. F Oakley being chosen foreman. The jurors were in session about three hours. Their final report was that, after hearing all the evi- dence, they could not find true bills and the formal discharge was made by Judge Moore the presiding officer of the court.
 It is rumored that the jury was divided on the question of indictments, seven standing for finding true bills against the men who were charged by the coronors jury with the murder and seven standing for adjournment without indictments.
 Immediately after the final report of the grand jury had been received the five men who had been in custody for more than two weeks were ordered released and court adjourned.
 Judge Moore and Solicitor Quarles came to Selma tonight.
 The action of the grand jury yesterday is regarded by many as the end of the famous Pineapple case. At any successive term of the court a grand jury could bring an indictment charging a person with the murder of the negro Stewart, but this Is said to be improbable. The Circuit Courts next regular term is in May.
 The crime for the investigation of which the special term of the Circuit Court was ordered occurred in Pineapple on the morning of December 26, 1903. About 1 o'clock that morning the people of Pine apple were aroused by fire that destroy ed stores valued at about $35,000. It was discovered that negro, Arthur Stewart, who had been confined in the town cala- boose was dead evidently from a blow upon his head and it was suspected the jail had been set afire so that the mur- der would not be discovered.
 At the coroner's inquest, held a few days later the jurors returned a verdict charging Emmett Barlow. Evandor Mel ton, Walter c. Stewart, Robert Ray and Presley Stewart with the crime and they were arrested. Because of an unexpected dissolution of the justice court organized to give the defendants preliminary hear ing they had no trial and were kept in the custody of the sheriff who removed them from Pineapple to Camden.
 Judge Moore of the Fourth Judicial Cir ciut ordered a special term of the court to investigate the case and on Monday, January 10, it convened in Camden the county seat of Wilcox County in which Pineapple is situated. The grand jury empaneled by the court returned true bills against the five men held by the sheriff. but the indictments were quash- ed because of mistaken Identity, J. k. Williams serving as grand juror on a subpoena issued for his brother J. N. Williams.
 Another term of the court met Monday of this week and it's grand jury yesterday evening having found no true bills was discharged.