The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-09-20
SELMA COURT BEGINS
GRAND JURY TO INVESTIGATE BELL LYNCHING.
Judge Partridge Delivers sensn''"n- al Charge Which Some Citizens
 Criticise-Other News of the Central City.
Advertiser Bureau,

 siding. On account of the great Inter- est manifested in the Bell lynchlhe case, which is to be disposed Of at this term of court, the court room was crowded.
 The grand jury selected is composed mostly of farmers and Is as follo"s' Herbert Brown, foreman, clerk Jacoo Storm. tailor; Edward Graham. book keeper; Frank Nunnelea, job printer: O. M. Brazzelton. engineer; M w. Nicholson, Edward Smoke, Isham Pi- Ian, S. S. Bell, C. w. Skinner, J w. Majors, E. NJ. Nichols, W. J Temp ling, J. R. Stewart, S. NJ. Arlington w. A. Porter and w. NJ. Hopkins. farmers.
 Judge Partridges charge was a. very lengthy one. 1t requiring over two hours and half to deliver The charge was mainly devoted to the re- quirements and duties of good citizen ship and was pronounced by many tol be the most sensational charge ever delivered in the Dallas County court house. The citizens of the southern part of the County, the neighborhood in which the Bell lynching occurred. were strong in their denunciation of Judge Partridges charge.
 Long before Sheriff Blackwell called the court to order the court room was thronged with people from all sections of the county. The people from the country were attracted mainly from the interest that Is being manifested in the Bell lynching case while many Selma people desired to attend the first court held in the county by Judge Partridge.
 Judge Partridge's fellow townsmen were high in their praise of his de- meanor on the bench. Immediately af- ter the organization of the court and the grand jury was empaneled Judge Partridge charged them for over two hours on their duties as grand jurors. The burden of the charge was based on the obligation which each member of society as a citizen owes the com munity. His charge was given in the simplest language, replete with apt illustrations from everyday life. He said that when a community is suffer- ing from a disease of the morals that 1t Is time for the reins to be frightened and a close check put on all forms of disorder.
 The. principal theme of the charge was the negro question and he very severely criticised the whites for their oppression of their interiors and de- clared that the whites set many bad examples, which when taken up by the negroes always brings forth a storm of resentment and denunciation and at times mob violence from the very class | of whites that have set these examples for their inferior race.
 The negroes he declared learn all | they know from the whites. their re- | ligion, customs. idols. and while social l equality Is impossible and not to be | desired, that the blacks should have | the even handed justice meted out to | them along with the white men and on an equal footing with them.
 He deplored the popular idea that a white man could go out and shoot down | an innocent negro or destroy the hap piness of the black mans home and | then come into the court and expect | to be given his liberty from the simple | fact that his victim was q black man and that his skin Is white. He called | upon the jury not to take this phase Of l the situation into consideration but tC mete out justice without regard to q | mans past condition or the color of his skin. By this course and our own high standard of morals he maintained that ! we would teach the black man to bt l better men and better citizens. Judge Partridge spoke of the loyalty | and faithfulness of the negro as slave and of his fidelity to the great | trust imposed to his keeping when oul | fathers were on the battlefield fighting
 He spoke of the high example tha | is being set by Booker Washington fol | the betterment of his race. It Is onl,
 human, he declared, that at times
 black man should dare resort to force
 to resent a wrong done him by mem | Der of his superior race. He believed
 that by treating our inferior race witt
 a spirit of kindness and mercy tha
 we would produce better citizens aEC ] that the black man would not be slow
 to follow the good example set. l If we are to be naughty to any one
 let 1t be to our superiors and not ou
 interiors" Judge Partridge said.
 As he touched upon the recent lynch
 ing in this county, he deplored 1t
 especially at this time in the midst 0
 a presidential campaign, and said tha
 we should avoid raising the race Issue
 He cautioned the jury to be Careful anC
 diligent in their inquiries regarding tn, | lynching, and not to allow any persona
 prejudices or fears to have any weigh | with them in dealing with a question
 Of such paramount importance to eaCl
 member of this community.
 | The charge was given in franf
 manner. conversational tone and Wa,
 very impressive. After giving tn,
 statutory charges in reference to con
 cealed weapons and the election laws
 and other minor matters. the grand
 jury retired.
 Herbert Brown was appointed fore
 man of the jury and H. l.. Key was | designated special bailiff to remair
 with the jury. shortly after the
 grand jury retired and the p"tt jul
 ries were drawn tho court adjourned until Wednesday at II o'clock. Tho | cases set for today and tomorrow bn
 ing postponed.
 Judge Partridges charge has b7er
 the sole topic of conversation on th, | streets all during the afternoon ant | tonight and all admit that it Was
 very able charge and one which nc doubt required much thought anC | study.
 It is not expected that the gram
 jury will reach any conclusion in tho case before Wednesday. The speoia, constahles have able counsel and f 4
 true bill is found the case will be q
 hard fought one.
 The steamer Ou1chita arrived from
 Mobile yesterday with 15o bales of e [.
 ton and 1000 sacks of cotton seed i night with a very small cargo e 1 freight
 The cotton receipts in Selma on Slt ! urday amountel to 1.6S6 bales. Nc4rl,
 a thousand bales were received in tn,
 city on sunday by rln.
 Personal and Local.