Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1904-06-09
NOW A FREE MIN.
JUDGE PURNELL CHANGED
SENTENCE TO FINE.
Fine Was $4,000 and Costs $1,5OO.
Friends Raised 81 900, Went Up
to Raleigh and Released
Mr.. Jones.
Raleigh News & Observer.

Raleigh News & Observer.
Charles c. Jones, of Goldsboro, is
free man.
Yesterday he was found guilty by
a jury in the Federal Court of re-
ceiving stolen postage stamps, know
ing them to be stolen.
Judge Purnell sentenced him to
two years imprisonment at hard Ia
bor and to pay fine of $500.
Last night Judge Purnell, after
much urging by counsel for Jones,
changed his mind and made the SEN
tence fine of $4,000 and costs,
which brought it up to SO, 500.
Capt. w. H. Day, Judge w. S.
OBJ. Robinson, Messrs. Pou and
Fuller and Mr.. Horace Comfort, of
New York, counsel for Jones, work
ed on the judge all the evening, un-
til finally, little after o'clock last
night, he consented to make the
punishment only fine.
Jones was still in the custody of
the marshal, and in his Office in the
Federal building. The news reach
ed Goldsboro as fast as the wires
could carry it, and in few minutes
Jones' friends were at work raising
the money. In forty-seven minutes
Mr.. III. E. King had collected S., 500
without the scratch of pen.
Then they took the night train for
Raleigh and got here about twenty
minutes to one O'Clock, the train be-
ing late. In the party that brought
the money were Messrs. II. e. King,
G. F. Granger, J. G. Lewis, George
Stanley and w. E. Jordan. They
went at once to Marshal Dockery's
Office, where Jones still was, and in
a few minutes the fOrmalities were
concluded and Jones was tree to re-
joice with his friends. He leaves
this morning for home.
The argument in the Jones case
was resumed yesterday morning.
Col. Harry Skinner the District At
torney, addressed the jury and made
very powerful argument for con-
viction, considering the weakness
of the evidence, Col. SINNERS speech
was mastery one. Judge Robin
son closed for the defense, and Judge
Purnell charged the jury, and gave
them the case about twenty minutes
after eleven o'clock. About two
hours and half later they came in
and announced their verdict. It was
not guilty of completely in the post
Office robberies, but guilty of receiv-
ing stolen postage stamps. Judge
Purnell sent the jury back to put the
verdict in writing. They then re-
tired and returned the following YER
dict:
awe find and adjudge Charles C.
Jones to be guilty of receiving stolen
postage stamps knowing the same to
! have been stOlen.o
Judge Purnell then stated that he
would pronounce sentence at half
! past three o'clock.
| At that hour Judge Robinson
moved for the verdict to be set aside,
on the ground that there was no evi-
deuce to support it, and that it did
not say from whom the stamps were
stolen or from where.
Col. Skinner said he supposed the
motion was merely formal one, land
not made seriously.
Judge Robinson said he was fear.
fully in earnest. When he joked he
joked, but he was not joking now
| The only evidence introduced to the
stolen stamps, he said, was that from
Apex and Whiteville, and at both o
those places the sheets had. beer
torn into halves of fifty each, ant
yet the stamps Jones sold were il
blocks of ten.
] Captain Day also spoke to the mo