The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-04-17
ATHENS COURT CLOSES.
People Like Judge Speake's Method {
 Enforcing Law,


 Enforcing Law.
 Athens, April 16.-Circuit court for the spring term closed last night after a term of two weeks. Judge Speake has endeared himself to the people of this county by his bold stand for law and order. He has read the riot act to the wild-catters. and as an example he sent two a white man and negro. to the coal mines for selling whiskey without license and has announced that every man, white or black con victed of selling whiskey before him will get the first time not less than three months for each offense and af- ter that if ever before him for the same charge and convicted will get the limit. This will have a good effect, where there Is so much wild-catting.
 John Davis, a white man, narrowly escaped a term in the mines by the jury failing to agree, eleven for guilty and one for acquittal. The jury was discharged and the case went over uh- til the adjourned term in June. steven Tribble, white man, was sentenced to ten years in the penitentiary Tor the killing of Joe Reddingfield, negro. lie killed Joe last summer, and 1t was d cold-blooded. premeditated murder. He narrowly escaped life sentence. New ton Tribble. uncle of Steven, was given one year for the murder of DICK DaV- i'd, a negro in this place. He accepted the sentence and was glad to make the narrow escape. This makes three white men sent to the penitentiary this year for the killing of negroes. A youns white man named Pitts from Tennessee, was sent up for thirteen months for the larceny of cotton. He stole a number of bales Of cotton Tn Tennessee and brouht them to Athens gand sold them. When arrested he pleaded guilty and paid for the cotton He was given thirteen months, one month longer than a man who was con victed of murder A little boy named Boiling, about fifteen years of age bright faced and pleasant looking, was sent to the mines for stealing cow axe and revolver. He pleaded gullty' The largest batch of prisoners was sen- tenced. yesterday that has been sem fenced at one term of the court In this collnty in a long time. Several negroes went up for various crimes. Judge Speake adjourned the court until the 18th of June, when he proposes to hold a three weeks adjourned term for the purpose of clearing the crowded dock ct.
 For the second time within year John Morris, Sr., one or the wealthy farmers of this county, is in jail on an indictment of murder in the first degree He was mixed up in the kill ing of B. F. Grisham, it is alleged, and for this was indicted by the grand jury for murder in the first degree and was tried for and convicted of murder in the second degree and given ten years. This was under the Lusk act and that court being declared uncon- stitutional he was given another chance. The next grand jury failed to indict him, and he has been at liberty since, but the grand jury just ad- iourned found a bill charging murder in the first degree and while in town yesterday the old man was arrested and sent to jail. It is announced that his attorneys will sue for writ of habeas corpus which will be heard be- fore Judge Speake in a few days. His ,on, John, Jr., who fired the fatal ,hot. is now in jail under seven vears' sentence for the killing, and his father, who was mixed up in the trouble. is under indictment for murder in the first degree. The old man has spent several thousand dollars in fight ing for his liberty and the liberty or lis sons. both of whom spent several months in jail awaiting the decision If the courts, and 1t is possible that the wind-up will find him about broke financially.
 One of the most amusing scenes tran ,nired in the Circuit Court yesterday ,yer witnessed here. John Davis, on rial for selling whiskey, and who is under indictment for bastardy' was slt-