davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1905-03-24

he teachings of christian home. forgot
he touch of a baby's fingers and dyed
his soul in inquiry and his hands in the
flood of his best friend. | appeal to
history for a single instance of any such
ira formation
And for what are you told he CON-
nitted this vile deed? For lust of his
aeighbor's WIFI. yet, to sustain this
motive. they haven t introduced enough
evidence to arouse a suspicion. Let's
look at these things. Lee Rountree's
wife is in the asylum and nothing, save
death. could release him fin. D her
With John Reaves dead he cOuh not
marry his widow, nor. after killing him,
could he have gone at liberty ito the
Reaves home in the face of that COM
munity. So what had Loe Rountree to
gain by the murder of his f.ieud2
'.Mr. Figuers and Mr.. Voorhitl have
old you. in effect, that they knyw, as
we'll as they know anything they have
not seen. that Lee Rountree cut John
Reaves' throat 1t is not with what law
yers think, or say they think, that this
jury must deal with; 1t IS the evidence
introduced before you.
what is Lee Rountree charged with?
cruel. brutal murder These other
matters are only to show a motive.
We're it not for the confession of Lee
Rountree as to one wrong act and the
testimony of James Wright, there is not
a word in all this record that would
cast suspicion on the defendant OF any
unbecoming conduct whatsoever. There
are strong reasons why you cannot trust
James Wright. While | cannot but
question the tale he tells, il he was
guilty of the conduct he described to
you, he has wrapped about him a robe
of infamy. Prompted, he said. by Iu-
rnors, and imbued wi b suspicion, he
felgns a thirst, he says for water, / say
for scandal. He sees the best friend of
his employer enter the home and sneaks
down to that house to play the spy. He
gloated in his act, his face was lighted
with smile as he told you. Would
you have been guilty of such an act
pointing to one of the jurors)? Would
any honorable man have been guilty of
such an act? We are asked
why we didn't impeach James
Wright How could we?
The State, whose witness he was,
claims not to have known before he
went on the stand. what his testimony
would be. How could the lawyers for
the defense known And yet there was
no need of our lmpeaching him, he i'm
peached himself. Alb gentlemen. hasn't
James Wright rendered himself worthy
of the scoIn and contempt of every
worthy man. Is the character of Lee
RountIee to be stricken down by the
testimony of sneak and spy? You'd
rather follow your son to the cemetery
over there and lay him in his grave
than have him come before this jury
as did James Wright. "
Continued on Seventh Page.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1905-03-24
THE ROUNTREE TRIAL is OyERAT LAST

guilty of such crime as this is too
mon strUus to entertain. | know that
IT may sometimes happen that a hoy
brought up under such influences may
wander away from his home. subjected
to d tfetent environments and to the
Influence OF evil companions until his
life has become debauehed, ana he
may sink by degrees until he has
reached that poirt in degradation
where he would he capable OF commit
ting any crime. but not so with boy
who remains at home. who continues
the associations OF his early childhood,
who is reverent. who is faithful and
loving TO his parents. and who meets
and discharges the duties and obllga-
tions of life.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1905-03-24

home, about 500 yards distance. A
laboIing man il is true, bat obeyine
that mandate fro n above, Thou shalt
earn thy bread ty the sweat OF thy
brow. 1t is the tOileI. gentlemen,
the man who possesses the Goa given
faculty of earning his bread, whether
IN the field, the workshop or the Office,
who lifts humanity up and places
it on q higher plane.
after a few pleasant words with
their fellow-lodge member and a
kindly goodnight, the two drove on.
And at this time the attorneys for the
State would have you believe the fires
of He'll smouldered In Lee Rounrree Is
bosom. They started on. What more!
Henry Thompson, another lodge mem
beIs was near them and stopped at the
parting of the ways tor talk with
them. Thompson was irIitated because
the presiding officer of the lodge had
not attended the meeting. These two
men, lmbued with the spirit of fra
tenity acted in the blessed capacity of
peace makers, and by their words
soothed his feelings. =
when do we next hear of these
two? If we are to believe witnesses
one of them a witness for the prcsecu-
ton, Lee RountIee reached his home
at three MINUTES after twelve O'Clock.
Major T. E Jmeason who left the
lodge before the two and who had a
shorter, better road to travel, got home
at III 80. The defendant and John
keaves had stopped ten or fifteen min
utes to talk with Henry Thomson.
Time, gentlemen. was an important fac
tor if Lee Rountree was guilty of the
bloody deed with which he is charged,
yet Lee Rountree when questioned be-
fore you stateu that he did not know
what time 1t was when he got to his
room. Asked If he carried a watch
he said, Yes, but did not look at it,
Gentlmen. Is that the testimony of
man trying to fabicate defensey''
"Ano where was John Reaves? Be-
fore the golden beams of the mornings
Gun had gllded the lanpscape surround.
ing his home, his little boy found him
cold IN the clasp Of death, weltering in his
blood.
"You are told that Lee Rountree
was the last man known to have seen
John Reaves alive. After the muruer
there were whisperings in the neighbor-
hood. This man was pointed out and
that man was pointed out. Gentlemen,
you know not, and know not, what
set the bio 'dhounds OF auspicion on Lee
Roudtree. Look at the home invaded by
that blignting shaft. An old father, pa.
triarchial, upright, honored, but deaf
to the voice of his fellow man. An aged
and invalid mother, wife bereft of the
God-given faculty -reason-and three
innocent children
They would have you believe, gentle
men, that Lea Rountree, whose life from
boyhood had been upright and honor
able, who had been an obedient, help.
full soma gentle fathers loving thought
full husband was changed in night to an
a ssassin. Lee Rountree, the only sur
vivlng son of his aged parents, very
Benjamin to them in their declining
years. You are asked TO believe that
Lee Rountree would bring the gray hairs
Of that old father in sorrow TO the grave.
You are asked to believe that Lee Roun-
tree in an hour crossed the awful chasm
christian man from amidnight
assassin; that he was converted iu a
moment TO worse than hyena That
he turned his back on his past. forget |
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1905-03-24
MONDAY.

When court opened this morning, Mr.
j. G. VOORHEES,, who had just gotten
well into his argument Saturday after
noon, arose and stated to the court that
on account OF a hoarse and very sore
throat he would have to he excused
from further argument. Mr.. Voorhies
sat in draft part of the time Saturday
afternoon and could scarcely speak
above whisper this morning, although
he gave his throat every possible medi-
cal attention after discovering his
hoarseness. He expressed himself as
beng willing to give anything he pos
sessed for a good, clear voice and throat
for an hour and thirty minutes.
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1905-03-24
MR.. E. II. HATCHER.

MIR. Hatcher was in fine trim and was
thoroughly imbued with the justice of
his cause. After he was we'll started,
scarcely a sound could ne heard in the
court room so strong was the power of
his eloquence.
'Gentemen.of the Jury, in appear
ng before you, labor under disad-
vantage, for MI. Hughes, my associate
counsel has delivered before you an
address. logical, analytical and unsrr-
passed by any argument l have ever
heard. Eloquent, feeling, earnest, his
frame was shaken by an emotion thar
must have been convincing and must
have carried conviction to every heart.
am not em narassed, however, as was
the attorney for tue State. Mr.. Figueis,
who told you that the aged father of
the defendant and his entire family
had been his friends for years. Gentle
men. before I help to tie the halter
around the neck of a son nj my friend,
l hope my tongue may cleave to the
roof of my mouth and my right arm
may fall palsled to my side. Mr..
VOORHEES, has told You that in all his
professional career, this is the second
time he has appeared for the prosecu-
tion IN a criminal case. MI. VOORHEES,
is leadin, attorney at this bar and
appears in many cases. 1t would appear
therefore that he prefers rather to
defend criminals than to prosecute
them. but In this case there is not one
scintilla of proof against the defendant
to convict him of this murder y
Let us go back to that moon lit mig It
in October, when two friends, Johua-
than and David, lnseparable almost in
friendship and affection started on that
trip to Spring Hill-a TIP they had
been making together for months at
the time of the full moon. Be tn were
members of the church, both members
of the same lodge-an organization
said to have been founded by Solomon
and whose precepts taught brotherhood
of man, love of neighnoI, kindness,
charity and upright living. These two
friends stopped by to see Lee Muller to
get him to go with them, but found he
could not do SO. They drove on. Do
you believe Lee Rountree's heart was
charged with murderr They arrived
at the Lodge, went through It's noble.
impressive ceremonies. After the
Lodge adjourned. What then? They
to started for home. Major Jameson
was short distance before them on
his way to his home
"a fellow lodge member opened and
closed the gate for them and got upon
the bacS OF their buggy to Tiue to his
The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1905-03-24
j. c. VOORHEES,, ESQ.

''On the night of Oct. Is, 1904.
gentlemen OF the jury" said Mr.
VOORHEES,, 'the spirit of poor murdere i
John Reaves. was hurle1 by the hand
of d midnight assassin into eternity ;
now the hand of an outraged Justice
cries out to you. to swing his muir
derer, at the end of a rope into the
same boundless eternity. On the last
day when the souls of all shall appear
before the great white throne, for
Judgment, the soul OF poor. murdered
John Reaves, will arse and point to
his murderer and exclaim Thou art
the man
Continuing MIR. VOORHEES, said
"Gentlemen Of the jury. this is the
second time in space of twenty years
that l have asked at the hands of a
Water Valley progress. (Water Valley, Miss.) 1882-1918, 1905-07-22
cOffHEvlLLE CHURCH DIRECTORY.


Cumberland p Presbyterian Church
Rev. j. r. RusselI. Pastor.
Preaching evsry lst, 3rd and 9th
SUNDAYS at / I q. m. and p. m.
Prayer meeting every Thursday
night. ~
Sunday School every Sunday at 10
q, m.
Woman's Missionary meeting every
1st Wednesday afternoon at 3 o'clock.
Session meeting every lst Wednes :
day night.
Methodist Episcopal Church Rev
ID. G. Fonst, Pastor.
Preaching everv End and 4th sun
day at III D. m. and 3 p m.
Prayer meeting every Thursday
night.
Sunday school every Sunday at Il
q. m.
Baptist Church--Rev. N. w. K
Bacon, Pastor.
Preaching every lst Sunday at II
8. m. and 8 p. m.
sunday school at $50 every sun
day.
Prayer meeting at p, m. every
Tuesday night.
Water Valley progress. (Water Valley, Miss.) 1882-1918, 1905-07-22

~.
et least is sure and swift in all
civilized countries except in the
United States. The machinery of
the law in this country is wretch.
edly defective in many respects;
1T would probably suffice if the
officers of the law were not so
weak and c0wardly.
What would be thought Of a
police magistrate in England who
should allow a couple of hood
lums who had in wanton sport in,
suited a respectable white wo-
man and cruelty beaten her hus-
band for calling the police to pro-
tect her, escape with paltry fine
of S10a He would be drummed
off the bench in disgrace. Yet
such thing happened in Kansas
City this week, and sim liar crimes
and grotesqaely inadequate pen
alities are the rule in all Ameri-
can cities.
In Judge Taft's opinion, Grim
|innal justice is certain and speedy
in England because the judge is
empowed to advise the jury as to
the evidence and express his own
opinion as to its weight, and to
refuse appeals except upon i'm
portant and real questions of law.
However that may be, it is clear
that the defects in the laws ma
chinery could be easily cured if
the lawyers and lawmakers d d
their duty, and the laws that now
exist would be made = thousand
fold more effective if the judges
and prosecutors were fearless and
active in the discharge of their
sworn obligations.
Water Valley progress. (Water Valley, Miss.) 1882-1918, 1905-07-22
Stop that Cough.

When cough. a tickling or an
irritation in the throat makes you
feel uncomable, take Ballard s
Hoarhound Syrup. Don't until
the disease has gone beyond con<
troll.
Mr.. and Mrs. J.. A. Anderson,
354 West 9th ST., Salt Lake City,
Utah, writes; 1--WE think Ballard's
Horehound Syrup the best medi-
cige for coughs and colds. We
have used it for several years; it
always gives immediate relief, is
very pleasant and gives perfect
satisfaction. i" 25c. Soc. SI.
Sold by 5. s. Spencer,
Water Valley progress. (Water Valley, Miss.) 1882-1918, 1905-07-22
Culse Of the Country.

Public officials, Lawyers and
law-makers can find much food
for thought upon their obliga-
tions to the public in the address
Of Secretary Taft to the gradual
ing class of the Yale law school
upon the administration of
Criminal Law" The evils Mr..
raft points out afflict all men
alike, but their cure is peculiarly
the ethical duty of the bar IN CO.
operation with Legislators, public
prosecutors and criminal court
Judges,
Secretary Taft goes straight to
the head of the subject when he
says the lax administration of
the criminal law is diegrace
to the civilization of America.
| Worse than that, it is curse and
menace to the country. Speak
| ing Of the one crime of murder,
Mr.. Taft points out that since
| 1885 in the United States there
have been ISL, 951 murders and
lhomicides and tn, re been 2,286
4f
criminals put to death legally.
In 1885 the. number of murders
was 1903. In 1904 it had been
increased to 5,S43 The mum ber
of hangings in 1885 was 108,
| while in 1904 the number was
ll5. These figures establish be-
yocd dispute the correlation bs,
tween the laxity of the law S
enforcement and the increase in
crime.
The excuse in the past for the
prevalence of CRIME in the United
States was the wid9 distances
and newness of the country. The
falsity of this plea is proved by
the criminal records Of our neigh
bors, Canada and Mexico, where
population is sparser and the
newness equal to our own. There
is less CRIME relatively ia semi
civilized Mexico than in the en-.
LIGHTED United States.
The efficiency of the law de.
pends upon its certainty and its
promptness. The criminal law
Water Valley progress. (Water Valley, Miss.) 1882-1918, 1905-07-22
Profit in DaIryIng

Thers is no question but that
dairying, theoretically, should be
the most profitable branch of hus-
bandry. Butter carries none Of
the plapt food nutrients OF the
soil off the farm. By feeding the
skim milk of butter milk to pigs
and poultry and returning the
droppings OF animals to the land
in the form of manure, the farm
should grow moro fertile.
The requirements of successful
dalrying are exacting and should
not be ignored for profitable re-
suits. In the first place a balance
ed ration, as near as possible
should be given.
Now, if the. Planters journal
was not pretty sure of the general
intelligence oft, readers, it might
touch the subject of balanced rs-
tions to secure q given effect
with some misgivings as to les re-
ception.
Not only is intelligent feeding
necessary to secure the largest re-
suits from an economical feeding,
but regular times of milking
should be observed, All animals
are creatures of habit, and cows
that are MIXED at stated times,
acquire the habit of giving down
their milk at such times, and any
irregnlarity in milking. is detri-
mental.
Cows should not only be MIXED
regularly but should also be milk
ed clean. In this respect some
farm hands, employed to do the
milking, are derelict; some from
constitutions trifiingness, and
some because they have som e.
thing more congenial In view,
consequently they fail to draw all
the milk from the udder. The
stripping, unlike the the first few
streams of milk, is rich in per cent
of butter fat.Planters Journal.
Water Valley progress. (Water Valley, Miss.) 1882-1918, 1905-07-22
spirit Of the Present South. !"

1t appears that at the recent
commencement of Harvard Uni-
versity a Southern student and
candidate for the degree of mass
ter of arts, delivered an address
on the Esprit of the Present
South. which. it 10 said, so in
terested and commanded the ap.
approval of President Roosevelt,
who was attending the exercises
Water Valley progress. (Water Valley, Miss.) 1882-1918, 1905-07-22

as member of the class of 1881,
that he punctnated the words of
the student with mods Of the head.
We are also told that he address
was most cordially received by
the sons of ab0litiOnis and
Union veterans, all oe which goes
to prove what change regard
ing the South has occurred in
Northern sentiment. Before this
ultra-New England audience Mr..
Lambeth, the Southern student,
declared that the South rejoices in
the discussion of the suffrage re-
! strictions, believing them to be
"mastsr strokes of statesm en- for
the und0ing of the evils of re-
construction. Among other things
! he said:
"The South is blazing out a
new and even hazardous path,
just as the nation is doing in the
Philippines; they think that the
spirit which prompted the heart
of America to fit the Filipino for
suffrage before giving him the
ballot something which he can
now neither appreciate nor use
is the same which prompted he
heart of the South to eliminate the
incompetent negro vote.
We are told that the most nota-
! BILE point of Mr.. Lambeth's ora
| tioD, and one that seemed to
! deeply impress the President, was
! the assertion that the Southern
! suffrage restriction actually makes
I for nationalism, which is sure to
gain by removing from elections
a mass of the most ignorant vo~
ters sswhose presence in politics
has kept the minds of the best p ee :
: pie of the South perpetually busy
! for a quarter of q century with
small sectional problems, and thus
J giving tie leading men the time
: and the opportunity for consider
inD national affaire.''
1t is safe to say that ten or fif.
teen years ago such speech dc
Mr.. Lambeth delivered at Har'
ward commencement would have
been received with manifestations
of anger and impatience rather
than unqualified approval on the
part ofhis New England au dience
but evidence is not wanting thai
. there has been a radical change
IN Northern sentiment. 1t b. q
come to pass that progressive. Re.
publicans and NOrtherners gen
orally recognize the TACT tlat the
franchise in the South is South
ern problem, Fifteenth Amend
ment or no Fifteenth Amend
ment.
! The Philadelphia Ledger says
!, that the Harvard address of Mr.
Lambeth and the Presidents very
manifest approval of the speak.
er's point of view "mark step
: beyond even this concession; they
suggest that tie North go father
+ than to conniye at the manipula-
j tion OF the negro vote, welcoming
J the new restrictions as gain to
, the party polite, if not partjsan~
! ship Clarion.Ledger.
Stop that Cough.
Water Valley progress. (Water Valley, Miss.) 1882-1918, 1905-07-22
Willing to Pay for Contempt.

The following anecdote 10 told
of Gen. Gilman Marston, 3 once
famous New Hsmshire lawyer.
says the Boston Herald:
aGeneral Marston was attend-
ing court at Dover, when young
attorney, made q motion that was
denied by the court. The young
man demonstrated against what
he thought was the wrong ruling
of the Judge. S0.vehemently did
he demonstrate that he was fined
ten dollars for contempt Of court.
An older attorney took the mat
ter up and was fined = similar
sum. Still another, who thought
he stood in little. with the Judge,
endeav0red to straighten out the
matter, but he, too, enriched the
State by paying q ten spotn for
contempt.
Gen. Marston was then seen to
rise in his seat and advance to
the clerks desk. Taking his long
pocket-b0ok from his pocket he
took out two 80 bills and laid
them oD the desk.
"What is that for " asked tho
court.
'sI want you to'distinctly undsr>
stand" said the General, ''that I
have just twice as much contempt
for this id court as any man
here, and ! am paying for it,
Water Valley progress. (Water Valley, Miss.) 1882-1918, 1905-07-22

For Sale; A young, small Green
Parrot, talks we'll. Price &6.
j. X. COULTER,
Coulter, Miss.
Water Valley progress. (Water Valley, Miss.) 1882-1918, 1905-07-22

Bill Heads, Letter. Heads, Cards
and Ocirulars cheap ut Progress.
Fitzgerald enterprise. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1895-1912, 1905-08-12
STORAGE BATTERIES.

1t is announced that Edison has at last sue
ceeded in devising a perfect electrict storage
battery. If this be true, then the great invent
or and discoverer can claim 10 have conferred
upon mankind one of the greatest boons conceiv-
able. II will effect a wondrous revolution in in
dustrial life. 1t will practically eliminate the
beast Of burden" and be applicable in a thous-
and aud one ways. Mr.. Edison said two years
ago that he had completed storage battery, but
that it was too heavy. He has continued to adj
dress himself to the problem and as result the
weight has been reduced to forty pounds per
horsepower. Thus forty-horse power ma
chine would weigh only 1000 pounds
The uses of such battery are varied
that they arc practically ilmtable. On the
road or on the farm, in the factory or on the
water in the air or in the mine, it be utilized.
1t will cause noises to be moderated in the cities.
AS the propellng power of the automobile it will
drive the vehicle in silence and odorlessly. And
as there never was an invention, save, perhaps,
the Morse alphabet, which could not be simpli-
fed, we may expect even further reduction of
the weight per horse power. The substitution
of the battery for the steam boiler would effect
enormous economy in space. The gain in
this one respect is of course incalculable. It
would be boon, indeed. to architects and build
ers generally. It would tend to abolish the
chimney and remove the smoke nuisance. The
trolley wire would berelegated TO the scrap heap
and much of the danger from broken live
wires would be obvated
1t is TO be hoped the battery is all that Mr.
Edison claims, and that its general introduction
will not long be delayed The world has await
ed it confidently ever since the trolley wire was
introduced for the purpose of transportation.
The latter was Fl ST employed only compare
lively few years ago. and was then properly re-
garded as one Of the great triumphs of modern
mechanical genius. But it will soon conc to be
looked upon as primitive and old fashioned if
Mr.. Edisons apparatus is just what he says 1t
is-Macon Telegraph