The Hartford republican., 1905-02-24
TO Pm FOR ONE YEAR.
Ben Clay Convicted Uuder
New Poultry Stealing Law.
Convicted Man Fails TO See Cause
For Sentence and Refused
to be C0nS0led.
Henderson Comfy Cleaner ]

likes of dis. Niggahs been stealing
chickens and turkeys since afore free
dom, and Use de onliest one what
has been rained foh de cote"
1t was Ben Clay speaking and he
had just heard the verdict pronounced
which will confine him in the Eddy
vile penitentiary for one year. Be-
ing the first person conPicted in
the Fifth judicial circuit under the
new law making the stealing of
poultry felony, did not make Ben
feel any better.
Clay is country nigger," and
the dignity of the court mystified
and frightened him. His eyes bulg-
ed out and he continually shutfled
and wiggled in his seat. When the
verdict of tho jury was read he all
but wept and could not have appear
ed more miserable had he been sen-
fenced to hang.
Clay was indicted for stealing
four turkeys from the roost of Lu-
ther King, who resides in the Frog
Island neighborhood. At the recent
session of the legislature a law was
passed making it a felony to steal
chickens or other. kind Of poultry,
exceeding two dollars in value. To
be sent to the penitentiary just be
cause he robbed a turkey roost was
altogether new for Clay and he
thought the whole world had turned
against him in an effort to take away
the God-given right of any darkey
to take home with him any chicken
or turkey he happened to see on a
convenient roost.
Clay is the first person in the Fifth
district, composed of Union, Web
ster and Henderson counties, to be
indicted under the new law. He had
panned an elaborate defense and en-
ployed w. P. McClain to defend him
before the jury, but before Com
monwealth's Attorney Dixon had
called his strongest witness II was
clear that Clay's fate was sealed.
So the Attorneys.held consultation
and Mr.. McClain agreed to with
draw the plea of not guilty and en-
ter one of guilty with the under
standing that the defendant be Civ
en- one year in the penitentiary.
Clay was hard to convince that the
proceeding was the most advisable,
but after a little persuasion consent
ed to the withdrawal of his plea and
the prayer of mercy.
Judge Henson instructed the jury
to bring in a verdict of one to five
years in the penitentiary. Mr.. Dix
on made a short stetement to the
Jury in which he said that he would
be satisfied with a sentence of one
year and finished by saying that the
case was the first one of the kind to
come under his notice since being
elected to office. Judge Henderson
corrected the prosecutor by saying
that it was the first chicken thief to
be caught up with since Mr.. Dixon
was elected and everybody in the
the court room, jurors. clerks and
sherifTs, except Benjamin Clay,
laughed. And Benjamin, with a sad
look on his face pondered on the way
of the cruel world.
The jury was out two minutes.
After the verdict was read three ne
groes who had been brought over
from the Jail to be arraigned, tried
to console Clay with the fact that
he would be a member of the States
gang of rock breakers for only one
year, when the jury might have SEN
fenced him to fiveyears OF hard work
without pay. But black BENJAMIN
only rolled up his eyes and squirmed
in his seat, refrusing all consolation
He was unable to see the justice in
his receiving the sentence when he
and everybody else knew that the
darkeys had always purloined chick
ems and some of them would con-
tinue to purloin the fowls as long as
they could find a convenient roost,
and then he had only taken four
small turkeys.
Members of Clay's family were in
the court room and before he was
taken back to Jail gathered around