The news & observer., 1905-12-15
IN FEDERAL COURT
Interesting Case From
Durham Being Tried.
C0Wan Sentenced.

The one trial of interest in the Fed
eral Court yesterday was taken up
shorty before adjournment and oniy
one witness was examined, her teS-
umony, however, being sufficient 10
outline the charge.
The case is that against Clarence
Morris. a well-dressed and respecta-
Dla looking white man of Durham,
who is under Indictment Tor opening
two letters addressed TO Mrs. j. i.
Mangum, from one of which ii Is al
legea he took d money order which
he cashed by forging the name OF the
payee. Mrs. Mangum, the witness eX-
amined, is the next door neighbor OF
the defendant on Bircn street, in Dur
nam.
According to Mrs. Mangum's tes-
timony, she left Durham for Il lew
days in July, 1903, asking the wife OF
the defendant to take any mail she
saw left at her house and forward it
Ito her. At that time Mrs. Mangum
twas expecting a sum of money from
, Arkansas and for that reason also IN
lstructed the post office TO hold any
mail for her. Upon ner return To
Durham she was told by the step-son
of the defendant that two letters had
come for her in her absence and that
tthey had been forwarded 10 her by
the defendant. Morris, himself, also
made the same statement to Mrs.
Mangum. One of the two letters re-
ferred TO arrived later, having been
opened and endorsed opened through
mistake by Mrs. j. A. Mangum, coll
ored" The other letter, which con-
tanned an express money order never
came, but the order with the signature
of Mrs. Mangum forged thereon, had
been cashed by the express office.
One of the witnesses for the gov
ernment is here from Memphis. Ten
nessee, to testify TO having mailed the
letter which was lost.
The defendant is represented by
General b. 5. Royster, of Oxford, and
the case will doubtless consume the
entire time OF the court today
Notorious BlOckader Sentenced.
w NJ Stevens, u notorious block
ader of Harnett, was tried and conVic-
ted and sentenced to two years in the
( Ipenitentiary and to pay a tine OF $Z00.
| The severity of the sentence is ac-
counted for by the record of the pris-
| oner who has been several times be-
| fore the Federal Courts. About
three years ago he was convicted OF
! having broken into q bonded ware
house and stolen thecefrom seven bar
rels of whiskey, which he buried in
a field and then plowed over the
ground in order to conceal the cachet
| Mild Sensation in CoWan Case.
| In the matter of G. c. Cowan, con-
victed of Illicit distilling on Wednes-
| day and Who put up the defense that
| ne had rented his smoke house to a
mythical Mr.. Williams, sentence was
| imposed by the court of thirteen
months Imprisonment in the Atlanta
| penitentiary and TO pay fine of 500.
| In this case q mild sensation was
created by the remarks of Colonel
| Harris, Cowan'S counsel. when the
| ease was called for sentence. Col.
Harris bitterly arraigned the jury and
stated that his clients conviction was
UNJUST and due to a preconceived de-
Termination on the part of the jury
70 convict anything and everything
/ that came along.
Blue Compromised With YerileS.
| James Blue. prior to the passage of
1.-The Ward bill distiller of Richmond
county, was sentenced to pay fine Of
$4,000 for irregularities, the sentence
/ being in the way of compromise with
1.-THE commissioner of internal revenue.
Blue has been for several years al
| most an habitual attendant on terms
; of the Federal Courts to answer sim
| liar charges.
| Other cases were disposed of yes
/ -erday as follows:
| Jno. Proctor, for working at still,
$500 fine.
| Eliza Townsend, retailing, fined
1910.
| Nick Phelps, retailing, 80 days in
Jail. ~
| Frank Allen, retailing. fined 500.
] James Blue and others We're fined
So 600 for a violation of law at their
government distillery.
| Frank Wood, Ben Raynor and Ara
| leH Raynor were given 80 days
md taxed with costs for violating the
| "evenue law.
Gee. B. Fuquay. retailing, 80 days
| Jordan Mangum, working at still
| ined $100.
| Washington. n. c., Dec. 1S.-Ihl
Morning Mr.. Seth Dawson, a prosper
/ n11S farmer who lives near IaGranGe