The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-02-07
Advertiser Bureau.

Selma, Feb. 6.
 Two white men and seven negroes heard their sentences pronounced by Judge Mabry, presiding over the City Court today. George Williams and Martin Brum, the wihte men, and Will bur Mahan, negro, must serve terms in the penitentiary. The others were sentenced to hard labor in Dallas Coun- ty.
 In pronouncing the sentences of the men who had pleaded guilty of various offenses and had been tried and found guilty the court gave remarkable example of mercy and leniency, Judge Mabry in every case exercising as far as was consistent and in reason the power of the tribunal in granting mercy and consideration to the men who are to spend the next few months behind prison walls and in hard labor in the county. In every case the low est sentences in the courts Jurisdiction and discretion were pronounced.
 It was q scene no less Impressive be- cause of it's frequentcy when the prisoners heard the sentences of the court passed on them. Few know and few went to the courtroom to see the proceeding which was carried out solemnly and simply. The prisoners were conducted to the courtroom shortly before 12 o'clock and shortly after that hour the court made the first sentence. It was 1 o'clock when the last of the nine cases was disposed of.
 The majority of the cases charged burglary. Williams and Brum and sev- eral of the negroes pleaded guilty and the others were tried and found guilty by the jury the court having to define the punishment. While one or two negroes again declared their ino- cence not one gave reason why they should not be sentenced at that time.
 Williams and Brum were first sen- fenced, each to one year and one day in the State penitentiary. They. plead ed guilty of breaking into and buzz larizing a freight car near this city last year. Neither asked the mercy of the court. Both are young men. little more than twenty years old, and have the appearance of tramps al- though both maintained that they had never been convicted in or brought be- fore any court. In sentencing them Judge Mabry benevolently admonished the two young men and expressed deep sympathy for their plight. He told them that the punishment should be 8 lesson to them to teach them that the safer plan would he to respect the laws and to respect themselves. Good be- havior. the court said. would shorten their term in the penitentiary and would insure good treatment of them, and in conclusion the Judge said he hoped for good behavior on their part.
 Williams said he was born in Waco. Texas and strayed from home several years ago. He had been in St. Louis, Mo, he said. employed in a restaurant. and at the time he was arrested was returning to Waco.
 Brum is a Swede, a native of Stock holm, and for many years has been at sea. He said he Is twenty-two years old.
 The negroes sentenced are Wilbur Mahan, Dan Collins. Devotie Palmer, Bob White. Paul Chapman, Jerry Dur den and Frank Stewart.
 Mahan was convicted on three se- rious charges and will spend the next four years and five months in the penitentiary unless some power inter- venes. The first charge he was con victed of was carrying concealed weapons and for that offense must serve a term of seventy days in de- fault of a $200 fine. On the charge of grand larceny he was sentenced for fifteen months and for assault with in-