The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-07-29
'PEONAGE SPASM
 IS ABOUT SPENT Interesting Developments in the
 Latest Case YOUNG MEN OF ALABAMA Several Have Attracted Especial At tenton During the Past Week By
 Activity In Subjects In
 Which Interested.
YOUNG MEN OF ALABAMA
BY HERVEY w. LAIRD.

Montgomery, July 2s.-(Special. )-The failure of the United States court to con- vict M. F. and Noah J. Prestwood of Coffee county for the crime of peonage, of which they had been charged, and for which they had been indicted, IS an indi- cation that there was very little in the case. It is a further indication that the spasm of anti-peonage interest that was aroused three or four years ago has passed as do so many things thought to be new, yet quite old, The credit for the arousal of public opinion in this partic- ular is bound to lie with tae officials of the United States court la Montgomery led by Judge Thomas c. Jcaes and fought out by District Attorney Warren Reese and his associates, among them Julius sternfeld, formerly assistant district at torney But there seenp very few cases now of real violation of the law, though it is at times almost reached, and 1t is the wish of the judge and other officers that the work done be left as warning against any more actual violation rather than to be used as an excuse for taking up men hero and there and making them trouble on charges of this nature. Where
  able at Jackson, the courts are going to be very severe and there will be no more of asking for pardon as was so in the Pace cases, but it may be regarded as final that petty efforts to worry men who employ labor will find very little en- couragement in the Alabama courts.
 Bright Young Attorney
 The brief career of the new United States district attorney for the middle district, Erastus J. Parsons, has devel- oped that he Is a young fellow well able to take care of himself It was freely predicted that he would never be able to convict Eugene Hester, alleged robber or his own car while a postal clerk, and when W. w. Hill and Julius Sternfeld, the attorneys for Hester, secured the aid of Congressman Ariosto A. Wiley, mak- ing up a trio of good criminal lawyers there was more pronounced belief that the accused would go free. Nothing daunted' however, the youngster, for youngster ne is when compared to the other lawyers in the case, made a hard fight He se- | 1ected his jury with the skill of an older | head, and though he fell into errors Tn l ross-questioning, which caused the court i to almost call him down at times, he made out so good showing that he con- victed his man. There were many ex' pressions of surprise when the jury, after many hours deiberation, returned yer | dict of guilty but Parsons had contended | from the first that he would win. He is a ! little fellow with a bright and happy face and as restless as a ground sparrow. With the same amount of nervous ac- tvity kept up he will wear out much of his strength uselessly Thoughtful law yers count him among the coming mem bers of the bar. They say that he will make an enviable reputation If he keeps on as he has begun.
 Erie Pettus, Lawyer.
 The conduct of the case of John Will Hams, convicted of tho murder Of Rob ert l.. Hipp in Cullman county, has at tracted the attention or the whole state | to Erie Pettus, a modest young attorney O. TImestone county. When frank Wil- Hams went to Huntsville to see his father l In ial there shortly after he was cap tured he saw Pettus and heard him try some cases. Pettus had served as state solicitor when alleged members Of | HuntsvIhe mob were indicted In Madison | county and had a number of times been called back after the supreme court de- cided that he had no job. Frank Williams asked Pettus to take his fathers defense At first he felt a dellcacy about 1t, as Robert Hlpp had been his personal friend and he had loved him very much. How ever. on the advice of an older lawyer who told him he had no right to preJudge any man as guilty, he took the case, and fought for the life of his man all the way through the courts. From profes- sional interest he became convinced that the prisoner had not had fair trial oe- cause of the infamed condition of the public mind Since then his efforts for his client have been matters of every day record. even to the time he Is said by inc reporters to have brought tears to the eyes of those who heard him at Bir- mingham on Friday afternoon last
 Very Warm Judge.
 stroled into the office of the United States court Saturday and found Judge Thomas G. Jones of the Northern and Middle districts. not only hot under the collar but hot all over Hot as biazes he said in answer to a query concern ing his health. Been trying a whisky case all day in which was so little evil dence of guilt that I instructed the jury to acuuit" As If just thinking of It, he turned to some one In the office and de- manded: why on earth Is a man indicted on so poor a showing as was made m this case?" Then, as if forgetting the whole thing, the judge pulled handker- chief from his pocket wiped the mois- ture from his face and continued: This hot weather and hard work Is making a wreck of me. I do not have time to an- swer my letters. My friends may know that I am not purposely neglecting them
 
 then the fudge stopped and shook hands with Clerk Dimmck who has not been very well for some time, asking how ne was coming along. He passed from the worry of business and the annoyance of the heat to smile of interest In the condition of a member of his force who had not been able to get out much of late. well, we will get out of 1t in a few days" said the judge as he walked Aor down the hall In the direction of the Moffice of the district attorney "Tell those Hfellows owe letters to will get around 3in short time, but it Is slow work with this court and this weather"
 Bruce Kennedy, Editor.
 City Editor Bruce Kennedy of the Mont gomery Advertiser is among the few to disturb the longtime practice of the Ala hama Press association of having the speeches made by the proprietors instead of the men who do the work. Some years ago Richard F. Johnston. now managing editor of the Birmingham Ledger, broke over the banks and did some talking, but as a rule 1t Is the men who pay the sal aries rather than the men who receive them on the Press association programme. Kennedy's case is, therefore, interesting, as it may mean the establishment of a new order.
 It seems sensible. too, for who can know more of the daily life of a news paper than the men who sit up to unseem- ly hours of the night to make 1t. And Kennedy is one of the most faithful of the lot From the key of a telegraph instru- ,,,ant ha drifted into the graphite clan and