The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 1905-1908, 1906-12-09
4sREV." JOE FRIERSON, MEMBER
OF THE PORTERS' THIEF
TRUST, WAS TRIED
AND CONVICTED.
Five Indictments Brought Against
Him. But We're Consolidated
and Verdict Declares Him
Guilty in Each Case.


fore Justice of the Peace Beverly
noon, and was promptly convicted,
the jury having reached a verdict in
less than fifteen minutes. There were
five separate counts against Frierson
charging him with receiving stolen
goods, but upon agreement between
the court and Gen. E. T. Skyes, who
represented the defendant, the cases
were consolidated, and Frierson now
stands convicted of having received
five separate lots of merchandise
which he knew to have been stolen.
Major" Lewis was placed on the
stand by the State, and said that he
had carried goods to Frierson which
the latter knew to have been stolen.
and that Frierson had given him a
box of tobacco and some other arti-
cles for his services.
Mr. Baxter. who works at the gro
Gerry store of Mr. C. C. Richardson on
Market street, from which some of
the articles came, stated that he had
seen Frierson and Lewis in conver-
sation on numerous occasions, and
that their actions had aroused his
suspicious.
The theory advanced by the State
was that Napoleon Irby. one of Mr..
Mr.. Richardson porters, stole the
goods and sent them to Frierson by
Lewis, and the testimony of Mr.. Bax-
ter had tendency to bolster up this
theory Sheriff Eggleston and Con-
stable LOFTS both stated that when
the goods were found at Frierson's
house he first claimed that they be-
longed to a negro named Jim, whose
surname he could not remember, but
subsequently admitted that they had
been brought there by Major" Lew
is This evidence, however, was ruled
out by the court. as no statement
made by the prisoner to an arrest
ing officer can afterward be legally
used against him.
Frierson, when introduced in his
own behalf, stated that the goods
found by the officers when they made
a search of his house had been con-
veyed there by Major" Lewis, who
had promised to call for them at
later date He denied having any
knowledge of where they came from,
and stated that he had no idea they
were stolen. His story in its entirety
was apochryphal, and seemed to pro-
duce little effect upon the jury
Nanny Frierson, wife of the accus-
ed. also gave testimony which was of
a nebulous nature. She admitted
having advised her husband not to
let Lewis leave the things there, but
stated that she said this not because
she believed herself that the things
were stolen. but because she was
afraid that the presence o. the goods
might aroase the suspicious of the
neighbors.
The strongest witness introduced
by the defense was Mr.. l.. A. Vaughn.
manager for the Columbus Dry Goods
Company. where Frierson was en-
ployed as porter Mr.. Vaughn was
placed on the stand as a character
witness, and said that Frierson had
been in his employ for something like
a year and that he had always con-
sidered him honest, truthful and re-
liable. Witness admitted on cross
examination. however. that since the
existence OF the thief trust had been
made public, his confidence in Frier-
sons honesty had been somewhat
shaken
In arguing the case Gen. Sykes
sought to create upon the jury that
Major" Lewis was the real culprit
and that his client had in a measure
been prosecuted. The jury, though.
did not seem TO take kindly to this
idea. for after having been ont only
few minutes they returned declar-
ing Frierson guilty as charged in the
indictment.
1t has been the custom in these
cases to give the parties convicted
fine of fifty dollars and ninety days
on the county farm in each case, but
as Frierson operated extensively he
was granted wholesale rates. having
been given a fine of twenty-five dol
lars and a sentence of ninety DAYS
in each of the five cases in which he
was convicted. In the trial of the
case Justice Matthews exhibited ex-
freme leniency toward the prisoner
Afterthe jury had been empaneled
and sworn, the defendants attorney