Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1906-07-19
THE LYNCHING TRIAL ON

THE LYNCHING TRIAL ON
A True Bill is Brought AndinSt Zeke
Lewis, Charging Him With Being
One OF the Lynehers of Gwyn John
son, and the Policy OF the State to
Try Each of the Defendants Sep
arately is Plainly Indicated.
r. L. Gray, in Raleigh News and
Observer.
Monroe, N. c., July 16.-The first
day of the trial of the twenty-five
citizens of Arson county who, it is
charged, on May 28th forced a way
into the Jail at Wadesboro and took
therefrom and lynchedJ. V. Johnson,
the slayer of Gwyn Johnson, resulted
in the bringing of true bill against
Zeke Lewis, the determination by the
court of the right of the State to
change the venue from Anson to
Union county and developed the
policy of the State to try each of the
defendants separately.
Several motions to quash the in
dictment against Lewis were made
and denied. One of these was aimed
at the alleged want of power under
the statute to bring an Indictment in
a county other than that in which
the crime was committed. Another
at the alleged unconstitutionality of
such change and a amotion was lodged
for a continuance and removal, for
that the judge in his charge had used
expressions tantamOunt to an instruc-
tion that the jury should find the de-
fendant guilty.
For the State appear Solicitor Rob-
inson, John T. Bennett, of Wades-
boro, and R. B. Redwine, of Mon
roe. For the defense, J. A. Lock
hart, II. II. McLendon, T. L. Caudle,
Fred Coke, of Wadesboro, and A.
M. Stack, F. F. Griffin, J. G. Skies,
Williams & Lemmonds, Monroe,
Adans, Jerome & Armfield, and r.
L. Storms, Of Monroe. =
The sensational feature of the day
was the acrimonious character of the
charge of the Judge to the grand
jury. The allegation made by the
defense that he instructed the jury
that the defendants were guilty was
not sustained by his words, but his
voice and manner were such as to
cause profound impression.
In that necessity comes in the
spirited conflict referred to between
people and judge. The court is pit
ting himself and his Office against
the desire of the crowd. He made
no bones of accepting the situation.
Kept as it was within the technical
proprieties which hedge a court,
Judge Shaw's charge to the grand
jury Was in effect a prosecuting
speech. It was evident that he felt
the odds against which the States
case will be conducted keenly. The
knowledge raised in him the battle
thrill. He put the law to the jury
with almost brutal earnestness. Be
hammered home the uncompromis-
ing truths of the facts in way that
suggested physical blows. He refer
red Indignantly to the stories of in
fdences at work in the county and
left the jury practically with this
bone to crack:
It is conceded that a crime has
been committed. The men who took
johnson from the Jail and killed
him are guilty of murder in the first
degree. 1t is not the jury's place to
question the law. If the State brings
the evidence against the defendants
to show their guilt, there is only one
way in which they can escape,
through perjury, a failure in their
oaths on the part of the grand jury
to return a bill, by the petit jury
properly to render their verdict or
by the officers of the court to do
their duty.
He laid particular emphasis upon
perjury and in concluding exclaimed
dramatically, that, so help him God,
if there should be in this case mis-