The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1907-07-03

boys of town and country by their
evil habits and practices, Judge
Wilkinson fined Hoskins $500 and
: sentenced him to the county farm
for so days. The Supreme Court,
to which an appeal was taken, in
due course affirmed this sentence,
and now The Leader will give d
few facts showing how justice and
both courts have been mocked by
what has transpired since.
The Supreme Court affirmed
Hoskins' sentence the first Monday
in May. A strong effort was
made by some of his relatives and
friends to get the Governor to
pardon him, and if not willing to
| do that, to at least take off the 80
days on the county farm. Judge
| Wilkinson refused to recommend
pardon or any modification of the
sentence, informing the Governor
that in view of the facts and cir
cumstances of this case, he could
see no proper reason for doing so.
j The District Attorney wrote the
Governor letter recommending
that the Imprisonment be set aside
and the fine reduced, and in which
he made slurring reference to
some of the best citizens of
Brookhaven who have been inter-
ested in seeing that the criminal
laws are enforced.
On May Goth, two weeks after
the Supreme Courts decision,
Gov. Vardaman announced his de-
cision refusing co modify or inter
fere with the sentence of the
Court.
Up to June 4, two weeks after
the Governors decision and four
weeks after the Supreme
Court handed down its decis-
lion, the Clerk of that tribu-
nal had never forwarded the man
date of the Court to the Circuit
Clerk of Lincoln county, a for
mality the law requires, and there
fore the Circuit Clerk had no Ie-
gal authority to issue capias pro
finem (warrant) to the Sheriff to
take Hoskins into custody and de-
liver him to the county farm to,
begin serving his sentence. Mean
while, ever since the decision of
the Supreme Court, Hoskins had
been about Brookhaven as usual,
and number of citizens, of both
town and county, not understand
ing why things were thus, after
the Supreme Court had acted,
we're indulging in lot of criti-
cism of the Circuit Clerk and
Sheriff for supposed dereliction of
duty.
On June 4th, the Secretary of
| the Bruokbayen law and order
league wrote to Hon. Geo. G.
Meyers, Clerk of the Supreme
Court, stating these facts and ask
ing for an explanation of the delay
in forwarding the Supreme Court
mandate. He replied under date
of June 6 that be and his deputy
had both been i'll during the
month and fallen a little behind
with their Office work on that ac-
count and that the mandate had
been mailed to Circuit Clerk
Oliver on that date.
Meanwhile Hoskins had CON
ltinued to stay about Brookhaven
and told the Clerk and others that
he was ready to give himself up
and begin his term at the farm
whenever called on.
Circuit Clerk Oliver informs
The Leader that the mandate
from the Supreme Court reached
his Office on June 9Th. There
were some details to be looked
after such as making up and col
Letting the costs of the appeal
from the bondsmen, etc.
and the capias pro fnem was
not actually issued by him to the
sheriff until June II, four days
later. By that time the sheriff
says Hoskins could not be found
in Lincoln county. Sheriff APP
Iplewhite further informs The
Leader that he saw Hoskins in
Brookhaven last only the day be-
fore he received the capias pro
inem from the clerk.
There is story current that
Hoskins was taken in custody by |
the sheriff and a sham delivery
made to Superintendent Miller
of the county farm to relieve his
bondsmen, then allowed to escape, |
came back through Brookhaven
and wac soon ~ waun forawoII