The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-23
Brought Up Without Lawyer He Turns Lawyer Himself
IS GUILTY ON ONE COUNT
Vclatlcn of Prohibition Laws and As sault to Murder Are the Charges Made, But the Latter
 Is Dismissed.

crit court today, Judge Miller presiding, having taken his place filled during the past week by Special Judge Thomas E. Knight of Greensboro, the main interest centered around negro named John Mayford, charged with violating the pro- hibtion laws and with an assault with intent to murder. The negro hales from the section of Orrville this couEty, and is a sharp if criminal character. He amused the court and the spectators by his crude but systematic cross-exanina- tion of the witnesses arrayed against him. There were five charges for selling liquor and the one for assault with intent to murder. The commission of the crimes ran back to 1905 and evidently they had been committed at sundry times. The negro's guilt was not hard to guess but the proving of it with the very sue eessful conducting of his own case was an entirely different question.
 At the outset the negro declared his father was then trying to get him lawyer but he didn't know how he was making it. The attorney in question ap- bearing in court about that time. stated that no arrangements had been consum- mated with him and the judge told the negro he would have to go to trial.
 The questioning of a white witness against him in the first case called and the negro's endeavor to prove that there was some feeling against him by the white men was in strong comparison with the methods that would have been adopt ed by an experienced lawyer.
 In the second case where the witnesses against him were negroes Rayford arose to the occasion and when a negro swore he saw him purchase whisky from an- other negro, Rayford challenged him to swear 1t was whisky and when the ne- gro said with some feeling, "I am swear ing now" Rayford plumped the querry at him, if he tasted it and if he didn't taste it how did he know so as to swear it was whisky.
 In the latter case the jury brought in a verdict of acquittal and in the first case the jury brought In a verdict of guilty, but fixed the minimum fine of $50.
 Rayford secured the sympathy of the jury through relating the circumstances which led to his being in court with only one arm. After the indictment for the first offense in 1905 he stated he went to Ensley in order to secure work and while there had his right arm shot off by a friend who was fooling with a gun. He told simply how he had not had money to have a needed additional oper- ation performed upon his stump of an arm and that this also was the cause of his inability to secure lawyer to plead his case.
 The remaining cases including the case of assault with intent to murder, were nolle pressed by Solicitor Thompson.
 River Recedes Slowly.
 The proverbial oldest inhabitant cannot recollect a flood on the Alabama river wherein the waters have receded so slow ly on this present occasion. week ago Sunday, the waters at Rome, Ga., the headwaters of the Alabama, began to fall, yet at Selma the river has not fallen more than three feet from the highest stage. Monday the waters had just got ten below the county road on the south side of the river bridge, leaving the base ball park and all of the south section of the city still inundated
 Openings Today.
 Today was opening day in Selma and the millinery and dress goods emporiums were crowded to their capacity. The day was filled with sunshine and the throngs on the street were great.
 Knight Not a Candidate.
 An editorial in the Marion Standard and copied with comments in the Selma Times anent any political significance being atta ached to the recent appoint ment of Judge Knight as special judge to hold the circuit court here in place of Judge Miller, instead of a Dallas county man. has brought forth response from Judge Knight in which he says: 'I am neither an active or passive. present nor neither an active nor passive. present nor candidate for the office Of circuit judge" MT Knight has large circle of friends in the entire circuit and over the state and his announcement will be of in- tereSt