The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1909-11-22
sUPERIORsCOURT.

Term Closed rriday-W.O. rre-
vatt Exonorated of Charges
Made by Grand Jury-Gra-
ham and Brown Acquitted
Ten Years for Burglary-Oth-
or Cases-Jail Emptied.
The criminal term of Robson
Superior Court which convened
on the 9Th inst, Judge &C. Lyon
presiding, closed Friday after
noon, lacking just one day of
continuing the full two weeks,
and as a result for the first time
since Sheriff E. C. McNeill has
been in office-three years-for
the first time in years longer
than that-the Jail has been en-
ptied of prisoners. If no other
prisoners are received before the
present inmates are taken away
this week the Jail will be empty,
the doors will be thrownopen and
a For Rent" sign may be hung
out. Mark the "if."
The case of Rafe Graham and
Will Brown, colored, charged with
the murder of Will Ross, colored,
at Maxton on July 80 last, the
trial of which began Wednesday
just before noon, was given to
the jury at 1.30 o'clock Friday
afternoon and in about an hour,
dinner intervening, a verdict of
not guilty was rendered. Ross
was the negro whose dead body
was found on the Seaboard tracks
near Maxton on the morning of
August 1st. Sam Malloy (alias
Green, alias Newton) ,colored, one
of the original defendants, was
one of the principal witnesses,
the case against him having been
nol-prossed. He swore that Ross
was shot and struck in the head
with an axe by one of the defen-
dants, in his presence. His story,
given fully in The Robesonian
some time ago when preliminary
examination was made, was all
right up to a certain point, but
from that point it broke down
utterly and the jury would not
accept it. Press Wade. colored,
named in the bill of indictment,
has not been taken. County Ply
sician w. A. McPhaul and DIR.
L.R. Kirkpatrick of Maxton were
allowed $25 each for holding the
autopsy ordered by the solicitor,
and Drs. McPhaul, Kirkpatrick
M. r. Gibson and A. B. Groom
were allowed 500 each as experr
witnesses.
In the report of the granc
jury, made Tuesday evening, w
d. Prevatt, keeper of the chair
gang, was charged with being il
state of gross intoxication whel
the committee from the jury Wis
tied chain-gang quarters, and ;
bill of indictment was draw
against him by Solicitor Sinclair
1t seems that in making tina
charge great injustice uninten
tionally was done Mr.. Prevatt
Upon sworn statements made b
DIR. B. F. Mcmillan and Messrs
A. F. McCallum, ,J.N. Buie, Alex
ander McNeill, N. B. Macarthur
John w. Graham and others
among them the road trustees @
Red Springs and Smiths towr
ships, Mr.. Ell. Britt, attorney fo
the board of commissioners, an
MIR. A. r. McEachern, a membe
of the board of commissioner:
showing the great efficiency {
MIR. Prevatt, his high moral char
acter and temperate habits; an
showing further that at the tim
ne was charged with being il
toxicated he was very sick, su.
fering with grip and fever, an
that the whiskey was taken as
medicine and at the suggestio
Of others. and for this purpos
alone, Soil :itor Sinclair, by an
with the advice and consent (
Judge Lyon, entered mol. pros
the case of Mr.. Prevatt and
las been fully exonerated.
Henry Davis, colored, who e
tered the home of Policeman Y
ID. Dixon at Pembroke at mig
some months ago and was sh
and wounded by Mr.. Dixon al
who submitted the first Oft
week to burglary in the secol
degree, the plea of imbecility b
ing made by his counsel, Messl
Mcintyre, Lawrence & Proctc
was given a sentence of 10 yea
IN the penitentiary. He was ia
en- to Raleigh Saturday by De
uty I. G. Barnes and Mr.. N.