The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1909-06-26
Tie Greer CASE.

Greer was found not guilty by the
jury in his second trial at the late
term Of court Of the charge of un-
lawful cohabitation. This trial
was begun on Wednesday morning
of the fifth week Of the term and
continuously engaged the attention
of the court till Friday evening at
1915, when it was given to the
Jury; every inch Of the ground be-
ling stubbornly contested by able
fand alert counsel on both sides.
\ The jury retired to their room and
Esoon discovered that they were far
from being Of one mind. Next
lmorning when court convened for
the last day Of the term, they were
apparently still in a hopeless dead
flock and the District Attorney and
lawyers for the defense, as well As
Eothers around the court house, were
Iabout prepared for the recording
of q second rnistriaI. A little after
.I10 o'clock, however, the jury noti-
lfied the court that they we're ready
to report, and when they fled IN
land their verdict was read, it was
s4 i a
as above stated.
It was afterward learned that
Ion the first ballot the jury stood
Isix to six, but that soon three Of
the number who at first stood for
acquittal, joined abe six in favor Of
conviction and that they remain-
led thus divided until after 8 o'clock
next morning. Then there was
argument between the three and the
mine and more careful scrutiny
land weighing Of the courts in
structions for the defendant. in the
light of the testimony. by those
who favored. a conviction, when
the nine finally yielded to the mi
lnority and agreed to an acquittaI.
It is also learned that practically
all Of the jury. from the first. re-
ljected as unworthy Of belief the
testimony of Frank Jones and
Holland white, and Fannie Jack
son and Nose Walker, colored. who
were the only witnesses for the
State who testified to having per-
lsonally witnessed any act of unlaw-
lful intimacy between the sheriff
and the woman Emma johnson all
new witnesses for the State. This
virtually reduced ths State side
to dependence on the same excIus-
lively circumstantial evidence relied
on for a conviction at the first trial,
and. as the defense introduced a.
number Of new witnesses and made
e stronger defense. another mis-
trial or acquittal was to be expect
led, as jury Of II men is seldom
found who will convict on circum-
stantial evidence alone.
In some of its aspects this case
was a most remarkable one and sug-
gests several valuable lessons to
those who are willing to profit by
them, and for this reason alone
this article is written.
Before his election to the Office
be now holds. the general reputa-
tion Of Sheriff Greer for honor, in
tegrity and clean private life.
was equal to that of any citizen Of
the county. His father and BROTH
ers and bis large family connection
have always been justly esteemed
as among the county's 5 best most
upright and worthy citizens. Dur
ing his campaign he ran as re-
form candidate and one Of the
strongest and most effective appeals
for support he made to the voters
of the county, especially to the
country voters, was that if elected
sheriff he would make it one of the
distinguishing features Of his ad-
ministration to scrupulously see to.
it that Brookhaven. the county site.
was purged and kept purged Of
white and negro vagrants, blind
tigers and negro prostitutes who
impudently disported themselves inl
luxuriant idleness on it's public
thoroughfares. AS i result Of his
high character and reputation and
these representations he received the
support Of majority of the good
citizens Of the county over two
strong and popular opponents As
the lines were drawn ID the last
primary Of 1907, no man ever chos-
len to the sheriff Office in Lincoln
county could have been prouder Of
the high average ia morality. re-
ligion and good citizenship Of the
voters who gave him their support
than Sheriff Greer.
That q man elected to the chief
law office Of the county under these
circumstances. should not only not
I have made u0od III the fsssf IN n4.i4svs ~