The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1909-08-14
A Fine Court House.


trains in New Albany last Friday,
en- route to Blue Mountain, the edi-
tor of The Leader had the oppor-
tunity. by the appreciated courtesy
of Chancery Clerk G. $. Gull
lens. of being shown through
Union county's handsome new
court house. lately completed and
furnished at a cost OF SIS. 900. 1t is
built of stone, marble, iron and con-
crete and covered with slate, and is
practically fire-proof throughout.
so there is no danger whatever Of
its ever being materially damaged
by fire. The Offices of the sheriff,
chancery clerk, circuit clerk. and
county treasurer, located on the
first floor, are all supplied with am
pie fire-proof and burglar-proof
vaults, and the county superintend.
ent has a large. neatly furnished
room on the same floor. Every
Office has its individual phone.
The court room is large and hand
some and seated with opera chairs.
the negroes being separated from
the whites by balcony. There
are two large jury rooms prison
er's room, a private room for the
judge, a consultation room for
lawyers, two comfortable rooms for
witnesses and private room for
ladies. with layatories and toilets.
The building fronts on three streets
and two broad Railways run clear
through the ground floor, cross in
the middle and form a large down
stair lobby. A basement story is
provided for fuel and furnace. and
every room in the court house and
jail can be heated by steam. The
cupola is finished in shining bronze
and the hands of a big clock show
on its four faces.
The building and its furnishings
were paid for by a S62, 900 bond is
sue voted by the tax payers, and
$1,000 in other funds available.
The taxable property of Union
county, we were told. is assessed at
Sc, SOC, 900. In Lincoln, our assess.
ed values last year f0oted up ST.
$50, 1893. AS we looked over that
grand structure with its splendid
furnishings which the people OF
Union had provided for themselves
and their children and made this.
comparison, we couldn't help but
wonder why it is that Lincoln coun-
ty can't afford to have some badly
needed, plain brick additions and
improvements on her old brick
court house and steam heat equip
ment, all at a cost of ten or twelve
thousand dollars. without our Board
of Supervisors considering them
selves recklessly profigate and be-
ing "cussed'' by a few stingy con-
stituents for imaginary extrayag-
ance. There is a great deal in where
people live and how they look at
things!
The first murderer tried and con-
yicted in the new Union county
court house was convicted the day
of our visit. Judge Roane was on
the bench and District Attorney
Stevens, a young man Of command
ing presence, opened his speech for
the State in this case few min
utes after we had entered the court
room and taken a seat in one of the
comfortable opera chairs. The de-
fendant was a negro, who had kill
ed young white man on a freight
train near New Albany last winter.
The negro was serving on the train
as a brakeman, and the white man,
who was a stranger, paid him a
dollar for permission to ride and
was hidden away in an empty box
car to prevent his being discovered
by the conductor. Another brake
man. however, discovered him and
on his telling the second brakeman
what had transpired between him
and the negro, the latter became
enraged and shot him and pushed
him off the train. The State made
out a clear case Of murder against
him, he having no witness but him
self. and the jury was out but q
short while when they returned d
verdict of guilty as charged. and
the court sentenced him to hang on
the 10th day of September.
Gov. Noel expects to start tc
Washington today OF tomorrow %