Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1909-11-13
HICHWAYMEN
CONVICTED.
John Parks and John Davis Found
Guilty Of RObbing Edward
MuIIin.

A great many people were attracted
to Court this week because of their in
terest in the cases Of John Davis and
John Parks, both of whom were charged
with highway robbery in waylaying and
robbing Edward Mullin, in Pocomoke
City. on the 18th day of September, 1908.
The case of Davis was brought up for
trial on Monday and lasted over part
of the day Tuesday. The jury in his
case brought in a verdict ofguilty after
being out only a few minutes. The case
of John Parks was tried Tuesday after
noon and he was also promptly found
guilty by the jury. The testimony in
both cases was the same. Edward Null
lin, the man who was waylaid and robbed
as above stated, testified that he came
to Pocomoke City from Baltimore several
months prior to the occurrence and that
on the 26th day of September, 1908, he
went to Beauchamp's oyster saloon in
Pocomoke City and in there he met John
Parks with whom he had slight ac-
quaintance. Parks invited him over to
a pool room near by to meet friend,
John Davis. While Mullin was in the
restaurant he got some money changed
and Parks saw the transaction. He
went with Parks over to the pool room
where he met Davis and the two men
proposed to Mullin that they go out and
get some cider. Said they knew place
where they could buy some of the best
cider ever made in this section of the
country. Mullin agreed to the propo-
sition and all three of them got into
Davis buggy and drove to Paradee's
blacksmith's shop where Parks and
Davis told Mullin the cider could be
found. When they arrived at the black
smith shop Davis got out of the buggy
and raped on the door of the shop,
pretending that the man from whom
they were going to get the cider was
within and would recognize his signal.
They tried to persuade Mullin to get
out Of the buggy but he was rather sus-
picious Of their actions although not
fully awake to the plan of Davis and
Parks to rob him. Finally. they pro-
posed going across the street to car
riage house saying that whenever the
party could not be found in the black
smith shop he would be over to the car
rage house. Mullin went along with
them and when they reached the carriage
house, Mullin said Parks hit him in the
face staggering blow which dazed him
for an instant. When he recovered he
grappled with Parks. The latter called
on Davis to help him. Davis got hold
of Mullins hands and held them while
Parks sat upon Mullin and rifled his
pockets of $500. Mullin says he feared
for his life and pretended he was so
badly injured that he did not know what
was going on. AS soon as the men had
robbed him they took their departure
but returned in short while and
dragged Mullin into the blacksmith shop
and left him on the floor. fastening the
door behind them. AS soon as Mullin
was satisfied the men were gone for
good, he forced open the door and left
the building, going to his home where
he tainted from loss of blood. Mullins
testimony as to his being with Davis
and Parks on the night he was robbed
was corroborated by several witnesses.
The case of Davis was tried first as
above stated and when it came to the
selection of jury for the trial of Parks
counsel for the defense strenuously OBJ
jected to the same men serving on the
Parks jury, claiming that the jurors
who sat in the case of Davis were not
competent to serve in the Parks case as
the testimony was identical and they
had already formed an opinion in the
case. Fifteen talesmen were summoned
in the case, the regular panel having
been exhausted.
Sentence was deferred to allow counsel
for the defense to file bill of excep-
tions in the selection of jury in the
case of Parks.