The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-11
JONES BOYS. HELD
MEN WHO ASSAULTED HANNoN,
 FORNEY AND MELTON.
Fined h One Case ana Sent Te Higher Court on the Others-Large
 Crowd In Court

lice court this morning, there was heard cases against M. R, Jones. Jr.. with assault and battery. they having on the night of March 3. assaulted H. E.. Melton. of Mcwiliiams, Wilcox County, In Prineas Brothers restaurant on Alabama Street. M R. Jones. IT,. was fined 31oo and costs, and John. Jones was lined $50 and casts.
 against the Jones brothers for the as . sauit on MT. Melton. there was called a case against the young men, charging them with assault to murder. These two charges grew out of an assault in the restaurant about the same time when the Jones's assaulted Elliott Han non and R. R. Forney. of Montgomery. On the night on which the assault occurred John Jones came to Selma was insulted on the train by Mir. For ney. who Is a travelling representative of the Forbes Piano Company. Later during the night they entered the restaurant where Messrs. Hannon and Forney were. getting supper and att tackled them. -s- Through their attorneys this morn ing. the Jones brothers in the. cases charging them with assault with intent to murder. waived examination. Acting Magistrate Clay bound each of the brothers in each case over to await the actions of the next grand jury in the amount of 3200.
 The room in the city building in which police court is held, was crowd ed to It's utmost when the session of the court began. Every available seat was occupied. and in the space in front of the railing there stood over 100 people. the majority of which were white.
 After a few cases against the ne- groes were heard. the cases against the Jones's charging them with assault with intent to murder was called and in which they waived examination.
 The case of assault against Mir. Mel ton was then called and heard.
 In this case the defendants were represented by Judge George H. Craig of Selma. and Arthur Stewart of Ma rion. The prosecution was conducted by City Attorney Robert Young. who was assisted by Hon. J. M. Miller of Camden. The attorneys for the Jones brothers entered a plea of not guilty to the charge in the warrants against them. .
 H. E. Melton and Dr. W, w. Harper were theeonly witnesses the, city exam ined. after which they rested their case. The defense did not introduce any testimony.
 MT. Melton swore that he came to Selma on the night train from Mont- gomery. and that shortly after his ar rival here he went to the restaurant where the assault occurred. He had been there only Q short while when the Jones's came in. About the same time Messrs. Forney and Hannon, who were in. the rear part of the restau- rant. at a table, arose and started to- rAa I.A rf rx,hA Y4h saad to his brother: There Is one of them. and we want revenge" At this remark MT. Melton stated he arose from the lunch counter and started out Just as he reached the door he was struck by M R. Jones' Jr.. on the side of the face and then was struck in the mouth. and after he had reached the street was struck on each side of his head again.
 What took place between Messrs Hannon and Forney and John Jones he did not know.
 During his examination Mir. Melton stated that he did not have any difIi- culty with Jones on the train. but that he had seen two men gesticulating in the front part of the first class coach near the rear of which he was sitting.
 Dr. Harper testified that on the night of the assault Mir. Melton had come to his office to have his injuries dressed. In his opinion the injuries which Mir. Melton received could not have been inflicted with a naked fist, but resulted from some round stick or a round piece of iron. Mir. Melton. during his evid- -ence. stated once or twice that when he looked around at M. R. Jones, Jr., he had a blue steel pistol in his hand.
 The summing up of the testimony introduced by the four attorneys in the case consumed considerable time of the court.