The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1909-09-11
ON TRIAL.
The AssaIIants Of G. A. Chopin, the
Piano Man. Before the Mayor.

According to the continuance
granted Wednesday, the case of the
city VS.. Tom Storm. E. f. Brennan,
Jr.. and others, charged with as
sault and battery on Geo. A. Chop
Ipin, the travelling salesman Of the
GruneWald Piano Co., of New
Orleans, was taken up for trial be.
fore Mayor Hoffman at the Court
House at 9 o'clock yesterday morn
ing.
City Attorney p. Q. Jones ap-
peared for the city and Messrs. Al.
g. McNair, j. B. Webb, H. Case.
dy and A. A. Cohn for the defense.
Some Is or 20 witnesses had been
subpoenaed for the prosecution and
only four or five for the defense;
all Of whom were duly sworn and
placed under the rule. The Court
House, where the trial was called
was packed to its capacity.
Before any witnesses were intro
duced, Attorney Jones asked the
court to enter mol pros as to De-
PENDANTS Will Nalty, Bert Storm
and Clyde Morris, the prosecution
having become satisfied after the
attidavits were made against these
young men that they were not cul-
pable.
The trial then proceeded as to
the following defendants: Tom
Storm, Sam Storm. E. F. Brennan,
Jr., Willie Brennan, A. A. Lille,
Duncan Cox, Dune Mccormick,
Charles Sherman and Weems
Hobbs.
Mr.. Chopin. the young man
assaulted was the first witness in
troduced by the city. His state
ment was substantially the same as
that outlined in Wednesdays Lead
er. He positively identified Ed.
Brennan, Duncan Cox and Tom
Storm, as three of the young men
who struck him with the whips.
and Sam Storm, Dune Mccormick
and Chas. Sherman among those
who were present in the crowd en-
couraging and abetting.
Frank Hartman, Jr., a witness
for the city, testified that when he
went into the alley-way after the
whipping. he picked up six buggy
whips and broken whip stock.
He left these whips with Mr.. Sell
lers at the Frank Martin Drug
Store for safe-keeping.
John E. Seavey testified that
buggy whips had been sold out of
the store of A. C. Seavey & Sons
about 8 or 9 O'Clock Monday night
by Chas. Sherman and Will Hobbs,
two clerks of the store, and that
they had assumed personal respon-
sibility for their being paid for.
He did not know who received or
used them. as he was very busy and
gave the matter little attention
at the time.
Other witnesses examined at the
forenoon session were Walter Will
liams, the doorkeeper of the Star
Theater, and Geo. Lewenthal, whose
testimony was rather immaterial
except as to Ed. Brennan.
The prosecution introduced Will
Spencer. Claude Mobiles, Carl Ross
and Will Sellers at the afternoon
session and rested. Counsel for the
defense then moved that Will Bren-
nan. Weems Hobbs, A. A. Lille
and Sam Storm, Jr.. be discharged.
as the testimony did not sufficiently
show that they had participated in
the assault. The motion was sus-
tanned as to all except Sam Storm,
| Jr.
When The Leaders, forms were
closed, these was no prospect Of the
trial being concluded before some
time today.
AS indicated at the outset, the
city is trying the accused on the
charge of assault and battery; the
Mayor having no jurisdiction of
any thing more than misdemeanors.
II regular case of white Gaping
is established. or it is shown that
any of the attacking party were
armed with deadly weapons when
they intimidated and whipped the
chief witness for the State either
is felony and will make case for
the Circuit Court and it is likely
that steps will be taken to bind
the accused over until the next
grand jury Passes on the case.
The maximum penalty for the
charge of assault and battery
under the city's ordinances, under
which the accused are being tried
lis 500 fine and 80 days impris-
onment in jail.