The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1910-02-25
OFFICER STAGES
ISEFOUND GUILTY
JURY GIVES HIM FINE OF s1o0 AND
COSTS IN ASSAULT
CASE.
Appeal is Promptly Taken to the Cir
cult court-Exciting Incident
Mark Trial.

Police Officer Jake Stages was found
guilty by jury of his peers Friday af'
ternoOn in the County Criminal Court
and was fined 500 and costs. He ap-
pealed the case to the Circuit Court.
Thus ended one of the hardest
fought trials in the history of Maury
county, a trial that has beeen embit-
TERED by much personal feeling, and
that has been abb yfought by both
sides.
The offense for which officer Stages
was found guilty was an assault upon
the person of N C. Whitaker, prom
inent farmer On the night that Book
er Washington spoke at the Opera
House Mr.. Whitaker was arrested by
Police Officers Morgan and Stages on
a charge of drunkenness. At the time
of his arrest he was struck on the
head with a mace. The grand jury
returned indictments against both OFF,
GERS, and Mr.. Morgan was acquitted
at the first trial, the jury failing to
reach an agreement in the case of Mr..
Stages.
Exciting Times.
The close of the trial was marked
by such intenes excitement as is rare
in the trial of a case of this kind.
When ]. H. Dining arose to make the
concluding speech for the prosecution
he began speaking in low tone, VI
brant with emotion, that was clearly
audible to the furthermost confines of
the court room. He recited the cir
leading to the arrest, and |
in positive terms declared that men |
much drunken than the prosecutor
daily walked the streets of Column
bia unframed. In sarcastic tones he
that these men were the |
protected sons of the town and that
citizens from the country
we're the only ones struck down by the
heavy arms of the law, as he said the
had been
Attorney Hopkins for the defense,
lis face aflame with anger, jumped
O his feet and protested that Mr. Din {
ling was going out of the record, that [
10 testimony had been introduced to {
how that the statements made were
rue /
With a sardonic smile upon his /
ps Mr. Dining turned to the court
nd in laundering tones demanded pro- I
action from the interruption, jumping |
lmost under the nose of Mr.. Hopkins, 5
tho is a few inches his superior in a
eight. Immediately there was pan I
emonium City Attorney Shelby COT il
se jumped to his feet and advanced S
,ward the two attorneys. City Mar O
nal Morgan. who was seated on the
Ice of the Judges bench arose to his fl
,et. Two or three others stirred I'M a
lsily. Then Deputy Sheriff Whitley
'ose from his seat behind the attor-
ey's table and walking around the
bile stood near the attorneys and
front of the others who had arisen. v
nortly after the approach of the Dep
y all who were standing within the r
il took their seats except the two
torneys, who still faced each other.
war of words followed and the r.
urt ruling that Mr. Dining was to
oceed uninterrupted, Mr.. Hopkins
ok his seat, a sigh Of relief going 70
er the court room. But once again tn
Is Mr. Dining interrupted, Mr.. Hop ne
MS stating that he was referring to he
,timony that had been excluded, the ha
urt unfolding him in his contention. sn
Judge Gordon then charged the jury, n
itch thirty minutes later brought In mn
verdict of guilty. ella