The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-24
WITNESSES TELL
 LYNCH|NC STORY State Presents Evidence Against Sheriff Jinwright SINGLETON ON STAND Probate Judge Testifies That Little Effort Was Made to Prevent
 Mob Violence at Union
 Springs

Montgomery, May 23.-(special)-I The examination of witnesses In the impeachment proceedings to oust Sher- If J. W. Jinwright from office as sher- If of Bullock county on charges of wilful neglect of duty was resumed in the supreme court of Alabama Tuesday morning at 10 o'clock when Judge A. E. Singleton, probate judge of Bullock county, was called to the stand. Sheriff Jinwright Is facing charges of connivance with a mob that put Aber- deen Johnson, an alleged criminal as- saulter to death on Sunday, April ?, at Union Springs. sf
 Judge Singleton told of seeing the negro brought to jail after his cap- lure, and of the armed men who dis embarked from the train which arrived frors Goshen. The witness testified that he heard Sheriff Jinwrfght ask the mob not to attempt any acts of violence. He declared that the mob was restless and that it stayed around the courthouse yard and the jail. Judge Singleton said there was no officer in the jail.
 Witness told the court he had heard Sheriff Jinwright telephone Governor O'Neal and that the defendant had told | the governor that the mob was rest less. He said he had seen Jinwright | again after the latter had been to din- ner. Judge Singleton said it took the mob about Is or 20 minutes to break into the Jail and that 1t took about half an hour to secure the prisoner. Wit ness said there was no resistance in tn e Jail that citizens pleaded with the mob, though no force was shown; that there was simply no effort to dissuade the mob from violence.
 Heard of Agreement
 On cross examination Judge Single ton told the court that he had heard of an agreement between Jinwright and members of the mob but that he had no knowledge of such a agreement.
 The next witness called by the state attorneys was M. Reeves, city mar shal of Union Springs, who testified that he had been deputized by Sheriff Jinwright. Witness said he did not see Jinwright in the jail after the negro had been put in and that he did not see the lynching, though he testified to visiting the scene of the execution later.
 Witness said he heard the day after the lynching that three of the members of the mob had left their guns at a negro res taurant and that Sheriff Jinwright want ed to return these guns to their own CTS. He said that two of them were rifles and the other a shotgun.
 MT Reeves said he had heard that an agreement had been reached with the mob for them to desist from violence until o'clock in the afternoon at which time the negro would be turned over to the sheriff of Crenshaw county.
 Left to Their Devices
 Witness told of conversation with Will Hough, whom Jinwright had sworn in as . deputy. Witness said he told Hough
 The mob is going in the jail. What are f you going to do about it?"
 q am not going to do anything" wit ness said Hough answered.
 Witness said that the deputies sworn in were left to their own devices, and that no instructions were given by Sheriff Jinwright.
 The next witness called was Will Hough. He said he had been deputized by Sheriff Jinwright, but that he had received no Instructions.
 William Thompson, alderman of Union Springs, testified that he had heard cer- tain threats by members of the mob, and that he had informed certain men that if they attempted any violence they would be arrested.
 After the examination of Alderman Thompson, Attorney General Brickell re- duested the court for a five-minutes re- cess in order that the state attorneys might hold conference, at the same time stating that the state was nearly ready to rest it's case.
 On the reassembling of the court T. M Edwards of Union Springs was examined witness telling of the mob and of the ef- forts made to dissuade the members com posing 1t to desist from acts of violence.
 At o'clock the court recessed until 33( o'clock this afternoon.
 The taking of evidence in the Jin- wright case was resumed when the su. preme court reassembled at 3:30 o'clock this afternoon. A dozen or more wit nesses for the defense were exaxnined during the afternoon. The burden Of their testimony was to the effect that