The Columbus commercial. (Columbus, Miss.) 1893-1922, 1912-09-29
BLIND TIGER CASES
| FINALLY DISPOSED OF
pMY ONE NAN ACQUITTED
'estimOny Against Jim Ran
dolph Was Not Convincing.
and the Jury Refused to
Convict Him

%hA NNJ Ah0to oSaAy NAoJOA DohiNh
hnd juries were busy hearing evil
hence against different men placed
binder arrest by the pc..ce in their
recent blind tiger raid, and out of
he three cases heard only one of
ne defen dants was acquitted, one
having plead guilty and one hav-
ng gone into trial and been con-
yicted.
Will Anderson, negro, was the
FIRST man tried and was convicted.
Andeosrn was fined 800 and sem
enced to serve sixty days on the
bounty farm, but the penal servi-
ude was held up pending future
good behavior because Attorney
W. P. Stribling, who appeared for
defendant. introduced physician
who testified that Anderson Was
Buffering from lung trouble and
% send him to the county farm
would jeopardlze his life.
Charles Hines, a white man,
who was represented by Hon. z.
P. Landrum, entered a plea of
guilty, and was sentenced to pay
b fine Of 500 and serve sixty days
pm the county farm, but in view
pf the fact that a plea of guilty
was entered the penal servitude
was held up pending future good
behavior.
The cases against Joe Gillian,
a white man, and Aleck McField,
a negro, who were also placed
under arrest, were dismissed upon
recommendation of County At
torney Sturdivant. It seems that
Gillian and McField had not sold
whiskey but had purchased from
blind tige operators md they
gave testimony which helped to
convict the men from whom it
was purchased.
Jesse Randolph. a negro, also
represented by Mr.. Landrum, was
acquitted, the jury having decided
that the evidence against him was
not sufficiently strong to warrant
a conviction.
The evidence against the diff
ferent men convicted on the
charge of operating blind tigers
was worked up by j. C. Claxton
and Jack Edwards, two timer
ant detectives whose garb and
manners would lead many peo-
pie to class them as hoboes.
Both Claxton and Edwards
were compelled to undergo the
most rigid cross examination at
the hands of Hon. z. P. Lam
drum, who represented Jesse
Randolph, one of the negroes
charged of selling booze, and
both men gave what purported
to be complete histories of their
lives, having told in detail how
they came to Columbus and made
arrangements with local officials
by which they were to receive
remuneration for their work as
detectives here.
Claxton, who was the first wit.
ness to appear against Randolph,
said that he was a native of For.
rest City, Ark, but for several
years past had had no fixed place
of residence, having Travelled
about from one town to another
painting steeples and smoke
stacks. He said that he and Ed
wards came here from Meridian,
and soon after their arrival made
arrangements with local officials
which resulted in the subsequen
unearthing of the blind tigers
By the terms of the agreement
into which they entered the tw,
men were to receive twenty-fv,
dollars for each white man anc
fifteen dollars for each negro
convicted of selling liquor OF
evidence furnished by them
The local officials had legal au
thority for their action in enter
ing to this agreement, a recen
act of the legislature having Civ
en- both counties and municipal
tiles the right to pay one-third O
all fines collected from blin,
tiger operators to the parties fur
- nishlng the evidence resultin,