The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-05-08
Presence of the Prisoners Mother Was Pathetic
 Feature of Big Trial
CLOSE
 AND JURY RETIRES
Defendant and Brother, Walter, Are Only Two Witnesses for Defense. State Examination Conducted
 by Borden Burr

Gentlemen of the jury, the only way you can stop the shedding of human blood is to hang those who are guilty of this most heinous crime, the only way you can remove the blot on the fair name of Jefferson county is to apply the ex- treme penalty to him who wilfully takes a human life.
 There is no half way measure. Do your duty fearlessly and without favor either to the state or to the defendant. Decide this case on the evidence before you.
 "If you believe the defendant has es- tablished his innocence from the evidence you have heard turn him loose, If you believe from the evidence that the de- fendant is guilty. then do your duty, up- hold the law, and by your verdict place the moose around the neck of Arthur Jones for the wilful murder of John Hol- land"
 With these words Solicitor H. P lief lin finished the closing argument late last night in the trial of Arthur Jones, one of the defendants charged with the kill ing of John Holland, a negro who met his death at the hands of Arthur Jones at Lewisburg nearly a year ago.
 Evidence Concluded
 The evidence in the case was concluded yesterday about o'clock. Judge Cana Ian adjourned court until 7:So to hear the arguments. At that hour Special Counsel Borden Burr commenced the opening argument for the state, and for 45 min utes reviewed the testimony as given by the states witnesses and urged the conviction of Jones. At all times master of the details of the evidence, MT. Burr pointed out to the jury each feature of the evidence and ably and convincingly spoke of the circumstances that pointed tc the guilt of the defendant. Link by link he move the chain of evidence about the form of Arthur Jones and closed with an eloquent appeal to the jury to do their whole duty in the case and to rem der their verdict in accordance with the evidence before them, which he stated not only pointed to the wilful murder of Hol- land. but that his death was the result of a conspiracy entered into by the de- fendant and others.
 MT. Burr's Argument
 MT. Burr made forceful argument, at times he bordered on the dramatic. but at all times he was convincing, force full and logical in his deductions C. D. Comstock followed for the de- fense and made a strong argument for the defense. MT. Comstock ridlculed the conspiracy idea and stated that there was no evidence that conspiracy had ex- isted. He discounted the alleged con fession of Jones and asserted that 1t was made in the promise that the accused would be released from solitary confine- ment in the county jail. MT. Comstock appealed to the jury to take the case at bar and to hold the scales of justice evenly. He asked them to let every case stand on it's bottom and for them to de- eide the case solely from the evidence brought before them on the witness stand. Mr. Comstock insisted that his client had made a complete defense and that. while not denying the shooting of Holland. only did so when he thought hls own life was in danger. He again asked | the jury to hold the scales evenly and that from the evidence before them the defendant was entitled under every cir constance to an acquittal.
 Heflin Closes
 Solicitor Heflin followed with the closing argument. On the outset he stated that ne 1olneu NIT. SoHistoch IT asking the jury to decide the case q t bar by the evidence and by that alone. MT Heflin reviewed the testimony at length and denied that any element of self-defense had entered into the kill ing of Holland. He secuted the idea lsuggested by MT. Comstock that the death of Holland was the outcome of an attempt to bring peace between him and another party, and stated that the evidence showed that Jones killed Hol- land wantonly or to pay an obligation he owed Will Watson, a white man. wno was arrested at the instance oe the negro.
 In speaking of the confession made by the defendant and which the latter has since denied. MT. Heflin said that | is the defendant told lies at that time | it was reasonable to suppose She was telling lies now. Mir. Heflin closed with l an appeal to the jury to enforce the iaw, to bring in verdict that would