The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-16
STATE RESTS CASE IN CAT MOUNTAIN MURDER TRIAL Case Grows Out of Alleged Finding Bones of Dead
 Negroes
DEPENDANT JONES
 MAY TESTIFY TODAY
Mother of Dead Negro Tells of White Men Coming After Him, After Which She Never Saw
 Him Again

All the evidence for the state was con- cluded yesterday afternoon in the case Of Arthur Jones, charged with the murder of John Holland, a negro. who mysteri- | ousy disappeared from Cat mountain last June The case is being heard be- | fore Judge I. H. Benners of the court Of common pleas. and the hearing will be continued at 10 o'clock today
 The hearing is being conducted in ths first division of the criminal court, which is crowded with spectators and friends Of in attendance and much interest is being in attendance and much interest is being taken in the proceedings. number Of deputies are in attendance, several of whom are witnesses.
 The interest in the case has been ancen- tuated by the various accounts of lawless- ness said to prevail in the Lewisburg dis- trict, which. by reason of the many homi- cides alleged to have been committed in that locality, has been designated as Bloody beat 22."
 Cause of Arrests The findings of tho recent grand jury and the investigation of a coroner's jury | of prominent business men brought about | the arrests of theA defendant now being tried, his brother. Waiter Jones, and Will Watson, all charged with being im- pllcated in the killing of the negro HoI- land. These allegations and the request of many residents of Lewisburg caused Governor O'Neal to take a hand in the matter and Borden Burr. the well known attorney, was appointed as special conn- sel in the prosecution of these cases. The three defendants, Arthur Jones. Walter Jones and win Watson, were brought into court few minutes before 10 o'clock. Circuit Solicitor Joseph R. Tate, Special Counsel Border Burr, Att torney Charles Weaver of the firm of Bowman. Howard & Weaver, were pres ent to represent the state. Attorneys Charles D. Comstock and Julius Davld- son appeared for the defense
 Array of Legal Talent
 In reference to the array of legal talent representing the state. Circuit Solicitor Tate has been prosecutor in several cases from the now famous locality, MT Burr received an appointment as special counsel in the Lewisburg cases at the hands of Governor ONeal and Messrs, Bowman. Howard Weaver have beer employed by X number of citizens in the vicinity of Cat mountain.
 The state placed a number of witnesses on the stand and are relying largely on confession alleged to have been made by the accused and number of circunn- stances surrounding the killing with which they seek to connect him. Deputy Sheriff H. c. Cole testified Ito finding some human bones. & hat and shoe said to belong to the dead negro, and which had been identified by the mother and brother of the dead negro He told of the information furnished him by T. A. Duncan which led to the discovery of the grewsome relics on Cat mountain,
 Mother Testifies
 Julia Holland. mother of the dead ne- gro. testified that her son had gone off with a white man who had come to her house and told Holland that Walter Jones, one of the accused wanted him 10 con dltion some chickens. She never again saw him alive. she stated
 Allen Holland. brother of the de- ceased, oorroborated his mothers state ments. r. A. Duncan was the main witness for the state, as he furnished the testi- mony which led up to the arrest of the Jones boy sand Will Watson. He stated in his testimony that Walter Jones told him of having killed John Holland and that Arthur Jones and a man named John Wade were implicated in the kill ing. He claims he saw the negros body week after he was killed. and identified the remains as those of John Holland
 Corroborates Duncan
 James Houston corroborated in part the statement made by Duncan in refer encc to the alleged confession. Deputy Sheriff McDun, MT. Sullivan ana several other witnesses gave corrobative testi- mony. after which the state reste6
 Judge Benners then adjourned court un- til 10 o'clock this morning when the witnesses for the defense will be exam ined It is understood the defendant will be put on the stand to testify in his own