The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-15
Impeachment Proceedings
Filed Against William
Martin Heard in the
Supreme Court
CLAIMED HE ALLOWED
NEGRO TO TAKE LIFE
Charge Preferred Against Williams Is
His Delivering Carbolic Acid to
Prisoner Condemned to Die.
Five Witnesses Testify

Montgomery, February 1f--(Speeial) ).
The supreme court late this afternoon ae-
quilted sheriff William Martin of Hale
county of the charge Of willful neglect
and incompetency. In charging the jury
the court issued a brief statement to the
effect that the charges against the Hale
county official had not been sustained.
The case against Sheriff Martin was
concluded late this afternoon and the
court went Immediately into consultation.
The court will probably render an opinion
in the case in the next few days.
Five witnesses were placed on the
stand by the state, two of them ne
groes and the others white men.
Tom Mccrary. a negro janitor en-
ployed at the Jail at Greensboro, was
the first witness called by the state.
McCrary testified that he had received
some money from VIII Thomas with
tho request that he buy for the pris-
oner some carbolic acid; that he Sc
cured the poison, and that he placed
it In the jail office. He said that he
then turned the package over to the
sheriff.
Frank Olden. a negro prisoner in the
Jail, testified that Sheriff Martin gave
him several packages to deliver to cer-
tain prisoners. one of the packages be-
ing for VIII Thomas. He said that
Sheriff Martin accompanied him when
he gave the packages to the prison
ers.
DR. r. f. Monette, jail physician,
testified that he had cautioned the
sheriff to be careful with medicine,
having asked him to keep all bottles
locked up in a secure place. DIR. Mon
cite then told the court that he re-
eeived a summons to visit the Jail late
on the afternoon of December 81. last.
and that he found Thomas suffering
from the effects OF poison. He said that
following the negro's death he made
an examination and ascertained that
he had used carbolic acid, diluted with
a large quantity of water.
Other witnesses were produced by
the state II. N. Hardenbergh, hard
ware dealer, and Roy Nichols, the drug
clerk who sold the poison.
Sheriff Martin when called to the
stand by his attorneys testified that
he had directed that the package be
delivered to Thomas without having
ascertained the contents of the bottle,
and told the court in answer to a ques-
tion of the attorney general that So
licitor Tom Knight of that district had
urged him TO exert great diligence with
reference to the capital prisoners in
his custody. He said that the practice
had obtained at the jail of not ex-
amining packages before delivering
them to prisoners.
This latter statement was corrobor-
ated by former Sheriff Il. E. Gewin,
who followed Mr.. Martin on the stand.
Mr. Gewin said that during his ad-
ministrations. under which Sheriff
Martin was employed as a deputy, car
bolic acid had been used freely as q
disinfectant and that the poison had
been delivered to prisoners to enable
them to treat sores and for other
causes.
Following the taking of testimony
argument in the case was begun, Sec
ond Assistant Attorney General T.
Howard ssay, making the first speech
for the state An hour for argument
was given each side. The state charged
wilful neglect of duty and ineompe-
tence in that Sheriff Martin had de-
livered the poison to prisoner with