The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-18
|REHEAR|NGS OF SIX
| MURDER CASES ARE
REFUSED BY court
Supreme Court of Alabama
Refuses Applications In
Capital Cases
THREE BIRMINGHAM
MEN ARE INVOLVED
Condemned Men Will Suffer Death
Sentence Unless Governor 0'Neal
Interferes-The Cases Have
Created Much Interest


Montgomery. March 1s.-tSpecfaI.e---
The supreme court Of Alabama has re-
fused applications for rehearings In sir
capital cases which were presented to
that tribunal today and unless Gov
ernor O'NeaI interferes. each of the
defendants will be compelled to suffer
the death sentence. The condemned
men are walter Jones, Arthur Jones
and william Watson OF Birmingham,
and walter Jones. Arnold Gilmer and
John Adams of Montgomery.
The application for rehearing We're
presented to the supreme court Mon
day morning and by 4:30 o'clock in the
afternoon the court had announced its
decision in each of the cases. One ap-
pliestion. that of Jay Smith of Alabama
City, sentenced to death for the murder
of Policeman Patterson early in Janu-
ary. 1912, was granted, the certificate
having been withdrawn and the case
continued until the next regular ses-
sion of the court.
Two of the six men whose appllca-
tions were overruled will go to the GAL
lows on next Friday, March 81 while
the remainder are sentenced to suffer
the death penalty two weeks later, on
Friday, April 4.
Three Birmingham Men
The Birmingham men are white. and
were sentenced TO death for murder in
connection with the Lewisburg crimes,
in 1911. Two of the men, Arthur Jones
and William Watson, were sentenced to
death for the murder of negro, John
Holland while Walter Jones, the
brother of Arthur, was sentenced for
the murder of Lawrence B. Evans. The
date for the execution of Arthur Jones
and William Watson has been set for
next Friday
The most prominent of the Montgom-
cry men sentenced to death. Walter
Jones. white. who murdered Sloan
Rowan, a Iowndes county merchant,
on July Is, last. Arnold Gilmer. asc'
other white man OF aIoiitgoa4ery. under
the death sentence, was convicted of
the murder of Mrs. Lucille Tippets.
The other condemned murderers OF
Montgomery are John Adams and Cole
man, negroes. Adams was sentenced for
the murder of Policeman Berry two
years ago. And Coleman will pay the
death penalty for the murder of ne
gro woman, his paramour The date set
for the execution of Walter Jones OF
Birmingham, and the Montgomery de-
PENDANTS is Friday. April 4.
Will O'Neal Interfere?
Whether Governor O'Neal will inter-
fere with the sentence of the court in
reference to six capital cases is ques-
tion that was asked in official circles
Monday afternoon with practically a
unanimous opinion inclining to the be-
lief that he will refuse to do so. 1t is
understood that the governor has been
looking into the cases since they were
decided by the supreme court, and the
general impression is that he will let
the law take its course. So far as can
be learned, it is believed that the gov
ernor is of the opinion that each of the
condemned murderers received a fair
and impartial trial, and unless con-
vinced that he should interfere with
the sentence of the court. there is
hardly any hope that he will take any
action whatever in regard to the six
cases.