Evening journal., 1914-05-11
MEN deny
White MEMS Charge
OF ROAD Hold UP

A jury was drawn In the Court of
General Sessions this morning 20 try
the case Of Irving Brown and Lloyd
Caulk, colored indicted at the March
Court on the charge Of highway rob
berry.
j. Frank Ball represented the de-
PENDANTS and Attorney General VOL
colt prosecuted the case
The indictment alleged that the
men held up and robbed Walter Hick-
man, a white man, on the road lead
ing from Townsend to Colts, In APP
poquinimink hundred, near Taylors
corner.
The men, It was alleged. secured a
quart OF whiskey from Hickman. for
which he had paid 75 cents. The al
legged robbery occurred on January
21
Hickman testified that he was driv-
ing along the road from Taylor's
Corner 20 Dogtown, between Town
send and Colts. Md. on the date men
toned with two other companions.
and had stopped along the road. The
cOlored men came up TO them and
]
them iired a revolver.
Under threats Of personal violence
witness said he was compelled to give
up the bottle OF whiskey.
Mr Ball closely cross-examined the
witness, who admitted he and his
companions had been drinking. but
declared they were not intoxicated.
The witness caused a laugh when
he declared he had carried the quart
bottle of whiskey in his hip pocket.
and then, at the request OF Mr.. Ball,
tried TO put IL In his hip pocket. He
succeeded, In the effort but not be-
Tore the pocket had ripped.
Clifton Spry of Chesterville. Md.
one OF Hickmans companions. In the
wagon when the robbery occurred
oorroborated Hickman's TESTIMONY
Ihomas Blanchfeld, the third man
in the team, who lives at Miumeton.
Md, also corroborated the testimony
given by Hickman.
George w. Taylor. a farmer. of Tav.
lor's Corner, who was working in Geld
about 300 yards from where the rob
berry occurred, told of seeing the col.
ored man chase Hickman and heard tho
revolver shot fred, but was too far
away to hear what was said. The
State then rested.
Mr. Bail stated that the defense
would show that the three prosecuting
witnesses, who were in the team were
intoxicated and had made an assault
upon the colored men when they met
them on the road. Spry trying TO cut
them with razor and Hickman threat
ening 60 strike them with the bottl,
Of whiskcy
Lewis Thompson, cOlored. testified
, that he and another colored man. Gin
, ton Caulk. had passed the white met
on the road prior to the time the defen
dants met them. The court refused L,
! admit his testimony as having no di
! rect bearing on the robbery.
Irving Brown, one of the defendant
was then called. He said he and hi
companion had not been drinking. HI
was driving his team when they me
the white men. He said Spry qrabhc
their horse and ordered them to get oui
. Spry nourishing a razor ut them. 4.
y picked up a revolver he had in IN
bottom of the carriage. which containe
= no cartridges, and pointed il at Spr
= TO keep him from cutting him with In
razor. lie said Spry struck at ther
with the razor. lie declared they di
y not take the whiskey from Hickman
, stating that the latter had dropped
= in the road. Hickman he said. ha
struck at them with the bottle OF whs
key.
Lloyd Caulk, the other defendant
I corroborated Browns testimony.
John W. Atwell farmer near Town
send, and Harry Gibbons, another fan
mcr. by whom the defendants were em
ployed. testified that they were har
working men. and had a good reputa
tion for honesty and integrity. Tn
case viii probably 60 TO the jury thi
afternoon