Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1914-02-20
Circuit Court.

The F bruary term Of the circuit
court convened Monday morning, Judge
T. 3 Carroll on the bench. with Dis
trict Attorney Brooks and County At
torney Allgood in attendance. MIR.
Frank Ellis, of Bonneville, was sworn
in as court stenographer in place Of Mr..
Houston Woods, resigned.
The judges charge to the grand jury
was a fine, strong deliyerance, though
in simple, plain English that left no
doubt in the minds of any as to his
meaning. It was without sensational
ism and no touch of ~hamboyancy in It's
delivery. He laid special stress on the
crime Of bank w~recking, as several
banks had failed through mismanage.
ment in his district, and the failure of
the Cotton Exchange Bank at Brooks
vile, which was one of the chain of
banks, the others being located at Long
view, Prairie and French Camp, all
having closed their doors at the same
time, was to be Investigated. He told
of a bank that had been opened by pro-
moters in his county and then sold out,
when it had no real assets, to a lot of
farmers, doctors and preachers in the
community, who were all indicted when
the bank failed.
The attendance at this term of court
is probably the largest seen here in
years, attracted by the cases against
Thos. McHenry for assault on ]. r.
Watts and the caes that were brought
on by the failure of the Cotton Ex-
change Bank in Brooksville, a large
number of the citizens at that place be-
ing interested.
The Watts assault case was
brought on by a disagreement over the
ginning of cotton. The prosecution
was looked after by Stone & Neville, of
Meridian, District Attorney Brooks,
County Attorney Allgood, Strong &
Bush and |. l.. Dorroh; the defense by
George Richardson, A. T. Dent and
VIM Lucas. The jury which was COM
posed of G. B. Cash, G. B. McCuen,
Chas. Combs, G. G. Pagan. E. L. Nor
wood. W. A. Cheatham, Jack Hardin,
j. r. Lockley. T. j.. Glover. j. D. Cot
ton, j. W. Phillips and s. K. Cunning
ham, Jr., were out only a short time
and brought in a verdict of not guilty.
The case against P. H. Adams,
charged with perjury, that is, making a
false statement to the state auditor in
regard to the condition of the Cotton
Exchange Bank of Brooksville, resulted
in a verdict of guilty. The defendant
claimed to be without funds to employ
an attorney, and, assisted by his wife,
conducted his own case. The witnesses
were Gus Minor and Val Ames, wha in
vestigated the books of the BANK fol-
lowing the failure, State Auditor Dun
can Thompson, to whom the statement
Of the banks condition was sent, and
f. II. Timms, cashier.
Mrs Adams made a very pathetic APP
peal to the jury and great sympathy
was felt for the unfortunate woman.
Half the spectators as we'll as officers
of the court were in tears when she
finished. When the jury returned a
verdict of guilty, after being out only a
short time, she collapsed.
Mr.. Adams was brought into court
this morning and Attorney George
Richardson made a strong appeal to the
court for clemency, but Judge Carroll
stated that 1t was like sending for the
doctor after the patient was dead; that
after the jury had heard the testimony
and returned a verdict, he had no dis
erection in the case except to pass sem
tence which the law prescribed.