The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-09-25
ADD|NGTON IS FOUND GUILTY BY JURY IN THE CRIMINAL COURT
Charged With Swindling Aged and Illiterate Lady Out of LOt-MOtiOn
 for New Trial

After deliberating one hour the Jury in the case of J. L. Addington. charged with obtaining money by false pretenses. returned verdict of guilty at o'clock last night. Addington will be sentenced this morning by Judge William E. Fort.
 Addington was convicted on the sec ond count of the indictment, which charges the obtaining of a signature by false pretenses and he is liable to a sen tence of from two to 10 years imprison- ment
 The trial of Addington began in the sec- ond division of the criminal court before Judge William F. Fort Thursday after noon. Solicitor Hugo l.. Black, In person. directed the prosecution. aided by his assistant, Walter s. Brewer. The de- fense of Addington was conducted by Jesse L. Drennen and the firm of Gibson & Davis.
 In the testimony for the state it was charged that Addington, posing as law yer, obtained a mortgage of $160 on the property of Mrs. Rachel Woodruff an aged woman. who could not read nor write. In order to get her son out of jail on a charge of nonsupport of his wife.
 Was Not Lawyer
 The prosecution, desiring to sustain their contention that Addington was no, a lawyer, summoned all the court at teches and judges that could be found yesterday morning to testify that the defendant had never appeared in the state courts as an attorney Among those sum- moned were: Sam Blake. clerk of the city court; Judge H. B. Abernethy of the mu- nicipal court: David J. Davis, judge of the recorders court: Perry Turner in- pf I na md of ha municipal court; eJudge C. R. Smith of the circuit court; Judge c. w. Ferguson Of the city court, w. B. Copeland, clerk of the criminal court; Judge Sharpe of the city court. Judge Frank Cahalan former judge of the criminal court Judge McPhail, formerly of the Woodlawn court Chancellor Benners. Register in Chan cery Morscheimer. and others.
 After all this trouble to prove that Ad- dington was not lawyer the defendant was placed on the stand and on direct question: admitted that he was not an attorney and had never practced law. Addington also denied all the allega- tions of the state witnesses and the ca SC finally went to the Jury resting on the question of veracity between Mrs. Rachel Woodruff the illterate old lady, who told such a pathetic tale on Thursday after noon, and the defendant
 Jesse Drennen and Ben L. Davis argued to the jury for the defense and the prosecution presented its side of the case through Walter s. Brewer and Hugo l.. Black The case went to the jury at o'clock and the verdict was returned at ' o'clock.
 All in Courtroom
 Judge William E. Fort. the court att taohes Assistant Solicitor Walter S. Brower Ben Davis. attorney for the de- fense, and J. l.. Addington were in the courtroom as the jury filed in.
 Addington watched the jury and the court bailiff as the verdict was about to be read. 1t read: We. the jury, find the defendant guilty as charged in tho second count
 The jury was boiled on motion of At torney Ben Davis and the verdict being ratified Judge Fort thanked the jurymen for their service and retired A brief consultation followed between Attorney Davis and his client. then Bailiff Greene led Addington to cell In the county Jail.
 Attorney Davis announced last night that he would file motion for @ new trial this morning.