The Pulaskian., 1915-11-12
SAM BELL GIVEN
 ANOTHER TRIAL
DECLARES LIFE SENTENCE, HOW EVER, IS NO BAR TO THE,
 DEATH PENALTY.
SUPREME COURT DECIDES
Technical Errors in Instructions Sub mtted to Jury Prejudiced the Convicted Mans Case, Says
 Supreme Judge.


 Little Rock
 The supreme court reversed the con fiction of Sam Bell, the Conway Coun- ty cattleman convicted of killing sev- eral of his wifes relatives, and re- manded the case for another hearing In citing several reasons why Bell should be given another trial the court declared that the law enacted by the last Legislature making it op- tional with juries to assess electrocu- tion or life Imprisonment for convic- tions in cases where heretofore the on ly punishment was death, did not abol- ish capital punishment Attorneys for Bell contended that the wording of the new law in reality abolished capi- tai punishment, making life imprison- ment the only alternative in such con- victions.
 That calling of the special term of court to convict Bell, as well as the order calling the special term, was not in variance with the constitution, was a second important ruling, while more important one was that for mer conviction does not prevent car rying out of punishment later assessed for a greater crime
 Technical errors in instructions sub mitted to the jury by Judge M. L.. l Davis prejudiced the convicted mans l To fha hence the reversal of the verdict Bell kliled four members of his di- vorced wife's family at their home about 12 miles from Morrilton. He first was arraigned and tried for kill ing Eard Barden, and was sentenced to life Imprisonment. Immediately afterward he was arraigned for the murder of Mrs. Bearden, and was sen 1 fenced to life imprisonment An ap- peal in the latter case was taken
 The American Bauxite Company, whose plant is at Bauxite, is a subsid- iary company of the Aluminium Com pany of America and therefore the re- gently negotiated purchase by the par ent company of the Southern Alumi- mum Company from it's French owners is of interest. The late owners had planned to expend $10,000,000 in building great aluminium plant at Badin, N. C., and the Manufacturers | Record says that these plans will be carried out on even a larger scale. |
 l Little Rock and the United States are facing a situation in the drug and medical chemical market unparalleled since the closing years of the Civil war. The enormous demand for medi- cal supplies by European nations, the British blockade against Germany and the great demand for chemicals for ex- plosives has caused the prices of many drugs and chemicals to soar to 10 times above normal.
 | That the Arkansas Penitentiary | Commission, without difficultv, can finance the purchase of an additional convict farm for white convicts was indicated by Frank c. Williams, state bank commissioner of Vermont, in an informal conference with several state officials at the Hotel Marion.
 The construction of a lake which will impound between 5,000,000 and 6,000,000 gallons of water at the State Reform School, northwest of Little Rock, is practically complete, and | other extensive improvements are under way, or are contemplated, to be completed by early spring.
 Plans for spending S100,000 on Pu- laski county roads are practically complete, according to County Judge Joe Asher. About $40,000 is to be used in improving the Little Rock Pine Bluff road through Perkins town ship, which recently was annexed from Saline county
 Maj. F.. J. Dent, government engi- neer of Little Rock, after Investigating the needs at the local harbor in White river, will recommend that the chan nel of the river be kept open in or der that factory boats may operate without delay or inconvenience. Validity of water works improve ment district in Texarkana was up- held by the Supreme court when it re- versed the verdict of the Miller Coun- ty Circuit Court.
 Following the action of the Supreme Court denying rehearing of the case of Clark Yancy, whose sentence of seven years for the murder of Walter Surman was affirmed last month, ef-