The Little River news., 1917-01-13
'' RED" EDWARDS
 GETS LIFE TERM
 ON RAPE E CHARGE
Jury Were Gut 0nly 20 Minutes in De- cidlng tlia Fate Of "Iied2 Edwards Charged " tn Assessory to Rape;
 Young Wife Painted En Room.
ROBERTS AND JAMES CASE
 IS SET FOR NEXT TUESDAY

IS SET FOR NEXT TUESDAY
 Twenty minutes after the state closed it's final summing up of the Red" Ed wards case ana the jury had retired to it's room for deliberation cn a verdict, the jury filed back into the cours- room and announced that verd ct had been reached. There was dram- a ic silence as the clerk read: We the jury, find the defendant guilty anG assess his punishment at life mprison- ment in the sta,te penitentiary." Ed wards, charged wi h being accessory to the crime of rape, who had sat through the trial without a trace of emotion on his face as the state had built about him damn'ng webb of evidence, turned pale. His young wife, who during the trial haG remained by his siGe, tainted, and Was carried from the room.
 Tile Trial of Edwards.
 The trial of R. E. Edwards, charged with accessory to rape, was first of the series of trials of charges lodged against himself, Willie CE'usty Rop> erts and Charley James, to be tried a this term of court Edwards was placed on trial Wednesday afternoon The trial was comple'ci by 4:20 Thu rsday a ternoon, and the jury had r., tired. The court announced that the EcXt of these cases to be tried woul :: begin next Tuesday morning a S:30. No statement was made as to which one.
 l The court room, which had been well crowded during the week was l rackc,1 to standing room when the case was called, and renlnined SC throughout the trial of the case. The audiences were attentive, orderly, r2nt only in seeing and hearing the 1 facts. A white man was to be placed on trial for his life, charged with a most serious crime that of rape. Ed wards was young man, 25 years of age, married. His wife sat near him during the trial as dili h;s half bro her. June R. Morrell of tlis Ci'y re- presented inc defendant. He d'd his full duty. A. D. RuLaney represented the etato The regular pannel of 24 men and special venire of 5 men Wer" exhausted before the jury of twelve were found. The jury was made up Of the following:
 | Hcmcr Welch, merehap. fS2iOWp.
 T A. White farmer, Foreman.
 George s raWn, farmer, JcWo'
 CIV. Brazil Sr., farmer C2Tro Gordo.
 Henry Freeman, clerk, Ashdc"n.
 w. II. Atkinson, merchant. Fo.enaa. 1 w. P. Callahan, farmer, Winthrop.
 F. Hopenstock farmer, Winthrop.
 J. A. Lamb barber, Winthrop.
 R. L. Buc'Ncan, farmer, foreman.
 ". w. Tant. farmer, Foreman.
 Henry Reed, Farmer, Foreman,
 o-,cning Statements.
 MT. DULaNcy made the opening statement for the sta by giving a brief history of the case and an outline e what the state expected to prove P. E. Edwads, tho defendant, was be- ing tried for rare, committed on the | ~orno, of CoroI1iro Row pooro a daU- ghter of Henderson Ray. said crima having Eeen committed on the night of November ?, 1916, during the street carnival that was held in Ashdown. It was tho occasion upon which R. E. Edwards, Charley James and Wi lie Rober's had held up, on the edge of this city, a number of negroes, men women and children. Berry Owens and family, Henderson Ray and family, George Turner, Napoleon Harris, and Arthur Duncan George Turner was the first negro held up. He rode mule. He was taken to the roadside, made to lie down on his face and his feet tied to a tree. Napoleon Harris came next After that came W. F. Gammill and wife, white people, in a buggy. They were held up and made to get out of the buggy. Gammill was recognized by them and he recognized Roberts by name and the others by description. After some talk they said he was the wrong man and told to go (Cpntinued on page 9
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