The Lexington progress. (Lexington, Tenn.) 1884-current, 1917-06-29
LEXINGTON. rHNNHssHa FRIDAY, JUNE %, 1917
HARD FOUGHT BATTLE
IN CIRCUIT COURT.

N. N.
One of the hardest fought legal
battles ever witnessed in the Cir
cult court Of Henderson county be-
gan on Monday Of last week when
the case Of the State Of Tennessee
VS.. Arthur Page and John Bass,
charged with the killing Of Becky
Boatrieht. a prostitute. on Pea
Ridge" on the Southeastern OUT
skirts Of Lexington, on the night Of
the 18th Of last November. and did
not end until Friday morning about
8 o'clock, when the jury in the case
brought in a verdict Of murder In
the second degree, which carries
with it the sentence Of ten to twen-
ty years in State Prison.
The jury was better one than is
ordinarily secured in a case, so
widely discussed as this one has
been, been composed Of the follow
ing citizens: Sam Newman, farm
er; A. S. Montgomery. banker
George Medlin, farmer; j. P. Hop
per, farmer; A. B. Craig, farmer; M.
C. Carnall. farmer; ]. w. Maxwell,
farmer; j. R. Reed, merchant; As
kew Miller, merchant, E. L Lewis,
farmer; j. A. Bailey. farmer; M. A.
Talley, merchant.
Our statement that the case was
one Of the hardest fought ones ever
tried in the Circuit court Of Hen
derson county was fully realized by
the counsel On both sides, the Jury
who kept their seats from Monday
afternoon until Friday evening and
were kept in isolation Ave niahss,
Clerk Dyer, who was constantly =
his desk and adn'~ 81 II . IS. !, I.
sts Z z - Se6fed the oafn
% more witnesses than in any 9th
er week during his entire encum'
bency, and Sheriff Mcbride and MI
deputies, who had to who wait OF
the court. In addition a trial Q
such length is little short OF mar
|tyrdom to the presiding judge.
The State was most ably repre-
sented by Attorney Hugh Ander
son, Of Jackson, in the place Of Al
torney-General B. J. Howard. VIII
was stricken with serious illness i
the weekend before the trial bt
gan, and Hon. John F. Hall, OF tn
local bar, who feel that they won
;; considerable victory, opposed q
they were by such able and nume
Gus counsel as Messrs. I. A. Lar
caster, w. H. Lancaster, E. W. Fl
sary, W. H. Dennison and +. \
Davis, who represented the defen'
| ants >and made one Of the mo
} masterful combined defenses ev'
: put up for a prisoner or prisoners
> the bar Of justice in the Lexineto
: courthouse.
! Immediately after delivery OF Il
: verdict by the jury, Judge I.
/ Lancaster, Of counsel for the d
e fense, made motion for new tri
which motion will be argued befo
\ Judge Barham on Tuesday, July
i It will be remembered that ear
|, in the night Of the 18th day
d November, last, this communl
N and whole county were shocked
II the news that Becky Boatwrlght
,e young woman who was reared
le this county, and Callie Heaven
an older woman and also q pros
tute, who had come from Jacks
for the purpose Of plying her ira
had been shot to death in tn
]. house on Pea Ridge. After
killing Arthur Page and John b
is were arrested, given prelimin'
p hearing before a justice Of
M Of peace, bound over to the Febru'
tol term Of the Circuit court and
m the grand jury Of that term ind
ne ed. Both Of the accused men h
!, % been at large on bond between
as. M terms of court, Arthur Page spe
m. ing a part Of the time in Arkan
ice where he had employment. I
in is young and unmarried; Pae'
vas as also young, but has a wife
dS - IuI - -,