Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-11-05
CHARGES OF CONTEMPT
COME UP ON WEDNESDAY
Freeman. Lancaster and Mitchell to
Appear Before Judge
Iiundlcy.
oUTGRowTH or BARRETT CASE
Editors Cited for Contempt for Com.
mentS Oh Trial OF Seventeenth cur
Old Negro Without Counsel and
With Jury.

Charges of contcmp. of court.
brought against DR.. Douglas s. Free
man. chi.or OF the News Lcadc,: Will
liam \. Lancaster. a Farmvillc attor-
ncN, aud John Mitchell. Jr.. Colorcd.
editor and owner of the Richmond
Planet. by Judge George !. lIundley.
viii tao heard i'm the Circuit Court Of
Charlotte County "Wednesday lost
ponemont Of the trials from o-day
was made by the court bccaus. of th,.
general election i'll the State to-mor-
row
Trial Of the contempt charges. which
a:oSe during tn: CcntroverS; over the
trial Of Aubrey barrett. a seventeen
year-o!d negro. convicted OF completely
in the murder Of W. 4. noach. q Char
loitc County farmer. has created great
interest throughout the State. The
three men were c.tcd for contempt
because of attacks u adc on tho COURTS
procedure in the trial Of the boy, which
was without jury on representation by
counsel. The youtI is now under death
! sentence, but has been granted n short
respite hy-Govcrnor stuart
BOi FRIED WITHOUT
CotNCIl. or JURY
While the case of tn" nero hoy was
III the hands of the Govrrn-r. after
state Senator Walter T.. Addison cc;i-
tor of the LynchburG News app,ai.d
TO Governor stuart fer executive elem
cncy. there was warm controversy
After the elder Barretts conviction,
| the son changed his plea OF mot gull
~ to guilty" after his counsel. Mr.
Lancaster. withdrew because of dis
agreement with the court over in
| struct!oEs to the jury in the first trial
Judge liundley. who is in his ei,,h-
'ieih year. dispensed with 4 jury. hoard
the evidence in the boys cas-. and
FOUND MIN guilty OF murder in tho
trst degree. The court said that am
der the statute he had no option tut
10 impose the death sentence I.ntcr.
efforts were made to obtain an aDpcal
| ior TIE boy from the Supreme Court.
hnt, with no record. the appellate court
WIS "i'Eou' FACTS upon which to con-
! *i1cr an appeal, and the petition was
denied.
JUDGE HUNDLTT IN pGT;tOH
AS TO C0GltI"S DESCRIPTION
me Supreme court, in It's opinion.
stated that the trial JUDGE had been
III error in stating that he had no
alternative in fixing the penalty In
ser the law. the court had ,h,. s,,nc
authority "a Jury. and. according
TO the Supreme Courts opinion. The
negro boy could have been sentenced
to life In prison.
DR.. Freeman and Mitchell e,e,y
crticised the court proceedings. while
-ir. Lancaster, in several signed stnte
ments' resented the action Of Judge
iiuEoieS IN refusing certain of his m
sPuctionS. In citing the men for con-
tempt, Judge liundley declared mat
ne was determined to establish how
lar individuals and newspapers could
go In criticising Virginia courts The
| aeiendants declare that they Will fight
inc charges. and If necessary carry
INC cases 20 higher courts. believing
thilt thelr criticism was legitimate
Both Barretts were arrec.a;
me Killing of w. T. Roach. n farmer
OF charlotte County. Roach had Leen
missing wheat from his field. accord
ing 10 testimony introduced at the
aa,ai' ara suspected the elder Ear.
retI lie attempted, without srcrriur
warrant to arrest the negro rhc
son cam" to the aid of his fathcr in
a hight that followed. IT. this ,us.ln
roach VAS killed. The elder P,rro,,
was executed several weeks ago Tho
S"' Is now under sentence of dc.,b
having been granted "a rc.:pitc nv ,;or'
crnor Stuart