The Mena weekly star., 1918-06-20
DEATH FOR BEN C. CAUGH-
 RON, OTsHERS TO PRISON
Ccontined from First Page).

also charged with first degree mur. der, and it required but little time to try it. The following jury was em. panneled: l.. G. Bell, U. L. Thacker R. A. Montgomery. J. L. Hood, M. C. Lunsford, J. T. Smith, R. L. Norris, L. o. Cooper, L. P. Purvis, R. B. Dur ham, ". L. Durham and " E. Stew ems. B. J. Stuart, the defendants at torney, stated to the court that he desired to enter plea of guilty of first degree murder, and that the pros ecuting attorney had promised to i recommend to the jury that they find a verdict of guilty and make the pun ishment life imprisonment The court said it only became necessary, in that event, to establish by sworn evidence of witnesses the fact of the murder i having been committed and the jary could then decide the matter. Several witnesses were then placed upon the stand and testified to the facts in the tragedy when Charlie Kirkland was killed, and the jury retired and in a short time brought in a verdict of i guilty of murder in the first degree, with punishment at Imprisonment for life.
 Second Degree for Lon.
 When court convened Wednesday morning, on order of the court the sheriff brought Lon Caughron, the third of the accused brothers, into court. By agreement with Prosecutor DuLaney plea of murder in the second degree was entered, and the court will assess the punishment
 Lon Caughron is the oldest of the three brothers and was not in the ac- tual fighting in which Kirkland was killed, but had been taken in custody several hours before by Sheriff Finger and his posse, at his home some dis tance from the Harkey home, and was actually in charge of the officers when the battle was fought. It is said, how ever, that he had actively aided and abetted the men that did the shooting, and was, therefore, responsible for the results.
 Bob Harkey Case Up.
 The case of Bob Harkey, indicted for murder in the first degree, was called and his attorney, Judge J. I Alley, made motion for continu- ance upon the ground of great preju- dice existing against him, and intro. duced quite number of witnesses in an effort to show the state of the public mind, but the court oyerrulec the motion and ordered trial. A mea. terial witness being absent the cass was continued while an effort was made to secure said witness. Ths case of the state vs. Bob Harkey, upor an indictment for receiving stoler property was taken up and jury em panneled to try it as follows: J. H Sims, c. R. Hale, J. F. Averitt, W. A Hawkins, J. A. Cloud, s. ". Hilton J. F. Brumbelow, M. Parker, ". H Clark, c. w. Stockton, Sarl Smitl and w. L. Shirley. The evidence showed that over two. hundred dollar worth of stolen property was brough to defendants home by Elmer Cason the Caughrons and others, some hid den in the house and part nearby.
 The case went to the jury abou 4:30 Tuesday afternoon, and aftel short deliberation the jury returned 5 verdict of guilty, prescribing sen tence of one year in the penitentiary
 Examined Alleged Conspirators.
 Immediately thereafter the cour1 ordered the eight prisoners in tho jail, Martin Bedding, Jeff Weather ford, Dave Manley, Bob Manley, Drew Bailey, John Robb and Lee Harrison from the western part of the county brought into court B. J. Stuart, as their attorney, stated to the court that they desired to enter a plea ot guilty to the indictment of "conspir- acy," and asking the court to be. len tent with them, saying that they had been mislead into joining the secret order known as the Working Glass Union, thinking it simply a labor union, and that they had not met witf it since last September, and now wished to repudiate it and become good citizens.
 Judge Lake then spoke to the pris. oners and said it sounded somewhat "fishy" about the way they had gone into the order; that they must have known better than they claimed; that the order was very dangerous body and sought to gain sufficient member bership to overthrow the government and that it's tenets openly sought not only to protect and assist slaekers and disloyal men, but had declared that they would stand together and resist lawful authority, even to shoot ing down officers if any of it's mem bers were apprehended.
 Located W. C. U. Officers. Judge Lake then questioned the men closely as to when and where they met, who were officers of the or ganization, etc, and ascertained that Martin Bedding was president of the local union and Jeff Weatherford it's secretary, and that the order met our in the woods, sometimes during day time, sometimes at night He told them that if they truly repented of their sins, or words to that effect, they might expect some clemency, but the court was in doubt about the matter.
 John Robb seemed to act as spckes-