The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-02-01
Jury Deliberated About Two
Hours Before Filing
Into Court Room.
TRIAL ATTRACTED
MUCH INTEREST
Brothers Closely Guarded
When They Were Broughts
From Cells to Testify.

1t required about two hours las.
evening for a jury to conclude that
c. A. Phelps. white, had aided and
abetted the BlackweIls IN their late
escape from the county jail, but at
7:15 o'clock the half dozen men filed
into the court room and announced
that the verdict was guilty in both
counts in the information. This meant
that Phelps was adjudged guilty of
having contributed to TIE escape Of
both of the murderers on the morning
of the late storm which swept this
section.
The jury in the case was composed
of the following: Walter II. Pfeiffer,
Robert Pate, William Bailey, j. n.
Barlow, j. w Maloy and ]. A. An
drews.
Phelps was not sentenced last night,
Judge Jones ordering him remanded TO
Jail until either this afternoon or to-
morrow 1t is possible sentence will
he passed Saturday morning.
Practically all day in the court of
record was taken up in the trial of the
case against c. A. Phelps, charged
with aiding and abetting Will and
Bob Blackwell to make their escape
from custody. One of the surprisin2
features of the trial was the little
tfne taken in the selection ofea iSlr .
and the above-named were chosen and
both sides expressed their satisfaction
with the panel. Phelps. appearin
none the worse for ais lengthy term
behind the bars, conducted his own
I case, examining witnesses and after
| ward addressing the jury in his own
| behalf Tes.ifying. he stated among
other things that he was not respcn
| sible in any way for the getaway of
the brothers, and he questioned the
Blackwells at length relative to state
ments brought out on direct exami
nation by the state. The Blackwells,
! however, were called as witnesses at
the instance of Phelps, who at the
same time asked that their statements
| be taken and then the jury be allowed
TO make an inspection of the cells 10
better understand his claims, and to
| ! etter get an idea of his story.
The Blackwelis would not admit tha-
| Phelps turned them out, or, according
| to one of them, had any previous
| knowledge of their escape. In fac~
Bob Blackwell asserted that they had
manipulated the cells by tacking
| leather about the sockets which would
| prevent the lock from fastening ther
respective cell doors. They emphatic
| ally denied that they mad informed
| the sheriff Phelps had turned their
| out This claim, which was made by
! the Blackwells to the sheriff in the
I presence of Former Deputy Bayless.
was sworn into the record.
/ In his statement, Phelps handed out
some sc yere criticism of the jail ar
| serting among other things at one time
| that keys were all ever the JAIL He
| claimed that one of the witnesses hal
| told him TO tell straight story. 'and
| I will put you on your feet" but the
| witness referred to did not acknowl-
edge that this was so. In fact hs
| claimed to have had no knowledge II
| any such incident. Phelps also criti-
! cized the Jail in other ways, handing
some of his considerable criticism ev-
| en- to the engineer in charge, Mr..
| Roberts. At one time he stated that
Ire was not going to take chances with
| the sheriff or Joe Johnson, one of the
! witnesses. You gentlemen have heard
| no doubt that the sheriff Is somethins
of a fighter, especially within the past
| few days, and ] know Mr.. Johnson is,
7 did not want to get mixed UP with
| fighting men. had no money and
4