The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-07-16
GUILTY VERDICT
AND MERCY PLEA
FOR c. H. RA|N[
Former Proud Bank President,
Crushed for Moment, Re-
gains COmpOSure - Jury
Recommends Mercy.

Found guilty of fraudulent breach
OF trust, c. Hunter Raine, one-time
millionaire and former head of the
wrecked Mercantile bank, now faces a
second penitentiary sentence. this one
from one to 10 years duration. The
jury returned a verdict of guilty of
the second count in the Indictment
against Ratne at $50 o'clock Tuesday
afternoon. The jurors deliberated two
hours and II minutes before reaching
a verdict.
The verdict momentarily crushed
Raine. Deep despair settled on his
face for an instant, His mouth twitched
nervously, Then he regained his COM
posure, and sat looking steadily at
Judge Tom Harsh, who read the jury's
Motion for a new trial at once was
entered by Hugh Magevney, Raine's
attorney.
The verdict, returned in so short a
time, was surprise to most persons
who had followed the trial closely.
There was an abundance of evidence
that Raine had looted the bank-this
was admitted by the defendant--bUt1he the
fact that Raine already had served a
five-year sentence in the federal prison
at Atlanta caused many to believe that
sympathy for Raine would cause
hung jury
Victory for Bates.
Raines case will he appealed to the
supreme court, If Judge Harsh over
rules the new trial motion, which it is
probable he will do. 1t will be months
before the high court reviews the case.
The verdict of the jury generally is
regarded as a great victory for Sam
o. Bates states attorney, and his as
sistant, John EXby who handled the
which was unwound in the second
criminal court during the trial Hugh
Magevney, counsel for Raine made a
hard fight for his client. and a passion
ate appeal for mercy at the hands Of
the jury. The facts were against
brought a recommendation from the
jury that the defendant receive the
mercy of the court. This. however,
cannot work toward any shorter SEN
tence.
The one to 1Oyear sentence is an
indeterminate one-that is, Raine will
be eligible to be released after serving
year, provided he is a model prisoner
and the proper recommendations are
made from the court and attorney-gen-
eral.
Claimed Borrowed" Money.
Raine fought a hard battle for free
dom, His case first was set for trial
on June 80, Monday But motions, his
surrender by his bondsmen to the
sheriff, and his fight for release on
habeas corpus proceedinRs--all of these
occupied a major portion of the first
week, All of them failed and the
selection of a jury to try Raine was
begun on Monday, July 7. 1t took four
days to get the jury.
There are 16 other indictments hang
ing over Raine's head in the Shelby
county criminal courts, but none OF
these probably will be pushed. The
indictment on which he was tried
charged him with the embezzlement Of
S7SS, ,804. rs of the money of the Mer-
camille bank in the first. count; the
second count charged that he unlaw-
fully converted the same to his own
use, this being fraudulent breach of
trust, the indictment alleged, and the
third charged him with larceny Of the
same amount,
Raine denied that he had stolen the
bank money, but admitted that he had
sborrowed' it. The money alleged
taken in the indictment, and other
money. to total of s1,091,000, was lost
by Raine gambling In cotton futures
The crash which sent the bank to the
wall occurred in February, 1914.
In January, 1915, Raine pleaded
guilty in the federal court Of using
the mails to defraud, in that he sent
out false statements of the banks H.,
nancial condition. He was sentenced
to serve five years. He was released
last October, and went to New YORK,
where he remained until he came back
to Memphis for trial.