The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-06-19
COURT SUMMARILY
DISMISSES JUROR
A. M. HENDERSON EXCUSED
BY JUDGE SANFORD.
Made Statement He Opposed
Conviction on Circumstan-
tial Evidence.

A. NJ. Henderson, selected at the
beginning of federal court as a petit
Juror was this morning excused from
all further duties In this capacity by
Judge e. r. Sanford. Henderson
stated that he objected to conviction
on circumstantial evidence, and for
this reason was dismissed Judge
Sanford stated that in his court this
class of evidence sometimes was
used to good effect.
Henderson was on the jury which
sat at the hearing of Walter w.
Clark, charged with theft of check
from fellow carrier at the local
postoffice, and II Is understood the
verdict of the jury was eleven Tor
conviction and one for acquittal. In
this case some circumstantial evil
dence was introduced by the govern
ment, in that 1t asserted that Clark
had free access to the check, and
since he afterwards presented II for
payment at the bank of the d. b.
Loveman company he must have
been the one who took 1t. Positive
statement that he presented 1t for
payment at the bank was made by
by Miss Lora Hancock, teller there.
Beyond the Law.
II is a well-known fact that there
Is no use trying to evade arrest by
federal authorities, the assertion be-
ing made that the government will
get them sooner or later" but there
il one defendant in the federal court
who Is giving United States Mar
shall J. r.. Thompson serious concern
She is Grace Sims, who lives up In
Meigs county in the hills, four miles
from Decatur, and for the last three
sessions of court the officers have
been trying to get her to appear or
charge of using the mails to de-
fraud, and have failed. Grace, &C
cording to Marshal Thompson, has
long record OF law violations, be-
ginning when she was only girl III
school in Meigs county. Then, M
stated this morning, she took ven
geance on a school teacher by strik
ing her over the head with a piec'
of stove wood when the teacher pun
ished her for some infraction o
school rules. Growing older, sh,
took up a wider range of mischief
and has been wanted in the stat
courts for various offenses, but 81
far has never been tried for a singh
act. Federal authorities assert tina
she has been securing catalogues o
various mail order concerns and or
dering large quantities of supplies
sending our bogus checks In paymen
for same.
When her case was called last weel
a forfeiture was taken for her bond
and Wednesday Marshal Thompson wa
sent to Meigs county to bring her int
court. Arriving at her home, he foun
her i'll and unable to attend. Reindict
ment will probably follow and the tria
will take place at Knoxville when fed
eral court convenes there. Grace !
about 81 years old. Her attorney her
was John H. Early.
Amusing Incident.
About the most amusing thing to hap
, pen around the otherwise dignifed sit
ting of the federal court is the dali
"balling up of names of witnesses an
others called by bailiffs to the cour'
Jack Maurry is keeper of one door an
v II. A. Brown, 81 years old and Con
: federate veteran, keeps watch over tn
I other. Judge Sanford complained re
: Gently that Brown was not calling lou
enough names wanted by the court, an
Wednesday Brown opened UP, much
the amusement of Judge Sanford an
4 others attending. w. II. Durkee we
wanted, and Brown, in a typical fot
n horn voice, yelled wv. H. Turke
Z W. H. Turkey"
Pay Big Fines.
q w. II. Durkee and george Fl. Dur
= ham, convicted Wednesday for conspil
; acy to defraud and using the mails
!, defraud, paid their fine. which was SD
each. in ten new 500 bills. This cal