Greenwood daily commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1919-1926, 1919-12-01
{. A. FERRIS IS
GIVEN FREEDOM
Jury Out Only Three Minutes-Ver-
dict Rendered Sunday Morning
Aldridge Indictment Quashed.

here, is today a free man. A jury of
his peers after hearing the evidence
introduced by the state and that Of
fered by the defense saw fit to release
] him. That there was no question in
the minds of any of the twelve men as
to his innocence was proven by fact
that three minutes after case had been
turned over to them they returned to
the court room with their verdict of
not guilty.
The case against M. Y. Aldridge,
charged with the same offense, who
was jointly indicted with Ferris, was
mol pressed Immediately after the ver-
dict in the Ferris case on motion of
the District Attorney. The evidence in
the case was such that it became nee
essary for the jury to decide between
two sets of witnesses The lines were
probably drawn more distinctly in this
case than in any other tried in Miss
issippi. The testimony of the four de
state witnesses was as far from that
offered by the four defense witnesses
as daylight is from darkness, although
each group of witnesses held well to
the theme of their side. of the case.
With two exceptions the state and de-
fense evidence did not touch in any re-
spect. These two were that Ferris, AL
bridge and Miss Wallace rode to-
gether in an automobile from Reads
store to Lewis Aldridge's house, that
they were together in the house and
that they returned to Greenwood.
Where the girl said that she was
forced to enter the car at Reads store
the defense showed that she did SO
willingly, in fact almost suggesting
such procedure. She said that the trip
to Lewis Aldridge's was made with
out any incident that might lead her
to expect an attack from the boys.
They showed. that she put her arms
around both of them Immediately after
entering the car and that she sub
mitted without objection to advances
made by Ferris on the way to the
house, returning kiss for kiss and hug
for hug. She declared and stuck to it
on cross-examination, that she was
forced from the car and forced into
the house. The defense showed that
she left the car and entered the house
willingly. Miss Wallace declared that
she was forcibly ravished by Ferris
while alone in room in the house,
against her will and that she fought
to the extent of her power to protect
herself. To refute this the defense
showed that Ferris suggested going
the limit following the exchange of a
few kisses but that she refused, one
refusal being sufficient for Ferris, who
from that time on became her protec-
tor against unseemingly remarks from
the other young men in the house.
1t developed into matter for the
iury to decide if the true case was
being given by the witnesses for the
state or defense In fact the State
had but two principal witnesses and
they were the little girl, Thelma Wal
lace, and her aunt, Mrs. Mullen whom
she was visiting. DIR. Dickins, a
state witness, proved of more bene-
fit to the defense than to the state.
His evidence showed nothing conclu-
sive. He stated that he could not pos
itively question the virginity OF the
Young lady. The other state witness
was Sheriff Tom CARROT who testi-
fled briefly to the fact thatlFerris left
the state soon after the incident hap
pened.
men. Ferris himself was the last to
take the state The others were Min
ter Aldridge, David Humphreys and
C. ]. Stratton, all of whom were at
. the Aldridge home. The evidence Of
fered by these witnesses was in direct
contrast to that by the two women
for the state and the matter was put
up to the jury to decide.
Witnesses for the state on cross
examination made several conflicting
statements also, which cast the first
shadow of doubt across the case.
Expecting the defense to attack the
character of Miss Wallace good deal
of surprise was occasioned by the
fact that instead it was built up and
it was shown that the young girl left
the Aldridge home on the afternoon
of the alleged assault q virgin despite
her statements to the contrary.
During the trial every person en-
tering the court room was searched