Americus times-recorder., 1919-02-26
FOUR CRIMINAL
CASES HEARD
AT OPENING OF
HEAVY GRIND
Two Plead Guilty, One is Convicted,
and Another Goes to
Jury.

The trial of criminal cases began in
Superior court this morning, two
pleas of guilty having been received,
one conviction having been returned
after trial, and another case having
gone to the jury at o'clock this af-
ternoon. The grand jury was still in
session, grinding out indictments, and
a considerable number of cases were
piling up for disposition.
The largest part of the days session
was occupied with the case of Nose
Lee Hawkins. colored, charged with
assault with intent to kill Nose Lee
was defended by Wallis & Fort, and 33
men were called to the jury box be-
fore twelve suitable to both sides were
found. All those not acceptable were
stricken by the defense, except two.
Nearly a score of witnesses were
heard, the larger part of them for the
site.
Nose Lee Hawkins was charged
with shooting Hugh Smith, another ne
gro, at a wedding on the place of Bose
Johnson, near Huntingdon on the night
of December s. Smith was the first
witness introduced by the state He
Oh hn cid ap Il; ,;c
arm where the bullet had passed, and
two holes in his coat, made by the
same shot He declared that the trou-
BILE arose over Hawkins, who is a
much younger negro, wanting to
smoke a cigar which he had just
lighted. He refused to let him smoke
the cigar, he said, which angered
Hawkins, who followed him out into
the yard and shot him through the
arm. The defense contended that
Hawkins shot in self defense in a fight
which took place in the yard and in
which Smith had knocked Hawkins
down and was on top of him. Two pis-
tolls of formidable size were shown the
witnesses ,one of which belonged to
Hawkins The other, the defense al
legged, belonged to Smith. The state
contended, however, and Smith testi-
fed, that he had no weapon, except
his knife, with which he hit Hawkins
on the head during the fight.
Dudley Floyd, colored, was found
guilty after short trial of assault
with intent to murder, but the jury
brought in a recommendation of pun
ishment for a misedmeanor. 1t was
shown that Floyd, who was indicted by
the November, 1915, grand jury, had
shot both barrels of shotgun at Luke
and Isham Burton, also colOred,
wounding Luke, near T. M. Ethridge's
place. Mr.. Ethridge and his son, Roy,
who saw the shooting, were witnesses
for the state. Floyd was defended by
T. o. Marshall, who placed the negro
on the stand to make a statement in
his own defense. The negro attempted
to show the shooting accidental, but
his story did not agree with that of
the two white witnesses. Sheriff
showed that three years had elapsed
after the indictment before he was
able to find Floyd to arrest him.
Albert Martin, accused of larceny
frome the house entered plea of gull
ty with request for a misdemeanor
punishment through Hilliard Will
liams, who had been appointed by the
court to represent him.
Eugene Brown, represented by Lewis
Ellis also appointed by the court,
pleaded guilty to burglary on two
counts.
No sentences had been passed by
Judge Littlejohn this afternoon.
New Indictments.
The following additional indictments
have been returned by the grand jury,
in which arrests have already been
made:
Willie Jones, coolred selling whisky
and shooting at another; 2 counts.
Aaron Booth, colored; arson;
charged with burning the barn af
Jesse Faust, white, near Plains.
Seab Hunt, colored, manufacturing
whisky and selling whisky; 2 counts.