The Mena weekly star., 1920-10-21
CIRCUIT COURT
CONVENED MONDAY
Trial of Murderer Of Young Ellis Man.
kins Expected TO Be Held next Week
--Rumors Of Trouble Quickly
Put to Rest.

Polk county circuit court opened its
October term with an unusually large
number of witnesses and visitors pres
ent. Interest in the official investiga-
tion of the murder Of Ellis Mankins
helped undoubtedly to swell attend
ance. More than half hundred resi-
dents of Scott county, principally
from the vicinity Of Boles, the home of
the murdered man, were at the court
house. Many Of them were relatives
of young Mankins.
The Scott county visitors reached
Mena Monday night and were on hand
when Judge j. S. Steel formally open
ed court Tuesday morning. Because
of the length of the charge made TO
the grand jury this was not finished
Monday afternoon and was completed
the following morning.
After receiving their instructions
from the presiding judge the grand
jury retired with the intention of TAX
ing first action towards the indict-
ment of Alvin Hughes, alias Dunbar,
who is charged with the murder of the
young Scott county farmer. 1t is
to be expected that speedy indict-
ment will follow and the prisoner ar
raigned in court the first of the COM
ing week.
Hughes is now a prisoner in the
county Jail in Mena and the Polk coun-
ty authorities will take every step that
is needed towards securing quick and
decisive justice for the terrible crime.
The fact that the man accused Of
killing young Mankins is securely
held behind the bars and that the
court officials. will hasten his trial
satisfied the relatives and neighbors
Of the dead man and wild rumors cir
culated about the city were set at rest.
Judge Steel called for additional
jurymen and had Sheriff Thornton
summon an extra panel for duty
shodld necessity arise.
The first trial case to be heard Tues
day was that of Petefish VS.. Carmack.
A jury was summoned to hear the
case, which involves the ownership of
some hogs in the Acorn neighborhood.
A previous trial in Justice S. H.
Smiths court resulted in an appeal to
the circuit court.
H. F. Potts was named as bailiff for
the grand jury, which held its session
as usual in the county superintend-
ent's Office on the first floor of the
court house.
When Judge Steel directed the men
summoned for grand jury service to
take their seats only one asked to be
excused. which caused the jurist to
compliment Polk county on having a
class Of citizens willing to forget per-
sonal interests for the perfornaan ance
of public duty.
At the suggestion Of Prosecuting
Attorney A. D.. DuLaney the foreman
Of the grand jury was selected in the
person of w. B. Thomas of Wickes.
The other jjsrsysnesi selected were as
follows:
]. F. Averitt, ]. D. Henderson,
John Wood, c. S. Tankersley, O. B.
Witherspoon, G. R. Embry, Clyde
Cunningham, H. e. Campbell, F. M.
Cecil, j. H. Pigg, M. B. Fried, G. R.
Hale, w. L. Moseley, Hamp Lofts
and j. NJ Neal.
In his charge to the grand jury
Judge Steel reiterated the usual ex-
plantations of the various criminal
laws and asked that the body care
fully investigate all violations re-
ported. His Honor laid special stress
on the laws relating to the taking of
human life, and explained the differ
ence between murder, manslaughter
and justifiable homicide.
A new feature or the judges
charge was the comparison between
the old time sport of racing horses or
the highways with the present day
practice of auto speeding. Judge
Steel called attention to the fact that
certain speeds in moving auto are
violations Of law and depiored the in
|creasing practice Of some motor ear
drivers to make the public streets and
highways a racing course. He spe-
cially requested jurors to look into
violations of the auto driving laws.