Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-04-12
80 Defendants IN
EXPRESS CASE ARE
DECLARED GUILTY

MACON, Ca. April 9.-After de-
liberating for twenty-eight hours,
jury in federal court late today re-
turned verdicts of guilty on all five
charges of the indictment against 36
persons accused of conspiracy to rob
the American Railway Express COM
pany of property valued at more than
q million dollars.
The list of defendants included
not only express messengers and
agents in Georgia and Alabama, but
also conductors, baggagemen, news
| butchers, negro porters, garage own
ers and hotel proprietors. The con-
ductors were some of the best known
in the southeast.
w. A Hughes, messenger, fur
nished the bulk of the evidence for
the government. He was on the
stand for nearly a week and told OF
transactions in goods stolen while in
transit with practically all of the ac-
cused men. Hughes confessed TO nu-
merous theftS.
Four of the sixty-four persons
indicted were never arrested; nine
were found not guilty by the jury;
nine verdicts of not guilty were dt-
rected by Judge Beverly d. Evans;
NAhS ~N'N~
TriaI on Four Weeks
The case has been on trial for four
weeks. witnesses from al parts OF
the United States have taken the
witness stand.
During the governments presen-
tation of evidence it was shown that
there was a system of signals used IN
the conspiracy. will he ride?" was
a query to determine whether per-
IN right
"all right" being an answering sig
nal.
Judge Evans announced that he
would sentence the convicted persons
on Saturday April 30. IT,.
"In sentencing you L will take INTO
consideration that though you were
found guilty on five counts, it was
really all one transaction Judge
Evans said. Il will sentence you as
if it were all one count.
The maximum sentence is tWo
wears in the penitentiary, or me
of $4,000, or both. Judge Evans told
the jurors that they were exempted
from jury service for four years I'M
mediately after the verdict Two eN1
press vans moved up to the federat
building to carry away the great
mass of evidence"
Counsel for the defense announced
Saturday afternoon that ne Will APP
peal the case to the United states
imposed by the presiding Judge on
April 80.
C. r. Baker, baggagemaster, Al
bany, Ga. w. W. Barbre; mes5en-
ger, Albany, Ca; O. & Re BaId"1 Rar Hog
news butcher, Macon; NJ. d. Bowdo1n,
messenger, Atlanta; W. E. Drummer,
messenger, College Park, Ga; X. Z.
Chancey. express agent, Hartford
Ala: Walter Critic, negro: porter,
Macon: Lee Dix, baggagemaster, Ma
con: r. f. Dunaway, express agent,
OgIethorpe: Troop Floyd, negro por-
ter. Macon; William Hackney, bag
gagemaster, Montgomery, Ala.
King Hardy, CONDUCTOR. Albany,
Ga. J. 0. Hood. agent. Cuthbert, Ga:
Charlie Hunter. baggagemaster, Ma
Vile. Ga; j. L. Johnson, baggage
master, Macon. Ga; Charlie Johnson.
conductor, Albany, Ga; Q. G: John
son, transfer clerk. Smithville. Ga;
w V. Kimbrell. baggagemaster, Al
bany Ga; c. 4. Langford. messenger,
Warrenton. Ga; J. c. Macarthur, mes
senger, Americas. Ga; N. T. Nc
Kinnon. conductor, Pothan. Ala; Dan
McLendon. conductor, Dothan, Ala;
R. s. McMichael, messenger, Mont
serger, Woodward, Ala; W G: Nixon.
agent, Ozark, Ala; J. F. Morris, flag
man. Albany. Ga: c. W. Pierce. mes
senger, Macon: j. N. Smith, conduc-
tor, Macon; o. l.. Smith, flagman.
Albany, Ca; w. w. Wood. baggage
messenger, Union Springs, Ala; r. j.
Gardner messenger, Hampton, Ala:
Ed Knox, negro express helper, Ar
lington, Ga; H. L. Rocker, messenger,
Millen. Ga.
The jury brought in verdict of not
Of IL
CESS, garage proprietor. Florala, Ala;
Will DriggerS, garage man, Florala,
Ala; o. L. Hall, conductor, Albany,
Ga: /. knight, baggagemaster, Ma
con; w. V. Weeks, conductor. Macon,
Ga: L. B. Rogers, transfer man, Al
bany, Ga; NJ. H. Sheppard, depot
agent, Albany, Ga; w. G. Simpson,
agent, Union Springs. Ala; M. f.
Stokes. messenger. Boston, Ga.
Judge Evans announced that he
would sentence the convicted men on
Judge Evans directed verdicts Of
not guilty in the cases of L. G.
Cason, barber, Florala, Ala; c. M.
Crosson, Florala. Ala; w. p. Aosey.
merchant, Atlanta; Marvin Prest-
w. T. Priesthood, Florala, Ala; Ed
Redding, merchant, Macon; Joshua
Stewart, Florala, Ala. j. r. Radney,
express agent, Columbia, Ala; Carlos
Ordan, FlOrala, Ala.
On plea of misnomer Judge Evans
mol pressed the case against w. w.
Hodge.
Those who pleaded guilty at the
beginning of the trial We're:
+, NJ. Alsabrook, express messen-
ger. Eufaula. Ala; r. c. Brinson,
messenger Millen. Ga; c.. H. Con
drey. messenger, Atlanta, Ga; w. c.
Greene, messenger and agent at
Eatonton. Ga; w. A. Hughes, ex-
,,,oco ,o,aesenoer Atlanta Ga