Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1921-08-19

ing through the largest crimina
docket in years, more than eight!
cases being docketed for trial a
this term. There are three
capital cases to be tried, tw'
homicides and an assault, tn,
defendants in all three cases be
ing negroes, which will pot b
reached before the last of thu
week, in fact it is possible tha
the criminal docket may extent
over into next week.
The Roanoke Rapids liquor
cases" as Solicitor Midyettt
termed them, came to an anti
climax on Thursday, when coun.
sci for the State and the town of
Roanoke Rapids allowed all de.
PENDANTS who wished to do so tc
enter pleas of "nolo contendere'
upon an understanding that
judgments in all cases where
this plea was made would be
suspended upon payment OF
costs. All but three of the de.
PENDANTS promptly availed them.
selves of this offer and submit.
ted. Judge Calvert then required
the several defendants to give
$3.50. 90 bond for good behavior
and ordered them to be present
themselves at each term of
court for the next twelve months
and furnish proof that they had
not departed from the straight
and narrow path. He also re-
them that under their
pleas they could be summoned to
court at any time that evidence
might be brought before the So
licitor that they were violating
the prohibition laws and sent to
the roads without trial.
Cases against the three defen-
dants who refused to enter pleas
of mol contendere, Messrs. Wiley
Johnson, Clyde Stallings and
John Stallings, as we'll as against
Wiley Hester, who had been in
Jail since the June term of court,
were mol pressed by the State
and the defendants discharged.
The surrender did not mean
that the State was not willing,
but that the evidence was weak.
1t will be remembered that all of
these cases were the result OF the
Grand Jury investigation under
special or John Doe proceedings
at the June term, in which nearly
a hundred citizens of this COM
were required to testify
concerning their knowledge of
violations of the prohibition laws.
Nineteen indictments against To-
,al citizens grew out of this in
yestigation, eight of whom de-
parted before capias could be
served, those remaining being
placed under bonds of from $3.50
% $500 for their appearance at
his term OF court. The States
lilemma was that practically all
# the evidence they had for the
prosecution was the testimony of
hree men, Dan Faison, Robert
smith, and G. W. Dunston, all of
whom were convicts now doing
ime upon the county roads.
On Wednesday afternoon the
'tate began its case against B.
Jedder. G. W. Dunston testified
hat he had bought liquor on
hree occasions from the defen-
Iant. The defendant denied the
harge in toto, brought witnesses
0 the stand to prove his general
eputation, and the jury found a
erdict of not guilty. Being
from the result of this
ase that convictions except in
cry few of the cases were i'm
'robable, the State then offered
is compromise, which was ac-
epted by seven of the defen-
ants and the remaining four
ases were discharged.
Those entering pleas OF nolo
ontendere under suspended
Judgment were Reno Allsbrook,
,ugene Moore, M. R. Wood, K.
!. Topping, A. R. Sandlin, John
NTH, Robert Vinson and J. H.
'lson.
Other cases finished up to
aursday afternoon are as fol-