The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1921-11-05

A great and successful race feat wa
accomplished in the Circuit Court c
Cook County before his honor, Judg
Thomas O. Windes, beginning o
Tuesday, the 18th day OF October
and ending on Thursday, the 9th da
. of October, when one OF our lawyer:
Augustus L. Williams, with offices a
1874 W. Washington street, complete,
a task that he set out to do in lol
when the great race riots overrulet
Chicago and many lives were lost b,
irresponsible citizens who desired 4
take the law into their own hands
At that time il was said by Mr.. VII
liams that he thought that the citl
of Chicago was responsible for the
injuries and deaths sustained by th'
vicious mob. II will also be noted
that the authorities proclaimed to the
world through the press that the city
was not liable for personal injury and
death. but only for personal property
After the riots, Mr.. Williams fled suit
for twenty-one persons who were
either killed or injured as a result OF
the said riots. Before this trial Mr..
Williams tried another case last May
for the widow of Henry Dozier,
where he obtained a judgment for
twenty-three hundred dollars ($2,300).
This victory gave him courage, and
on the beginning of the past trials be-
fore Judge Windes, of whom it, can
be said is one of the leading demo-
cratic judges of this country and a
dean of the courts of this county, an
able. efficient and fearless judge, who
looks upon a man not by his color,
but as a human being with all the
rights guaranteed to him that any
other citizen has.
Mr.. Williams went TO trial and dur
ing the three days he tried the case
Of Joseph Lovings, who was killed on
the West Side of Chicago, by a mob
on July p, 1919, as the first case tried
At this hearing all of the witnesses
were white; among them were a Cath
ole priest. in. the person of Father
Jones, connected with St Ignatius
College; two young business men, Mr..
Dapiel Avollone and Mr.. Martin Avol-
lone; Mr.. Powell, a business man:
Mr.. Wellman, barber for whom Mr. |
Joseph Lovings was employed; Mr.. |
Friedman. Mr. Mueucei and DR.. E. R.
LeCount6 ooroner's physician Of
Cook County. These men all as one
testified wildly as to the transaction
and without fear or favor gave in de-
tail the account of tiie-mob and its
activities. At the close Of the evil
denee the city moved for verdict
10 be directed against the plaintiff,
Mrs. Carrie Lovings, wife of the de-
ceased. After a long argument quot
ing many decisions in support Of its
views by the city, and against its
views by Mr. Williams, the court
overruled the eity's motion and directed
counsels 70 make their argument to
the curry. Mr.. Williams argument to
the jury was mastery and concise.
He seemed to have had the case di-
reetly in front of him at all times.
The city was somewhat puzzled with
his forceful argument After the argu-
ment the court gave its instructions
to the jury, all white men. who after
wards retired to the jury room and
there remained for FIVE hours, and 4
when 1t seemed that il was impossi-
bic for them to reach verdict they
were called out by the court and the
foreman stated to the court that ten
had agreed, but two were holding ont,
At which time the court directed them
to return to their jury room to try to /
reach verdict. II is said that ten
Jurors stood for a verdict of $1,000
Tor the plaintiff and two for mot
guilty" or a compromise, and the said
two did reach compromise with the
'ther ten and brought IN a verdict of
$500 for the plaintiff. While this
ury was out, the second case was
allied for trial on Wednesday, the
9th, to-wit: James G. Grimes VS.. the q
lily Of Chicago. Mr.. Grimes was in
ured by mob both of his eyes be-
ne. put out by being shot in the
EFT temple and the bullet penetrating
trough the right side and coming out d
Iver the left eyebrow, seyering the
ptic nerve, resulting in his becoming =
otally blind. The witnesses in this
ase were mostly all white women
nth two eolored women and nine 7
Ihite women. three white men and L
ne cclored man. Il
At the conclusion Of this remark m
bic trial in which Mr.. Williams =
royed to be a genius, the city had
Ve white lawyers against him and ne :
ensured up equal to the occasion u
the close of the evidence n this In,
se, the city again asked to have an liz
struetion directed to the Jury 6nd-
g the defendant mot guilty. The
y brought IN many law books IN
pport Of its motion and delivered vi
om carefully prepared brief an Of "a
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