Rockingham post-dispatch. [volume] (Rockingham, N.C.) 1917-1965, 1922-08-31

NAAS 'S'0 L
tive worked in town and county col.
lecting evidence, and according to 1
his statement as soon as he WoU.d /
make a Whiskey purchase he would /
at once label the bottle or jug, VIZ, f.
ing down from whom the stuff was |
bought, sh6 date and hour and
place; the bottles or jugs woult /
then he carried to one of the town
commissioners and locked in bis
safe for safe keeping.
The warrants for ten alleged
tigers were placed in the shcrii's'I
hands last Friday and quickly the,
were served. The preliminary hear
ing was set for Monday at II O'clock
However, shortly before II the d.
tective was not ON hand, but g
phone message from him al Harm
let came TO the sheriff asking that
a car be sent for him, as he could
not get a iitney there to bring him
over. The sheriff went for him
himself, and the trials began be-
fore Squire w. T. Mullis at 1920,
Prosecuting for the town was J,
Chcsley Sedberry, town attorney, and
FOR the county was Fred Bynum,
county attorney. Appearing for the
defendants was f. Don Phillips who
it would seem would occupyo a
unique position in the event any Of
these defendants should forfeit thcig
bond and be not apprehended for
trial before next year, itasmuch rs
! he will be elected solicitor at tie
November 18th election.
The first case called was that
against Younger Smith and Charlie
Hinson, both white men. According
to Mr.. Saphire's evidence, he asked
/ Smith on August 9Th if he had any
Whiskey. Smith replied that he had
none, but expected to make run
the last Of the next week, but lie
thought he could get some. So call
! ed to Charlie Hinson and the two
drove off in the Smith car. Smith
and Hinson returned at 1:20 O'Clock
on the afternoon of August 9th, ant
SAPPHIRE says he met them back O
the hotel; that Smith told he WoulC
have to charge more than the regu
lar price of S. per quart. That he
paid $3.50 and that Elisha SweenNy
colored porter, carried the bottle IN.
to the hotel for him. He testified
that later he met HinsOn on New
street and asked could he get him
some whiskey, but Hinson replied
that Cyclone Mack has been here
and | have to be careful" The
magistrate, w. T. Mullis, found
probable cause as to Smith, but dis
missed the case against Hinson
Smiths bond was put at $500,
During the course of the Younger
Smith case, the cross examination by
MI. Phillips developed that the in
vestigator, Harry SAPPHIRE, is from
Atlanta, where he has lived for Il
/ years. He said he had been a Fed
eral officer, an internal revennC
agent, He said he was employed
by the town of Rockingham, his
wages to be $3.50 per day and al
expenses. Later in the trial it de
veloped that he had received tC
date $546.9S for salary expenses, jit
ney hire, etc., (But if any blindtig
ers are brought to justice, treble tht
cost would be small item for the
town and county to pay-and this il
said without prejudice to the i'm
mediate cases on trial.
The nexe case taken up was tina
against John Steen, white jitnel
,'river of Rockingham. SAPPHIRE testi
fled that he bought whiskey from
Steen on August list at las p. m.
and again at Has that night; agair
on August 3rd at II a. m., Aug;ls
1ttH at 9Th n. m. at Ellerbe, an(
August 18th at i:30 p. m. He say
he paid Steen S. per quart. For thu
/ first three transactions the magis
trate bound Steen to court.
The next case was against Steer
and Bill Pierson, of Ellerbe. Sa
phire testified that Steen carried
him to Ellerbe on August 18th, ant
stopping near Fesperman's filling
station, that Steen spoke to Piersoi
n ~ n