The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1925-06-30
NINE CONVICTED OF
CONSPIRACY CHARGE
SHERIFF OF LEE AND CITI-
ZENS OF TERRELL ARE IN
GUIDED IN NUMBER.


Nine defendants in the conspiracy
case who were on trial in the United
States court at Albany the past week
from Monday until Friday morning
were found guilty by the jury.
There were two counts in the in
dictments, one charging conspiracy tc
bride an officer and the other violation
OF the federal prohibition law.
Seven of the defendants were con
victed on both counts OF the indict-
ment and two were convicted on only
one count. Judge William H. Barrett
who presided at the trial, deferred
passing sentence until Monday morn
ing, when the following sentences
were imposed: To P. c. Coxwell a
sentence of two years and a fine OF
| s. 600; Wade Laramore, two years
imprisonment and $4,000 fine; Epp
Moreland, one year and one day i'm
prisonment and fine of $780, Fred
Moreland, one year and one day i'm
prisonment and a fine, of 81 600; Wal
ter Womble and Roy Salter, a SEN
tence of one year and one day each
V. Z. Slappey, Is months imprison-
ment and fine of $500 Bart More
land and Jack J. Gordy were granted
a new trial on the grounds that some
testimony had been omitted.
Bart Moreland, well-known Terrell
county citizen and farmer, and Jack
J. Gordy federal prohibition enforce
ment officer, were convicted on only
the first count, while the other seven
were found guilty on both counts.
Gordy was postmaster at Richland
for many years, and is well-known
throughout this section.
Other defendants are P. c. CoXwell,
sheriff OF Lee county; Wade Lara
more, wealthy Lee county farmer,
whom the district attorney charged
with being the brains OF the alleged
conspiracy; Epp and Fred Moreland,
who live across the line in Lee coun-
ty; Walter Womble and V. E. Slap
pey, OF Albany and Roy Salter, OF
Newton.
A general denial was entered to the
charges in the indictment by all the
defendants and Salter attempted to
set up an alibi. Charges were also made
by the defense OF false testimony, and
efforts to effect 'frame-up." Former
agent Gordy charged that Bob Hud-
son, a prohibition agent, was seeking
revenge against him because he re-
ported Hudson for improper charges
on Hudson's expense account.
Bribery Is Charged.
Hudson and other witnesses charg-
ed that Laramore, Coxwell, Fred
Moreland Salter and Womble visited
his home at Camilla and paid him
brides which he had been authorized
by Fred Dismuke, prohibition direc-
tor Of Georgia, to accept and Dlsmuke
corroborated him. 1t was also testified
that Slappey gave Hudson bride mon
ey at park in Albany, and that con-
versations were heard indicating that
Bart and Epp Moreland and Gordy
were guilty Of bribery,
The defendants were represented
by Congressman Z. T. Cox, OF Camll-
la, and Messrs Lippett and Burt, OF
Albany, who bitterly assailed several
OF the government witnesses, partlcu-
larly Bob Hudson, a federal agent;
George Golding, a special investigator,
and Walter Peters, a special agent.
Efforts were made to impeach Hud-
son and Golding, and the govern
ment sought to sustain them. Golding
was characterized as man who
makes a business OF entrapping people
and causing them to commit crime.
Fred Dismuke,- federal prohibition dl-
rector for Georgia, also came IN Tor
his part of the tongue lashing, The
government was taken severely to task
for failure to produce L. @. Butler,
Hudson's former assistant, who is al,
legged to have been with Hudson on
every alleged bribery attempt. Partic-
ular vehemence was used in denounc-
ing the failure to use another witness
by the name of SILVER, whom Hudson
charged with being Laramore's ennis
sary in the first bribery efforts, while
Laramore swore that SILVER sought to
have him go to see Hudson, which he
refused to do The defense contended
that if Hudson made the first step to-
ward opening bribery negotiations by
sending out an invitation to be brlbed
the government was not entitled to
conviction, even though subsequent
bribery might be shown