Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1932-10-28
Fuel Lee Is Again
Sentenced To Death
By Circuit Court
Plea For New Trial Denied And
Sentence Imposed By Judge
Offutt Last Saturday
At TOwsOn

Motion for a new trial in the case
of Fuel Lee, alias Orphan Jones, the
Negro who was convicted of the muir.
der of Green X. Davis in Worcester
County, was overruled in the Circuit
Court for Baltimore County on last
Saturday by Chief Judge T. Scott
Offutt and Associate Judges Walter
&c. Preston and G. Gus Grason. The
prisoner was sentenced to death. Sen.
tence was imposed by Judge Offutt
When asked if he had anything tc
say, Lee replied:
81 have not had fair trial and the
evidence that was given before
against me was not given in this sec.
ond trial. Mr.. Davis sister recognized
every piece of jewelry that was
brought here and shown to her at the
first trial, and this time she could moi
identify some of them. The ring that
they got out of my room in Ocear
City they gave the States Attorney
and said they got it out of my pocket
That prejudiced the minds of the jury
against me. There was no proof they
got that off of me. We don't deny il
was in my room, but who put il
there?
Il was framed the same way with
a pen knife. They identified it by say
ing the blade was broken off and this
time they identified it another way
and the gun had a different mark OF
it at the first trial and this time
another mark on it. The pawn mar
that bought the gun off, of course
he was not going to say he sold me
that shotgun when the police told hin
not to do it. He runs a fence fol
thieves and he puts mark on it, anC
the police could put the rollers under
him any time they want, and he'c
come and say what they want him t.
say. No, l didn't have fair trial.
81 didn't have fair trial. The
evidence put against me was not true
They brought lot of rags here anC
laid them before the jury and never
had them before, and lady came w
with pile of stockings before anC
this time they had a small pile Of
stockings. Do you think any sensible
man would steal a lot of stuff like
that and take it to his room? No,
didn't do it. 1t was frame up. am
not the only man who has been fran.
ed down there"
In imposing sentence, Judge Offutt
said: "Euel Lee, alias Orphan Jones
you have been convicted of murder il
the first degree in this Court. You
have been defended by counsel of your
own selection; you have had fail
and impartial trial by a representa-
tive jury of this County, as represen
tative as the Court by the aid of coun
sci of the State and your own counse
could select. You have been convicted
of the most serious crime known tt
law. The circumstances under which
that crime was committed permit tht
Court only one course, and the sen
tence and judgement of this Court il
therefore, that you, Fuel Lee, ALA.
Orphan Jones, be remanded to thu
County of Worcester in the custody Of
the Sheriff of the County of Worces
ter, in the State of Maryland, who
shall deliver you to the warden of the
Maryland Penitentiary to be held BY
such warden in solitary confinement
until such time as his Excellency, tn,
Governor of Maryland, may by hi!
warrant appoint the time, when in tn,
death chamber of said Maryland Pen
itentiary you shall be hanged by thu
neck until you are dead, and may Goo
have mercy on your soul"
The famous Fuel Lee case, which
has been before the public for man,
months was removed to Towson from
Worcester County by order of the
Maryland Court of Appeals.