The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1948-09-16
Alfalfa Former Deputy
Convicted OF Robbery
With Firearms June II
Tried BY Kinds Court,
John Ed Ivey. AZ, To
Be Given Sentence

county, was convicted tuesday, OF
armed robbery, in connection with
the hijacking of w. j. Ledbetter Of
Admission, Ala, on June q, on high
way 80, between Bolton and Ed
wards. The verdict of the jury was
reached after two days trial in
Kinds County Circuit court in Ray
mond, during which six Holmes
countiens were called to the stand.
Ledbetter, who was sustained by
the court in his accusation Of Ivey,
is confessed and convicted Ala
bama liquor runner. His charges,
that he was hijacked of a liquor
cargo and $500 in cash by Ivey, were
brought out with himself as chief
witness with the defense.
County Men Testify
Called to vouch for the character
of one of the defense witnesses,
James Mcbride of Durant, was Ellis
E. Wynn of Lexington, Holmes
County sheriff, Raiford E. McNeer,
mayor-elect Of Durant. Also testi-
flying were w. E. Durham, Durant
city marshal, Marcus Rogers, and
Douglas Conn of Durant.
Ledbetter said fvey ran along
side him, on highway 30, June II,
blew his siren, pulled a gun and
told him to pull over. After making
Ledbetter help load the whiskey
from his car to Ivey's, the latter
took $3.50 from Ledbetter with the
order that he Ego back to Alabama
and not return, according to
the testimony Ledbetter' said the
incident occurred about $50 a. m,
when he was delivering a cargo OF
approximately 40 cases of whiskey
from a point in Louisiana to Annis-
ton, Ala. He said he picked up
Ivey's tag number, one mineral at
time, as he carried armfuls OF
bottles to Ivey's automobile. He said
he marked the numerals down on
the dust on his own car.
Ledbstfsr Traces Route
On the stand. Ledbetter traced his
route from the scene of the .hijack-
ing to a filling station five miles
away where he ate, then back to
Vicksburg, to Yazoo City, to Durant,
and to Kpsciusko. In Durant ne
stopped to ask an officer when
county was indicated by the num-
Der on the tag of the hi-jack car
Q16-09-)
The next day, with Ivey's car spot
ted, he said he confronted Ivey in
Kosciusko and demanded his money
back There were no witnesses to
the conversation. That several per-
sons witnessed the transfer OF
money about Is minutes later, after
Ney went to his home, was brought
| out in the Ledbetter testimony.
Ivey Tukes Stund
Ivey, who took the stand Tues
day in his own behalf said he left
his home in Kosciusko about mid
night Saturday, and drove to near
by inn for something to eat. He said
he picked up woman who wanted
ride to Walden and took her there
and after failing to get cabin at
Riley's Tourist court, slept in his
car. After a short nap, he drove
to Durant, where he stopped for a
bottle of beer at James McBride's
place, at which place he noticed a
man whom he later recognized as
lLedbetter, according to Ivey's testi-
mony.
Ivey said the next time he saw
Ledbetter was when the latter con-
fronted him in city hall at kosciu-
sko, and demanded that he give
him $500. Mcbride testified that the
two men were in his place on the
morning in question but that they
exchanged no conversation.
| He said that as Ivey drove off
Ledbetter jotted his Qvey's) tag
number down. The States attorney
I'M. M. MCGOWAN, called to the wit
ness stand, Mr.. Wynn and Mr.. Mo
lNeer. who testified to their opinions
Of McBride's veracity, attesting that
they would not believe the latter
under oath.
| Other witnesses called to the stand
were Alton Massey, mayor of Kos
ciusko, Stokes Sanders. editor OF
the Kosciusko Star-Herald; John Ed
Ivey, Jr., and Mrs. Ivey
i Marshall blackjack Powell was
scheduled for trial today on charges
of grand larceny and robbery with
} firearms for the hijacking Of Wood.
: row Biggs and Clyde Walton, tive
: Negroes allegedly employed at the
!, time by Ralph Wilson of Rankin
county. On Wednesday the trial was
| scheduled to start, but was held ur
with drawing a jury. All but TIVE
of the 12 jurors were chosen by late