The Lexington advertiser. [volume] (Lexington, Miss.) 1904-1985, 1951-04-19
First Raid Case
Heard Thursday
- q.
In Circuit Court
State vs.. Word
On Docket Today;
CuII2 Venires

wen uiioel way On us neaVY
criminal docket with sessions
which began Monday, Holmes
County Circuit court Thursday
morning was expected to con-
tinue testimony on the State YER
sus John Pettus case which be-
gan Wednesday afternoon. The
first to be tried of those stem
ming from the Guard raids, the
case supersedes that of State
versus Norvell Ward, earlier set
on the docket for today. The de-
PENDANT in the latter case, Du-
rant negro, is charged with first
degree murder in the piston
shooting of Charlie Russum,
Goodman negro, on January al.
Court officials are Judge Ar
thur Jordan, Court Stenographer
Pearl Mcclellan of Greenwood,
District Attorney Stanny Sand
ers, Holmes Prosecuting Attorney
Pat M. Barrett, Circuit Clerk Min
ME Jordan, and Sheriff Ellis E
Wynn. Deputy Sheriff George
Bailey said special venires Of Is
and 100 men had been called in
readiness for today and April l6.
when the case State versus Louis
Rogers is set on the dockets for
hearing.
Argument on the Pettus case
attempted bringing into question
the legality of National Guard
and state militia raids of three
weeks back.
Try Change Of Venue
Highlighting the courtroom
scene in the beginning sessions
was motion for change of venue
by attorneys of eight defendants
charged with possession of liquor,
on grounds that the defendants
could not get fair trial in Holmes
county. Denied by the court
was this motion and subsequent
motion for continuance Cases
concerned were State versus
Herbert Downer, Judson Lee
Drane, H. L. Malone, Jr., Jimmy
McNair, Jimmy McNair and Mrs.
Jimmy McNair, R. c. Holder.
John Pettus and Orlando Powell,
two cases.
Settled outside of court was the
case State versus Walter Gre
meene, when the defendant pied
guilty to manslaughter in connec-
ton with the death March Is OF
Barbara Ann Drew of Durant, 8.
following an automobile crash.
In the State versus Mingo Nor
rison case, a plea of mot guilty"
was changed to guilty" after trial
began. Morrison, Lexington ne
gro, charged with assault on A. r.
Carroll on August H.. was sem
fenced two years in the State
Penitentiary. Attorneys for the
defense were William Barbour
and Decell of Yazoo City. Fred
Smith, Holmes negro, Wednesday
was found guilty of burglary ct
| cotton from the place of John
Killebrew, Goodman, on October
18, in the State versus Fred Smith
case.
Jurors Listed
Jurors for the Fred Smith case
were: J. H. McNeer, Melvin Wells
Calvin Ussery, o. J. Farmer.
Charles Taylor, Ephraim Cohen,
Conway Powell, Aubrey Hath
cock, Howard Hocutt, Lester
Bradley, j. B. Sims, Victor Tate
Jurors for the State versus Min
60 Morrison case were: James
Hester, ]. B. Sims, j. H. McNeer,
Durwood Smith, Charles Taylor,
Earl Mcdaniel, Calvin Ussery.
Aolis Donald, Jr., Aubrey Harth>
cock, Lee Herring, r. L. Me-
C1esky, and Paul Phillips.
Other cases to be tried this
term include that of Jack Holt
Robert Conn, and Eugene WigleH
in connection with $4,000 theft on
March 7 from w. r. Cross, Walden
sawmill and lumberman. The
case is scheduled on the docket
I L L.