Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-07-24

fair trial, but ! am naturally
disappointed in the verdict OF
the jury. My position right
along has been that this court
does not have jurisdiction, and
proof of that is that Congress
is now engaged in debate on a
so-called civil rights bill re-
garding the protection of the
right of citizens to vote.
1T seems elementary to NE
that if the Federal Court has
the authority to issue the broad
injunction which it has is
sued and is now enforcing, the
court also has the power to
issue an Injunction protecting
the right of citizens to vote,
and to enforce such an in
junction in the same manner
as this injunction is being en-
| forced.
This verdict establishes 9
pattern for government by in
junction which destroys all oui
constitutional rights"
Plans New Fight
Kasper himself said he was
Surprised and planned an ap-
peal. The 27-year-old racist
who warned before the verdict
was in that "if they try to en-
roll Negroes at Clinton this
fall. somebody's going to gel
killed" indicated he was about
to move along.
I'm going to Nashville when
school opens in the fall and
fight indignation there" Kas-
per said.
The first grade in Nashville
schools will be integrated, but
whether K4sper is there to as
sist at the school opening will
depend on what happens to a
number of appeals and motions
he has pending.
AS soon as the jury an
nounced its verdict, the jurors
were dismissed. A cross-section
of white Protestant east Ten
nesSee, the 10 men and two
women averaged slightly over
81 years OF age. The youngest
was 81. the eldest 70. With the
exception of one juror who was
born Just across the nearby
North Carolina line. all were
Tennessee natives.
In a trial where one Baptist
preacher was a defendant and
another was the victim of an
assault, a majority of the jur-
ors were Baptists. One a
Seventh Day Adventist-caused
Judge Taylor to abstain from
holding court on Saturday, the
Adventists' Sabbath.
Bonds Reduced
Following dismissal of the
Jury, bond for the convicted
defendants was reduced from
earlier levels of $4,000 to 1000
to a uniform 81 900 each.
The jurors began delibera-
ton at 1923 am. (EDT) yes
terday after a 53-minute
charge to which Judge Taylor
later appended a two-minute
addendum.
In his charge. the jurist
stressed that the question of
segregation VS.. indignation was
not at issue before the court.
The only question. he said, was
whether the defendants had
violated a court order.
But even after the judges
charge to the jury. observers
in the court continued to
watch for an answer to the
overshadowing question behind
the whole proceeding:
Will a white Southern jury
convict white Southern de-
PENDANTS in a case so closely
tied up with normal Southern
social patterns?
The quick and resounding
response Of the jury surprised
virtually everyone in the court
room. At 3:l3 pm. the jury
returned with its verdict
against seven Of the II de-
PENDANTS.
Fewer Convictions Forecast :
Informally. most observers
had speculated that a verdict
against Kasper and three, or
possibly only two others. would
constitute a victory for the
Government and q vindication
OF Judge Taylor's court order Of
last year The prediction that
seven would be convicted was
unheard Of.
The trial was watched par
ticularly closely because Of its