The Lexington advertiser. [volume] (Lexington, Miss.) 1904-1985, 1963-05-16
Deputy Sheriff Smith


Three men were reported by
the Turnbows' as fleeing the
scene, two OF them positive
ly identified as white.
No Insurance
Extensive damage was
done to the interior of the
Turnbow home which had
just been repainted, inside
and out, new screened por-
ches added, and other i'm
provements made costing a.
bout $4,000, with the man
doing the work himself. No
insurance was carried on the
home or furnishings, or any
member of the family.
Turnbow Juiled
Despite his report of what
happened, Turnbow was
jailed by Deputy Smith late
Wednesday afternoon and
charged with arson. He re-
manned in Jail until Friday
afternoon when he was able
to make $500 bond.
Preliminary Hearing
A preliminary hearing was
held Monday morning before
Justice of the Peace ]. B.
Kelly in Tchula, with Coun-
ty Attorney Pat M. Barrett
as prosecutor of the charges
preferred by Deputy Smith.
After testimony from De-
putty Smith, and on the re-
commentator of Attorney
Barrett, Turnbow was con-
tinued under his present
$500 bond to await the ac-
ton of the Holmes County
Grand Jury in October.
Four Released
Four other Negroes, who
had been jailed on the same
day in connection with the
same case. were released by
the JP Court for lack of evil
dence. They had been in
Jail from Wednesday until
Monday with their bond set
at $500 each.
One of the four, Robert
Moses of Greenwood, leader
of a SNCC voter registration
project, was also tried on a
charge of impeding an in
vestigation" in the same case.
The charge was preferred
by Deputy Smith Wednesday
morning at the Turnbow
home when Moses was TAX
ing pictures. Constable Bob
Gillespie had told Moses to
stop taking pictures that
morning. according to testi-
mony offered by the Deputy
Sheriff.
Smith testified that the ac-
ton of Moses in taking his
picture did ''harass' and was
"upsetting" to him personal
ly. Smith did not ever say
that he had given Moses any
order to stop taking pictures.
He said he told him he was
under arrest and seized his
camera.
Judge Kelly found Moses
guilty as charged and as
sessed him with a $4,000 fine
and costs.
81 believe this is a plain
thing and / believe you are
guilty. he said, Il could
give you some days on that"
Moses appealed to Circuit
Court, saying, 81 am not
guilty of this" He told the
Court that "the other man.
had told him casually, in
passing through the room,
that he guessed he'd better
wait until the Sheriff came
before he took any more
pictures.
The other three young Ne
groes, who were released
Monday, all voter registra-
ton workers, and a fourth
person, had visited the She
riff Wednesday afternoon to
ask him what the charges
were against Moses. He re-
portedly asked them which
of them were at the home OF
Turnbow that morning.
whereupon three OF them
raised their hand. He then
told them they were under
arrest and put them IN jail.
The charges, from which
they were freed Monday was
they did feloniously, will
fully, ~unlawfully and mall
ciously set fire to and burn
the dwelling house belong
ing to c. Belle Leflore."
The three thus charged
were Laverne Cor Lavaughn)
Hampton, %, a native OF
Holmes County, now living
in Greenwood; Hollis Wat
kins, 20, who was born IN
Summit and now works IN
Greenwood; and Zach Ed
ward (John) Ball, q. who is
a native of Greenwood and
has lived his entire life there.
Agents of the Federal Bu-
&c Touoctiootion the in.