Superior Court at Dobson adjourned last Friday at noon after spending two weeks for the trial of criminal cases. The civil docket was supposed to have been taken up the second week of court but owing to the heavy criminal docket the Judge continued to work on it in an effort to clear it up.
Colen Easter, who submitted to a second degree murder charge, was sentenced to the penitentiary for eight years. Easter killed his cousin, Fred Easter, some weeks ago up in Stewart’s Creek township, and the exact cause of the trouble is still a bit of a mystery. There were some things about the circumstances that the witnesses were unable to unravel, and the State never could find any motive for the killing. The element of uncertainty caused the Judge not to pass a heavier sentence on the young man.
After attending court during the entire sessions, the case of Sid Vaughn finally came up for trial on Friday. Sid was convicted of having too much liquor stored away in his home and sentenced to 12 months on the roads in the Recorders Court of Mount Airy township, from which sentence Sid appealed to Dobson. Here he received a sentence of 16 months on the roads and noted an appeal to the Supreme Court.
Bud Glidewell was before the court the last days with a bond making an effort to have the Judge accept it and relieve him of his service on the roads. But for some reasons the bond was not accepted and now Bud must serve his sentence.
Charlie Jessup of Westfield was convicted of manslaughter. This charge grew out of the accident in which O.N. Swanson was killed several months ago. It was charged that Jessup, while under the influence of liquor, recklessly drove his car into that occupied by Mr. Swanson, so injuring him that he lived only a few days. Jessup was given a term of 14 months in the penitentiary. An appeal was taken to the Supreme Cou8rt from this verdict.
W.A. (“Billie”) Hawks was before the Judge for contempt of court, it being charged that he had intimidated a witness in a criminal proceeding against his son, Porter. Some months ago Mr. Hawks lost his feed barn by fire, and it was charged that he told this witness if he testified against his son he would lay the blame for the burning of the barn on him and start prosecution against him in the criminal court. At the hearing before Judge Long at Dobson, Hawks was presented numbers of strong affidavits from business and professional men of Mount Airy as to Mr. Hawks’ character. After hearing all sides in the case, Judge Long imposed a fine of $250 on Mr. Hawks.
In the last hours of the court, through the efforts of his attorneys, Sanford Bell was able to induce the Judge to reduce his sentence of 12 months on the road for retailing to 90 days, with a provision which allowed the county commissioners to hire him out. Mr. Campbell has been hired to his son-in-law by the commissioners for 90 days at $25 per month.
From the Mount Airy News, Nov. 9, 1921
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