Lumberton, N.C., July 21 (AP)—Judge N.A. Sinclair, presiding at the trial of three men charged with flogging two women received an anonymous letter advising him to “use your influence and brain in exonerating this guiltless servants.”
The letter bore a postmark indicating it was mailed here at 5:30 yesterday. At the same time that one was stamped, an unsigned letter to Stephen McIntyre, volunteer assistant to Solicitor McNeil, accusing McIntyre of “Persecution” was mailed.
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Lumberton, July 20—the trial of Mike Lawson, John Hedgepeth and Jule Brogden on charges growing out of the flogging of two women near Proctorville on the night of April 14, which began Tuesday morning, is nearing its close. At 3:40 this afternoon examination of witnesses was ended and counsel agreed to limit argument to 7 hours, 3 ½ hours for each side.
Only a few witnesses were put on by the state this afternoon and counsel for defense rested after putting on a few witnesses in rebuttal.
Mrs. Mary Watson, one of the victims of the flogging on the night of April 14 in Proctorville, swore on the stand this morning that Lawson was the only one of the men she recognized, that he was the one who used the strap. She said she did not believe her brother, John Hedgepeth, had ever lifted his hand against her and that she loved him and would gladly change places with him if she could. Her husband, Sam Watson, she said, is meaner than old Satan wants him to be and was the cause of her and the children being at the home of Mrs. Hattie Purvis, the other victim, that night.
Mrs. Watson said that her husband was the cause of the whole thing and she gave even more evidence than she gave at the first hearing. Many were looking for her to say that she did not recognize any of the men, but they were disappointed, as she told emphatically of recognizing Mike Lawson.
Norine Watson gave positive testimony as to recognizing Jule Brogden on account of his eyes, and Aristo Purvis was certain he recognized John Hedgepeth.
The strong alibi which the defense has built up for Lawson was in some instances completely torn down this morning and only a few parts of it were left standing in a prominent light, after the state had put on a number of witnesses for the purpose. The defense used many things against the witnesses and were in some cases impeaching, where the witnesses admitting to having had trouble with Lawson about liquor.
The strongest testimony offered by the state was that of E.G. Mitchell, who swore that he saw a car parked near the station at Fairmount about 9 o’clock on the night in question and saw the defendant Mike Lawson and P.P. Smith get into the car and drive off in the direction of Proctorville. Counsel for the defense did not try to impeach his testimony with any of the other methods previously used on the self-admitted partakers of liquor.
The state opened this morning by offering Dr. E.E. Hardin, county health officer, who testified that he examined Mrs. Purvis and Mrs. Watson on the 20th of April, six days after the flogging.
He described the wounds and by following his notes gave an exact description. There was a lot of discoloration and large bruises.
From the front page of the Tri-City Daily Gazette, Leaksville, N.C., Saturday, July 21, 1923
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