By International News Service
Raleigh, N.C., May 9—Governor McLean today instructed Judge N.A. Sinclair, presiding judge of superior court, Martin county, to continue the trial of the men charged with mutilating Joe Needleman, young tobacco salesman, until the case is disposed of.
Through an error the court previously had been instructed to proceed for one week only. Prosecuting attorneys from Williamston, who were here to help straighten out the matter, indicated Solicitor Gilliam is anxious to bring F.W. Sparrow Jr., one of the defendants, to trial during the present session. Sparrow is now sick.
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Williamston, N.C., May 9—The state opened proceedings in the cases against five alleged members of a mob charged with mutilating Joe Needleman, a young salesman, today by attacking the alibies testified to yesterday by witnesses for the defense, most of the among the accused Dennis Griffin, the elder and younger Sparrows and Heath had submitted evidence tending to prove they were not with the mob.
Allen Griffin, the State’s first rebuttal witness who has admitted that he was in the crowd, today identified Dennis Griffin, Julian Bullock, Clair Heath and the two Sparrows as members of the mob. He stated he had been in close proximity to all of them and could not be mistaken. The witness admitted however that he did not see the mutilation and did not know who had performed the operation on Needleman. Other witnesses followed with further identification of the alleged mutilators.
The trial of the mob, or the work of the mob, may mean that Martin county is to have a brand new sheriff and a brand new clerk of the court and even in the excitement of the trial for the past day or so the local politicians are said to e busy “lining up” suitable candidates for the two expected vacancies.
From the front page of the Durham Sun, Sunday morning, May 10, 1925
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn84020732/1925-05-10/ed-1/seq-1/
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