Mob that Mutilated Man Put Whole State to Shame, May 10, 1925

Martin County Incident Put the Whole State to Shame, Declared Congressman Lindsay Warren in Opening for State. . . Tells Jurors Eyes of Nation Are Upon Them. . . Griffin, Alleged Chief Offender, Bitterly Excoriated by the State Attorney. . . Court Quits for Week. . . It is Believed It Will be Late Monday Before a Verdict Can be Reached

Williamston, May 9—Arguments in the trial of Henry Dennis Griffin, Julian Bullock, F.W. Sparrow Sr., and Claro Heath, charged with performing a serious operation on Joseph Needleman, tobacco salesman, on the morning of March 29, were begun in Martin county superior court this afternoon.

Lindsay Warren, congressman from the first North Carolina district, who is assisting in the prosecution of the four men, was the first to address the jury. He was followed by Fred I. Sutton of Kinston, attorney for the defendants Sparrow and Heath. Each spoke for more than an hour.

Following Mr. Sutton’s argument, the court was adjourned until 9:30 o’clock Monday morning, at which time the argument will be resumed. Seven speeches are yet to be made and the case will not get to the jury before late Monday afternoon.

Warren Addresses Jury

Before court adjourned this afternoon, counsel for F.W. Sparrow Jr. indicated as one of the principals in the case, were notified that their client would be placed on trial next week. Sparrow as unable to go on trial Wednesday because of illness, but he has fully recovered, his physicians state, and has been returned to the Martin county jail, pending trial. Rebuttal testimony, offered by the state, consumed the entire morning session of the court. Additional character witnesses were also offered by the defense.

In his address to the jury, Mr. Warren described the crime against Needleman as “the most atrocious ever committed in North Carolina, or in any other state.” He said that the eyes of the nation are on North Carolina, waiting to see what the state will do with the alleged perpetrators of the crime.

Mr. Warren referred to the fact that North Carolina went for four years without a show of mob violence and declared that the Martin county incident put the whole state to shame. He said it was up to Martin county jury to convict the defendants. He denounced in no uncertain terms Henry Dennis Griffin, who, he asserted, was the chief offender, saying tha this offense ‘would put to shame the crimes committed in the days of thumb screws and torture.”

Sutton Stresses Alibis

Mr. Stutton spoke at length concerning the alibies offered by his clients and declared that the real perpetrators of the crimes were the ones who went into court and attempted to fasten the crime on others, in order that they might escape punishment.

“It makes no difference,” he said “whether these men are from Robersonville, Kinston or Griffin township. They are all North Carolinians and are entitled to consideration. He declared that Mr. Warren’s speech had been like the old fashioned hoop skirt, covering a lot of territory but touching nothing.

The trial has attracted large crowds during the week. Following the crime which was committed on March 29, Governor A.W. McLean called a special term of court for the trial of the alleged members of the mob. Seventeen of the 32 defendants indicted by the grand jury have pleaded guilty.

From the front page of the Goldsboro News, Sunday morning, May 10, 1925

newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn93064755/1925-05-10/ed-1/seq-1/