Judge Webb’s well-known proclivity to slap road sentences on violators of the Prohibition law came into full play Thursday afternoon when nearly every person appearing before him on whiskey cases received a term to serve on the county roads. The criminal docket was finished Thursday afternoon, so far as was possible, with the conviction of three negro boys on a charge of breaking and entering.
Besides the trial of Charlie Bomgardner, the high-light in Wednesday’s and Thursday’s dockets were as follows:
Luther Pruitt was declared no guilty of a charge of possessing and transporting liquor. It developed that he had carried three negroes form Blacksburg to Kings Mountain, ho were in a more or less intoxicated condition, but the jury held that this was insufficient evidence to find him connected with the beverages.
Mattie Bradford of Rutherford county, was also acquitted of the charge of carrying a concealed weapon. Precedents cited by her attorney, C. B. McBrayer, indicted that under the circumstances in her case, she was justified in carrying the pistol in her pocket.
Church Jackson, charged with the possession of a pint of liquor, was found guilty by the jury, and the court fined him $10 and costs. Julius Gamble, Blaine Hollifield, Bart Wall and McSwain, indicted under the same warrant were acquitted.
In the last case of the afternoon, three negro boys, Willis Odom, Eli Odom and Jacob Clements, were charged with breaking and entering the store of Stamey Co., and stealing therefrom a quantity of merchandise as well as about $65 in cash. The three of them pled guilty, but their lawyer, B. T. Falls, showed the court that two of them were under age and consequently outside the jurisdiction of the court. Hence Willis Odom was given a sentence of 6 months in the county jail, and the two others were sentenced to appeal before the Judge of the Juvenile Court, Geo. P. Webb, Saturday.
Sentences Imposed
Judge Webb also found time to impose five sentences, besides the ones mentioned above, during the course of his afternoon’s work, of which the four-months sojourn in the county given to Charlie Bumgardner attracted the most interest. Mr. Hoey, counsel for the defense, brought out that the jury’s decision, in accordance with the instructions of the court, had been rendered on a technicality, and that there was no evidence to show that the defendant was guilty of any criminal intention. The sentenced imposed by Judge Webb is the lightest that the law permits for an offense of this kind.
Wash Harlow, convicted of manufacturing intoxicating beverages, was sentenced to three months on the roads of No. 6 township, despite the plea for a suspended sentence made by his counsel. His offense occurred two years ago.
Forest Chapman received three months for embezzlement, while Clarence Bostic, convicted of possessing materials for the manufacture of liquor, was fined 4100 and costs, and placed under a $200 bond for good behavior during a period of 18 months.
Clyde Beatty, charged with F. and A. was fined $75 and costs, and likewise placed under a good behavior bond.
Many cases were continued due to the absence of witnesses, and for other causes. However, the docket was considerably lightened during the four days which have been given to the criminal cases thus far.
From the front page of The Cleveland Star, Shelby, N.C., Friday, July 30, 1926
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn97064509/1926-07-30/ed-1/seq-1/
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