“Trial Over”

Trial Over. Advertiser: Nine of the twenty-five negroes arrested for killing J. W. Dorsey and seriously wounding Town Marshal Fate Atkinson of Opp, last Wednesday, were ordered to jail without bail at Andalusia yesterday after a preliminary hearing and six of them were brought to Montgomery last night and lodged in the county jail. Three others In jail at Geneva. Sixteen of the negroes were discharged. Sheriff J. T. Bradshaw of Covington county, who brought the negroes to Montgomery, reports that the situation at Andalusia and Opp is quiet and that Marshal Atkinson is still alive. The negroes were brought to Montgomery by Sheriff Bradshaw, W. S. Prestwood and G. W. Duncan, Deputy Sheriffs. One of the negroes, Frank Davis, is so badly wounded that he had to be brought to Montgomery on a stretcher and it is expected that he will die. He is said to have been one of the leaders of the party of negroes which attacked Marshal Atkinson and he was riddled with bullets by the arresting posse. The military company sent to Andalusia from Greenville remained there until the trial of the negroes yesterday morning and returned to Greenville on the same train which transported Sheriff Bradshaw, his deputies and their prisoners to Montgomery. The train left Andalusia-at 12:30 o’clock yesterday. The military company and the officers and their prisoners remained at Georgiana until the arrival of the northbound Louisville and Nashville passenger train. The Sheriff reached Montgomery with the prisoners about 6 o’clock. The negroes in the Montgomery jail are Dick Davis, Edwin Powell, Tom English, Jeff Taylor, Emanuel Casty and Frank Davis. The negroes in the Geneva county jail are Bud McIntosh, Will Chatman and an unknown negro. These negroes will remain in jail until a special term of the Circuit Court of Covington county can be convened to give them a trial. Sheriff Bradshaw said: Solicitor R. H. Parks of Troy reached Andalusia Friday night, coming there upon my request through the Governor, and we decided to have the preliminary trials of the negroes Monday morning. This was agreeable to the Solicitor and the trials took place this morning, before L. J. Salter and J. M. Snead, Justices of the Peace. In his speech Solicitor Parks said that he would ask the Governor to call a special term of the Circuit Court so that the negroes might have a speedy trial. Sixteen of the negroes were released and were taken in charge by their employers, Rozier and Williams, I understand they were to leave Andalusia for Opp last night.