Flora Journal-Record

              The Flora
YOU SHOULD READ THE JOURNAL-RECORD ^THE NEWSIEST NEWSPAPER IN CLAY COUNTY
VOLUME  X ""^^^ JOURNAIi, Vol. 62.    No. 6
FLORA, ILLINOIS. THURSDAY. FEBRUARY 9. 1922
NUMBER 21'
ED HALL CORVICTED \m BARK ROBBERY
In OrcuH (^rt at Salem Last SaU
ui-day and Sentenced to From 10
li'eara to Life In TenitentJar}-
JjEX havl acx}uitte» but hkld
Flora cxiierienced an exodus of citizens to Salem last week equal to it not surpassing the number of rail¬ road clerks to Washington the first Of the year. Nearly a hundred citi¬ zens trekod to the Marion county capital to play various roles in the Circait Court now In session in that city. Some as officials some as wit¬ nesses and—some as prisoners.
The trial of Ed and Lex Hall bro¬ thers, for robbery of the luka State Bank, was set for Tuesday, but it was Thursday afternoon before a jury was empaneled. State's Attor¬ ney Pew aud Hon. E. B. Vandervoort represented the people, while Chas. Holt, of Salem, and Lewis & Lewts ot Olney, appeared for the defense. Erery Inch of the ground was stub¬ bornly contested and the case was not finally given to the jury until Saturday night.
Mr. and Mrs. Herschell Holstlaw. Miss Mildred Kelly and the janitor of the baak positively identified Ed Hall as one of the robbers and par¬ tially identified Lex Hall as another. Ed Hall was alao positively identified by a Mr. Peer and his son as the driver ot a car which stalled in the mud near their bome a few days prior to the robbery and the car was identified by a number of witnesses. Including the Peers, as the car in which the robbers fled after looting the bank. Bd Hall was also Identified as the driver by a druffltner who met tbe car fleeing from pursuers a short time after the robbery.
A cap which blew off the bead of one of the fleeing miscreants and which had writtenon the Inside "E. Hall, Flora, 111." and which led to the arrest of the Halls, was also Iden¬ tified by two women who picked the cap up after the machine had passed.
As soon as the state rested, tbe witnesses for the defense were called and It became apparent at once that the entire defense would be support¬ ed by an alibi.
Some forty or fifty witnesses were introduced in support of thfs con¬ tention, first to prove that Lex HaU was in Flora all day on Dec. 20, the day of tbe robbery and secohd that Bd Hall was in Kincaid until five o'clock on that dayand that he came to Flora on the north train whleh reached Flora at 11:60 that night.
No serious attempt to attack the Lex Hall altbl was made though a number of reputable citizens from Flora had been subpoenaed as char¬ acter witnesses. It Ib believed that the presence of these witnesses de¬ terred the defense from putting either of the defendants on the stand
The alibi offered for Ed Hall was shot full Of holes by the testimony of railroad officials and trafnmen who declared Ed Hall was not on the train on the night in question. This contention was supported by railroad policemen Ross Kitley, H. F. Buzan dnd Robert Kitley and Conductor J. L. Tlbbs. flagman Van Reed and others. The jury evidently rejected the alibi testimony for Ed Hall for they promptly voted a conviction and he was sentenced on Wednesday by Judge Wright to the'penitentiary for a term of ten years to life.
On the Lex Hall verdict it Is re¬ ported the Jury ffrst stood 11 to 1 lor a conviction. Later the vote for'* acquittal was unanimous. Lex Hall was immediately re-arrested on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon and was held in Jail.
Marion county officials are not at all satisfied wfth the alibi evidence offered and have already arrested •ome ot the witnesses tor perjury and it is understood Intend to arrest others and to make a seafbhing in- Testigatlon at least aa to all of the Ed HaU'wltnesses.
Detectives are still searching for tbe loot of the robbery and some evidence ts comij^g to light which points to the recovery of at least a portion ot It.
SEDAN IDEICTIFIED
BIG  SE.XTON  FACTORY  FORCE
On Monday, J. C. Kruse, of Viu- cenneacame to Flora In search of a Ford sedan which waa stolen In VIn¬ cennes some two months ago. He was driven to Louisville where he readfly and positively identified u sedan which was much in evidence here about a month ago. It was found abandoned near the Webster achool bouse, a mile north of Flora. ¦Jt was driven Into town and turned over to sheriff McElyea and taken to Louisville for storage until the March term of the Circuit Court.
Mr. Kruse was very desirous of taking the car hack to VIncennes wfth him, but the sheriff insisted on .boldlng It until court convenes, bwen it promises to become an Im¬ portant factor In Investigations which are now going on.
MRS. G. 6. LEWIS HOSTESS'
At her commodious home on Eaat North avenue on last Wednesday evening, M«. G. O. Lewis very pleas¬ antly entiertained the Past Noble Grands of the Rebekah lodge. A de¬ lightful social time was enjoyed. De¬ licious refreshments were a feature of the evening. Ladles present.: The boetess, Mrs. Lewis. Mrs. J. L. Brad¬ ley, Mrs. Chas. Wflaon, Mrs. Chas. Orp'-nwood. Mrs. A. W. Irwin, Mrs. O. W. Zfnk, Mrs. Mary Brown, Mra. Rena Klnnnaman, Mrs. August Hart¬
ln conversation with Manager Ed Williams of the Sexton factory here, and E. R. Bailey, who Just recently resigned the position, we were in¬ formed that the Sexton Industrial plant has now th9 largest working force in the history of the factory, there befng more than 130 people employed.
Mr. Bailey has been busily engag¬ ed since bis resignation in securing extra women and girls In the sur¬ rounding southern Illinois counties and the first of the week had so many new ones that three ot them had to be sent to their Salem factory be¬ cause they did not have facilities for giving them instruction here.
In these times when there are so many factories closed and thousands unemployed, a factory running to full capacity Is a big asset to a small city like Flora and should be and doubtless is, properly appreciated. We need more stash plants.
NEW srPKRI.\TE.\I>E.\T AXI>
MA.NAGER OF THE TAK.VRK '       FARM
Rolla B. Henry was called to Chf¬ cago last week to consult with Col. J. Mack Tanner a proposition to un¬ dertake tbe munagenment of the Tanner orchards in this county. Col. Tanner Is still in the hospital in that city and It was desired to procure a competent man as general superin¬ tendent and manager of bi.