100 years ago
March 2, 1924
Petitions for release under a writ of habeas corpus, filed by six of the negroes of Phillips county, convicted of murder as result of the Elaine uprising of 1919, were dismissed through an order of abatement issued by Judge Jacob Trieber in United States District Court yesterday. The cause of the order was lack of prosecution, it was said. The six negroes are: Frank Moore, Ed and Frank Hicks, J. E. Knox, Ed Coleman and Paul Hall. They originally were given death sentences, and after twice receiving new trials, through decisions of the Supreme Court, the sentences were commuted to 12 years imprisonment by Governor McRae November 5, 1923. The petition for writs of habeas corpus have been pending since 1921.
50 years ago
March 2, 1974
CUMMINS PRISON FARM -- Sixteen employees at Cummins Prison Farm, including more than half the professional farming staff, resigned Friday in the wake of continued criticism of the current prison administration. There are a total of 159 employees at the farm. The employees were critical of Cummins Superintendent A. L. (Art) Lockhart and farm administrator Rex McClaren. ... Lockhart said he didn't believe the grievances that some cited were justified. "I have done everything possible to look into the situation," he added.
25 years ago
March 2, 1999
WEST HELENA -- Johnny Weaver, 47, a retired West Helena firefighter, was declared Monday the winner of a disputed mayoral runoff, making him the city's first black mayor. In a long-awaited decision, Special Circuit Judge Kim Smith ruled that Weaver received the majority of votes in the Nov. 24 runoff, with 1,384 to incumbent Mayor Riley Porter's 1,316. ... Weaver becomes the fourth black in a major east Arkansas town to win the latest mayoral general election. He joins Robert Miller Jr. of Helena and Larry Bryant of Forrest City, both elected mayor for the first time in November, and Robert Taylor of Marianna, re-elected mayor.
10 years ago
March 2, 2014
By Saturday evening, crews had nearly finished demolishing the far-right portion of the historic Majestic Hotel that caught fire Thursday in Hot Springs and burned for nearly 48 hours. Workers started tearing down the building Friday afternoon after the flames were pushed back to the structure's center. More heavy equipment was moved in Saturday to finish the job. ... Majestic Hotel owner Garrison Hassenflu, a developer from Kansas City, Mo., arrived in Hot Springs on Saturday morning and spent the day meeting with city officials and environmental technicians. ... Owners closed the Majestic Hotel in 2006, and Hassenflu's company -- Park Residences Development LLC -- acquired the property in 2012 after a nonprofit failed to turn it into a mix of retail space, apartments and condominiums.