“ Newspapers, in the enjoyment of their constitutional rights, may not deprive accused persons of their right to fair trial. These convictions, accompanied by such events, do not meet any civilized conception of due process of law. That alone is sufficient, to my mind, to warrant reversal.
But that is not all. Of course, such a crime stirred deep feeling and was exploited to the limit by the press. These defendants were first taken to the county jail of Lake County. A mob gathered and demanded that defendants be turned over to it. ”

“ But projudicial influences outside the courtroom, becoming all too typical of a highly publicized trial, were brought to bear on this jury with such force that the conclusion is inescapable that these defendants were prejudged as guilty and the trial was but a legal gestrue to register a verdict already dictated by the press and the public opinion which is generated. ”

“ The Negroes of the community abandoned their homes and fled.
Every detail of these passion-arousing events was reported by the press under such headlines as, 'Night Riders Burn Lake Negro Homes' and 'Flames From Negro Homes Light Night Sky in Lake County.' These and many other articles were highly prejudicial, including a cartoon published at the time of the grand jury, picturing four electric chairs and headed, 'No Compromise-Supreme Penalty.'
Counsel for defendants made two motions, one to defer the trial until the passion had died out and the other for a change of venue. These were denied. ”