The age-herald., 1898-09-21
Placed on Trial Charged With COmmis-
 sion of the Deed.
BOB TAYLOR PLEADED GUILTY
And Implicated the Other Defendants Damaging Testimony Adduced by the Government-Trial Will
 Consume Rest of Week.

Jasper Robinson, charged with waylaying and murdering w. A. Thompson, near his home in Talladega, on March IA, last, was begun in the United States court yesterday and will probably consume the rest of the week.
 The court room was crowded with wit nesses types of the Alabama ntain- ger, who were friends and relatives of the deceased, and of the defendants.
 The special venire of thirty names from which to select jury was examined be- fore it was completed, four additional names being supplied by the marshal. Af- ter the defense had challenged sixteen and the prosecution five, the jury was com pleted as follows:
 James Donovan F. M. Satterfield, T. H. Hamilton, w. J. Bryan, George Washing ton, Mack Coming, William Allen, T. B. Garen, Sam Gilmore, Frank Jeffries, P. G. Pendergrass and G. D. Fowler.
 The six defendants, including Bob Tay- Tor, who turned states evidence, and plead ed guilty to the charge, occupied seats near the jury box and gave marked attention to the proceedings. The witnesses were called and sworn and were put under the
 
 ' ernment witness, was also put under the rule, and was sent out in charge of depu- ty marshal.
 The entire morning was consumed with these proceedings, and adjournment was taken until p. m.
 , At the appointed hour Attorney Lee Cow art, for the defense, and Assistant District Attorney Shelby Pleasants, for the govern : ment, announced ready and J. T. Martin was the first witness called. Martins Evidence
 Mr. Martin was a member of the coro- ner's jury which held an inquest over the remains of Thompson, and he told of the location of the several wounds which were found on the murdered man. He also told of the surroundings at the place where the Y body of Thompson was found, and swore that he saw shoe track in some ashes which showed the imprint of the big toe, indicating that the shoe which made the track was worn.
 pr. R. A. Mosely was called and swore that Thompson made affidavits before him as United States commissioner against some of the defendants for violations of the internal revenue laws, and appeared against lH6ll III ll0 S<NAAe' tiop.
 W. A. Hanlin, deputy collector, testified that he had destroyed an illicit distillery near the home of Dodger Blankenship on information furnished by Thompson.
 s. M Handby. foreman of the United States grand jury in March, 1897, was in troduced, but of his own knowledge did not remember that Thompson testified against
 itaCt ind ments were returned. By a check mark, however, he was sure that Thompson had appeared before the grand jury.
 E. T. Broadway deputy clerk of the court was introduced to prove that indict- ments had been returned against certain of the defendants charged with violations of the intetrnal revenue laws, which was admitted by Attorney Cowart.
 Raiding the Still
 Jesse Phillips was --.e next witness caled He testified that at the time of the murder of Thompson he was city marshal of Syl- acauga and that previous to that time he accompanied Deputy Collector Hamlin and Mitchell on the raid during which the still near Blankenship's house was 4stroyed
 MT. Phillips further testified that the party returned to Sylacauga and at the instance of MT. Hamlin he arrested Blank enshp, who asked him if Thompson had furnished the information on which he was arrested. He swore that he refused to either confirm or deny that Thompson fur nished the information, and that Blanken- ship replied: If find out that he (Thomp son) did it, C. d. him, I'll kill him, if it costs me my life. He also testified that he heard Blankenship say to Mitchell: 'Ill get even with him.
 Notes Made Threats Ben Morris, the next witness testified that he knew Thompson during his life time, and also knew the defendants; that he had talked to Chess Notes about Thompson; that he met Notes one day and that he told him ((Morris) that he had left home to kill Thompson, but could not find him.
 He also testified that Blankenshp said if Thompson ever bothered him he would kill him.
 Cobb Morris testified that he knew the deceased and the defendants; that he heard Chess Notes say when asked if he could stand certain testimony given by Thompson against him in civil suit, say: This isn't all the time; I'll see him again. r. A pair of rough brogan shoes were shown the witness which he identified as the same he knew Thompson and Jno Littlejohn one Notes smoke-house about six weeks ago at the instigation of Special Officer Bell.
 James Green was called and testified that he kne Thompson and John Littlejohn, one of the defendants Had talk with Little john and asked him why they didn't fur nish them with any more whisky, to which he said Iittlejohn replied: "We might have to kill another man. You will have to wait until the excitement quiets down before you get any more whisky" On cross-examnation the witness ad- mitted that Littlejohn often joked about whisky, but did not know if he was joking when he spoke of having to kill anoth CT