The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-15
Closing Scenes in the Trial of
 Cofman for Killing Minister
COURT ROOM WAS CROWDED
The Case Went to the Jury at 4:45 O'Clock in the Afternoon and No Verdict Has Been
 Reached.

The fate of Rhenna D. Coffman now rests with the jury. The charge of Judge Samuel E. Greene before whom the case has been tried, was finished at quarter after o'clock yesterday and the jury gathered up their hats and retired. At 10 o'clock 1t was announced that the jury had gone to bed and there would be no verdict during the night.
 No case which has been tried In Bir- mingham for years has elicited so much interest as this one. The entire popula- ton of Brookside, the little town where the tragedy happened has one time or another appeared In court either as wit nesses or spectators, and crowd stood up for over an hour yesterday in the Criminal Court room while Judge Greene charged the Jury.
 The defendant while in court occupied his usual seat between his wife and his sister. Just behind them sat his father and his mother and his wife's father and mother. Mrs. J. W. Bradford. the wife of the minister whom Coffman killed, was also in the court room dressed In deep mourning and beside her sat her little boys about seven and nine years of age.
 Women Give Way to Tears.
 As the jury filed out of the jury box and entered the jury room to deliberate on the case the defendants wife and sis ter gave way to their pent up feelings and wept.
 The trial opered yesterday with an ar gumert on behalf of the state by Solici- tor H. P. Heflin. He spoke for several hours. ard reviewed all of the testimony. Over 15O witnesses have been subpoenaed in the case and over 100 have testified. The trial began on Monday, June 2, and has lasted nearly two weeks. During all this time the jury has been kept to- gethor and not allowed to see anyone.
 After the closing argument for the state the attorneys for the defense and prose- cution handed Judge Greene their writ ten requests to charge. There were over a hundred of these, and 1t took Judge Greene from 2 o'clock until 4 o'clock to read them over and cecide which should be given and which declined.
 Charges the Jury.
 At o'clock he began his charge. He reminded the jury of the care which had Eeen taken to keep them separate from other people and said this was done in order that they might not be influenced in their judgment by any outside matters. He reminded them that they should do their duty fearlessly and without regard tc what anyone might say. He said the case had occupied much time In the trial but that there were really but few points In It. Much time has been taken up by witnesses who testified for and against the character of the deceased and certain witnesses. The respective duties Of the judge nnd jury in the trial of d case were explained, and the four de- grees of homicide were elucjdated.
 Judge Greene reviewed the testimony in the case without expressing any opin- ion on 1t and referring to the amount of testimony introduced as to the deceased character he explained the difference be- tween the reputation of a man for peace and quiet and that of a dangerous and bloodthirsty man. He charged them on the law of self-defense and instructed them as to the form of their verdict.
 Written Charges of Attorneys.
 The attorneys then read to the jury the written charges requested by each, after which the judge gave few explanations of the charges read and the jury then retired.
 The killing of the Rev. J. W. Bradford by Coffman took place last December at Brookside and Coffman was indicted for murder in the first degree. He has been in jail ever since. There were no eye witnesses to the killing. Coffman had heard that Bradford had made some re- marks about him and went to his house for an explanation. He claimed that Bradford sent for him. While ,"ere the shooting occurred and Bradford was shot and killed.