The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-22
Expert Civil Engineer on the Stand Yesterday DEFENDANT MAY TESTIFY It Is Expected That the Arguments In the Case Will Consume at
 Least One Entire
 Day.

trial yesterday showed pretty conclusive ly that the taking of evidence in the case will be finished some time today.
 The state closed it's side about o'clock yesterday afternoon and the defendant placed several witnesses on the stand and 1t is thought more than likely that but one or two witnesses will testify today. John Bibb himself will probably go on the stand as the last witness for the defend ant
 Speculations are being made as to the length of time that will be consumed b the arguments At least one full day will be required.
 The chief point that was sought to be developed by the attorneys for the defend- ant yesterday was the lack of any signs on the window sills at the union ticket of flee to show that the defendant could not have crawled through there as he is all le.-ed to have done when he secured the $5000 from the safe.
 Witnesses were brought who testified that they examined the dust on the silis carefully on the morning following the robbery and all of them said that not the slightest trace could be found or any one's having crawled through the win dows a few hours before.
 Before the state closed an expert civil engineer was placed on the stand to tes- tify to uses that could be made or the surveyors field glasses with which Bipp is said to have learned the combination to the safe. He is the man who made the trial by going up over the ticket office at the station and looking through the hole in the ceiling and calling the num- bers on the dial of the combination as 1t was turned round.
 The glasses were turned over to the jury
 The case will be resumed this morning at 9:30 o'clock.
 Trunk Found at the Station.
 Officer Hamilton was recalled and was the first witness placed on the stand yes terday. He testified that the trunk was found at the station before Biop was arrested
 Chief w. E. wier testified regarding Bibb's confession in his office. He said that Bibb's first account of 1t was that he did not get the money from the sa1e' but that George gave him some or It. and. that his second statement after MT. Starxs had talked to him was made free ly. Concerning Bibb's statement the wit ness said:
 He said his former statement was not true; that he was guilty and that George had treated him very dirty. He said that George stood on the outside and watched out for the police.
 "He said further that the diamond and about s4O0O were in Birmingham in the possession of an innocent person and that he would not tell anyone where it was except his father"
 The chief further said he afterwards sent Bibb up over the council chamber as he was hungry and wanted to eat din- ner, and that they did not take him up there for the purpose of keeping him from seeing his relatives. He said w. s. George applied to him for a position on the force as detective.
 Officer Bodeker was recalled and told about opening Bibb's trunk at the Union station. He identified one of the money sacks introduced in court as one which he had taken from the trunk at the same time he got the field glass. He also said there were some letters in the trunk addressed to John Bibb.
 Civil Engineer Testifies.
 P w. Turner was next introduced by the state. He testified that he was vcl engineer in the employ of the Louis- vile and Nashville railroad; that he took some glasses up over the ticket office to make some experiments, and that he looked thorugh hole in the ceiling with one of the instruments at the dial on the safe in the room below.
 q could see the figures and notches on the dial" he said. MT. Johnson open ed the safe three times and I could see the numbers plainly Some of the figures were little indistinct. but I could tell at any time what numbers the diei stop ped on.
 Some man turned the dial to different points and as he stopped I would cali out the numbers to him.
 Mir. Turner was examined in detail about the use of the glasses. He adjust ed them for the different attorneys and they were turned over to the jury.
 A s. Cox testified that he was at the Frisco house last May as night clerk; that he knew John Bibb; that he was there when Bodeker entered John Bibb's room; that Bibb's brother was in the room often: that John Bibb oc- cupied the room up to the time of the robbery. and that the room was fastened with paddock.
 George Was at Frisco House. w. s. George in the room once that he also had room at the Frisco house; that George came to the house after the rob- bery with Detectives Bodeker and Ham, ilton; that George broke the lock and the men went in Bibbs room and thoroughly examined It.
 Captain Jack W. Johnson was recalled and testified regarding the experiment made of opening the safe while MT Tur- ner was in the loft overhead. He said that MT. Turner called down the numbers he had used in opening the safe
 Officer Patton went on the stand next. Regarding the confession of Bibb made in his pre- esence the witness said
 "Bibb told me that he put the satchel containing the money out at one window and climbed through the other"
 Afternoon Session.
 At the beginning of the afternoon ses- sion R. w. Luckett went on the stand. Assistant Solicitor Winston presented the jewel case which he'd been previously in-