The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-06-27
@sks, Morrow and WeakIey
 Appealed to Jury
THREE WILL SPEAK TODAY
Robert N. Bell Will Appear for the Defense, Capt. Frank s. White for the Defense and Solicitor
 Heflin for the State.

The Jefferson county court room was thronged with spectators yesterday who were present to listen to the closing ar guments in the case of Glen Hayis, charged with the murder of Elias M. Lathem in the lobby of the Morris hotel on the morning of April 17.-Even the threatening weather at the opening of the afternoon session did not keep them away and the various speeches through out the day were listened to with marked interest by everyone in the court room.
 The defendant surrounded by his rela- tives and friends, seemed to give close at tention to all that was going on, but his countenance was unchanged, whether 1t was his own attorney or the attorneys for the prosecution speaking
 Judge J J. Banks, for the prosecution, finished during the morning his opening argument begun Thursday and was fol- lowed by Hugh Morrow for the defense, whose argument continued until the mid de of the afternoon. s. D. Weakley for the state, began at S:20 o'clock and will resume this morning. He will be follow ed by
 Robert N. Bell, for the defense.
 Capt Frank s. White, for the defense.
 Solicitor II. P. Hefin. for the state.
 It is thought that the arguments will not be finished today and that the case will not go to the jury before Monday.
 Judge Banks Speech.
 .on efo oTr ,lr A1,a hour court opened, yesterday. He said, in part:
 Gentlemen of the jury. when two men want to accomplish an evil purpose they conspire Take the situation. Of all the places in the hotel they chose the point at those storm doors for their meeting. In that secluded place, with the chances of observation lessened what better place was there for Havis to put into Wise hands that billet with which he could beat his victim? Can't you see how the conspiracy was worked out step by step? Is there a man on this jury who doubts for a moment that Wise had that slung shot2
 Lets see the evidence on that. Dyar says that when he saw Wise he was beat ing him over the head with some kind of a weapon. Lynch says the same thing. Jim Vassar also says Wise was using some kind of weapon. Burrel Wilksle says he saw the weapon. After Wise left the hotel Clifford picked up the slung shot on the scene of the fight. The bar Der shop boy says that the first thing that attracted his attention at the time of the fight was the rattle of shot on the floor. Robert Foster tells you that after the difficulty he went there and picked up shot. Jim Vassar tells you that he picked up the weapon.
 As to the Weapon.
 ''Do you doubt that the weapon was used? Then gentlemen of the jury, look you In the face this morning and ask you who had 1t? Do you doubt that 1t was Wise who used 1t? If 1t was used come down to the crowning fact as to whose 1t was. There, gentlemen of the jury, you have the crowning act of the conspiracy. If Wise got that weapon from Havisy then nothing but deep consciousness of guilt would have prompted him to deny that he had it. Went there unarmed
 "The slung shot is the weapon of the midnight assassin, which has It's deadly effect but makes no sound. Have you any reason to doubt that Boln mended that weapon for Havls? Has he any in- terest In this case?
 "Gentlemen of the jury, they come here with a string of witnesses twice as long as this room to testify to Wise's good character and to get you to believe his testimony about the slung shot. They ask you to believe Wise in preference to Tom Coxi Good character forsoothi Manly hit the nall on the head. He said that ordinarily he would believe Wise on oath, but that in a situation like this. Wise, like anybody else was liable to overshoot the mark.
 Coneerninn Characfar
 Do you who live in Alabama recall honest Ike Vincent treasurer of the state? Everybody called him honest Ike Vincent, and yet he was carrying with him a dishonest heart. I doubt not you could have found %, GOO men in the state to swear to his good character and that they would believe him on oath
 That arch traitor Benedict Arnold had a good character until he proved a traitor Thomas J. Cornwell-- (objected to by the defense and sustained).
 'Gentlemen of the jury, man may have a sound character outwardly and be rotten at the core. Just as the seemingly sound mighty oak succumbs in the storm because 1t Is rotten at the core. Why had this weakness In Wise never shown been no temptation. When the storm of temptation comes, he falls because he is unsound within. Now you see the flaw in may honestly see the gradual disntegra- continuation in this crime and in getting on the witness stand and swearing falsely.
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