The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-05-05
Damaging Evidence in the
 Decatur Trial.
ARGUMENTS IN THE CASE
Heated C0ll0Quy Between Al
 mon and Callahan.
Latter's Long and Eloquent Plea fol Defendant, Accused of Compile ity in Murder of Miss
 Belle BloOdwOrth.
BY WILL T. SIBERIAN.

Decatur, May 4.-(special Corre- spondence. )-A pair of overalls. dilap- dated and muddy, is dragging John Collier down to death. A jury of Nor gan County citizens will tomorrow de- eide whether the evidence that clusters about those repulsive overalls is suf- ficient to send this negro with the heavy face and the white, animal teeth showing between the thick lips to the gallows for the savage murder Of Miss Belle Bloodworth.
 It was freely predicted that the jury will declare that Golfers place shall be side by side upon the gallows with Harvey Smith. The jury is not yet called upon to say whether Collier Is guilty of participation in the dastardly crime. At dusk, when court adjourned. Hon. Sam Blackwell, who is assisting in the prosecution, had not addressed the jury and Judge Speake had not delivered his charge.
 Throughout the day in the crowded court room, stifiing hot. the damning oyeraIls with the sweater that belong ed to Collier lay strewn upon the floor about the witness chair and from the cast-off clothing there rose in the fetid air a peculiar, unpleasant odor.
 John Collier, heavy-faced and sto- ical with his hands folded in his lap, gazed sullenly at the dilapidated cloth ing which, Identified as his, had prob ably fastened upon him the guilt Of participation in the brutal and abnor- nal crime of January 21.
 OveraIIs Deadly Evidence.
 The overalls were veritable shirt Of Nesus to the oil mill negro. The evil dence fastened them upon Collier and they fastened the charge of murder. They were his and they rose to accuse him when he thought they were be- yond the sight of human eyes. They came from the ground to reveal evil dence that has led to the conviction of one of the criminals when hope of solving the dark and bloody mystery of the alley had all but been aban- doned The finding of the overalls led to the arrest os John Collier. The ar rest of John Collier lead to the arrest and conviction of Harvey Smith and to- day they were mute and perhaps con vincing accusers of the black and brut- fish looking giant. As they lay on the floor today they recalled the reverent and earnest declaration of the father If the murdered girl who in telling on the stand of how they were found near the scene of the crime, said, T regard ed their finding as a direct revelation of Divine Providence, revealing the murderers."
 Throughout today in the court the evidence was of and concerning those oyeralls. They were worn by John Collier on the day of the murder They were worn by Jchn Collier in the store when Miss Bloodworth telephoned her mother that she was coming straight home. He had them on when he followed her up the street. He had them on when he rushed through the oil mill an hour later. They were found near by with a . memorandum book of John Collier. The legs were slit open with knlre thai he might throw them away hurriedly and leave them forever.
 But they could not be buried, they could not be hidden, for they were tc be the proof that murder will out.
 The day was a quiet one for the sol dfers There was no disturbance ol any sort to mar the serenity of Cap tain Gregory and his men,.
 Garrison COurtmartial.
 The military interest of the day wat In the garrison court martial whicf tried three members of the Decatur company who were arrested Wednes day night for trying to run the lines They were Privates Talley, Mcbride and Glenn. Talley and Mcbride were acquitted of that chsrge. as was Glenn but the latter was fined for being In ar intoxicated condition.
 The courtmartial, named in specia order by Captain Gregory, was as fol lows:
 Second Lieutenant Hines L. Francis President; Second Lieutenant s. M. Mat son and Second Lieutenant D. s. Eel Vows. Lieutenant C. B. Ballard served lieutenant Throckmorton of the Deca tur company ably defended the mel before the courtmartial
 Al the conclusion Of the trial of JohI Collier tomorrow Will Jackson will b' nut on trial for the murder of Police man Steel The soldiers expect to b' ohIe to leave Saturday for home.
 When the hearing of the case agains Collier was resumed at the mornini session Charles Heflin, the detective was recalled by the Solicitor. The 50 Ncitor was drawing from the witness description of Collier fainting and fall ing in the Solicitors office when he wa arrested and questioned about the mur der of Miss Bloodworth. Mir. Callahan entered a strenuous objection to tn witness telling of Golfers Tear an' nervousness. He argued this point elo uuentIy and at length. For the stat Mir Blackwell insisted upon the ldmis sability of the evidence. Judge speak however. ruled that the s.atemHn could not go in as evidence.
 MT. Hehln said that he mad visite Collier two or three times in the jai at Birmingham. Collier told him tha the overalls found in the field bclonge to him.
 Said They Were His.
 Jake Lance was also recalled to th stand to testify as to the overalls an Golfers cOrs cting statements. Col Her had told the witness and others Il tbe Solicitors office that the overall dId not belong to him because th overaIls were not of the cheap sort n wore. Collier later at the jail told tn 7 witness that the overalls were hIs.
 In the woods near Decatur where tn witness and other officers carried Gel Her and two other negroes Chsrga with rape, to prevent them from bein Iynched, Collier told She oftic ers thl the other two negroes were inaocen aa babes of killing Miss Bloodwortn.
 Harvey Smith killed Miss Blood worth. He told me so several times. Collier told the officers.
 The witness said Collier told theT that he wasn't anywhere rear whe Miss BIoodworth hs killed He gay the officers the mes of several ne groes who Harvey Smith said wer concerned InNthe killing.