The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-03-01
R. L. BlANTON PUT
 ON THE GRlDIRON
tcontinued from Fl.,h Paae.)

(Continued from Fl..h Paue) l ---~--O-~~----~------- 1 letter. Wrights name was to be signed to it. He. endorsed the deposit sheet.
 Mrs. Alice Howell, the assistant post master at Double Springs, came into the court with a faxen- -haired child asleep in her arms. The child awoke for a moment but went promptly to sleep when Assistant U. S. Attorney standi- fer began to ask its mother questions. Mrs. Howell said that a little while be- l fore train time, on the morning of Octo- 1 Der 10 Banton had come to the office l and asked for the letter addressed to the Bank of Jasper. She was tying up the mail, preparing to send 1t to the train which left at o'clock She got the let ter, and was passing it out to him when she noticed that the return card on che 1 envelope was crossed out and something was written thereon. While she was ex- l amining 1t, Blanton reached in and slip. ped the envelope from her fingers, saying he was going to Jasper and would attend to the matter in person. He had from time to time withdrawn letters in this way from the. office, she said. The en- velope was addressed in typewritten style, stamped, sealed and cancelled. 1 Blanton took the letter and kept it.
 Mrs. Howelrs testimony was given simply and sincerely, and. challenged it seemed. by its style of delivery the ad- mration of everyone in the court room.
 Sheriff Maxwell's Testimony.
 J. w. Maxwell, the sheriff of Winston county. went over once more the story l of how Blanton made the contribution and the conditions under which it was made.
 A. J. McCuller said he heard Banton say week after october 10 that he had ''headed of the whole s75O.'
 J. NJ. Romines testimony was compar- atively unmportant. At its close the hearing adjourned to be resumed at 8 O clock, the Government having put on all its witnesses.
 F. M Banton, brother of the defend- ant was the first witness for the defense when the case was taken up after re- cess. He said he was in Judge Blanton's office Sunday. October 9. Wright and the defendant were there. Defendant wrote the letter and signed It. Wright agreed to turn over all the s75O. Witness | deposit.
 Defendants Father on Stand.
 F. Blanton, father of the defendant said he saw the defendant come out of the postoffoe Monday morning, October To- It was between ' snd o'clock. Wit ness saw a letter in Judge Blanton's hand. He read the letter. Judge Blanton took out the certificate of deposit. They went to the judges office-about 100 yards away. The judge put the certificate and letter into new envelope and he dhe father) mailed it. Defendant had decided to go to Birmingham to attend a political meet Ing and to go on an excursion train that 1 was due fifteen minutes after the 8 O clock mail train. The defendant got into a hack and rode across the country and caught the excursion train Witness and he went back to the postoffice and mailed the letter that morning The letter di- rected the Bank of Jasper to change the deposit of s750 from Wright's credit to the defendants
 Cross-Examined.
 l oss-examined, the witness said about ten minutes passed from the time he l the witness mailed the letter In that time he examined the letter ascertained It's contents, inspected the certificate of deposit, walked to the court house or de- fendant's office 100 yards distant, saw the defendant put the letter and deposit slip into a new envelope, saw him address the envelope. heard the proposition made about defendants going to Birmingham | on the excursion train, took the letter, walked about 100 yards to the postoffice and mailed the letter to the Bank of Jas per. To do all this witness said took took him about ten minutes"
 Other Witnesses.
 l John S. Curtis probate judge of Win ston county. testified that he met defend ant on the morning of October 10, sug- | gested that they go to Birmingham on the excursion, made arrangements to do so and by driving across the country caught at Lynn the Southern train which came l by round about route to Birmingham t, They took the excursion train because ] the rate was cheaper although the dis 1 tanee longer.
 w. A. Freeman, of Haleyville, said he 1 was on the excursion train and that the | defendant got on at Lynn He saw Blan- l ton on the train after they had passed 1 Jasper. Saw him also in Birmingham. l This evidence was introduced to prove l that Blanton was not at the Jasper bank on Monday and that he did not personally | present the certificate of deposit, but sent 1 1t through the mails.
 Judge 5lanton Takes Stand. | The defendant then took the stand in | his own behalf. He was appointed pro- bate judge in 1895 and elected in 1ssS Last April he was nominated for solicitor of the fourteenth judicial circuit, receiving