The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-08-10
TRIAL OF HOWARD
PRELIMINARY HEARING BEGINS IN
 ANDALUsTA.
People Show Deep Interest In Fate Oi Former Montgomery Man Who shot and killed George
 BagHey.

Andaiusia, Aug. s.--( (speciall Prob ably the most important murder case ever tried in this county. was begun Thursday morning, when Judge saIter opened his court for the preliminary hearing of J. F. Howard. who is charged with killing George W. Bag ley, Saturday, July 27th.
 Howard was a bookkeeper in the Bank of Anda1usia. and came here sew eral days ago from Montgomery, where he is prominently connected. He aLd his family have been living here sev eral years and Have quite large cir ele of friends and acquaintances. How ard Is about 27 years old. and has en- joyed an excellent reputation, both here ana i'm Montgomery. He was consid- cred valuable man by his employ Bagley was a blacksmith. He was about 25 years old and has influential family connections in this county. He was a man of peaceable disposition ana was held in high esteem by many friends.
 Because of the prominence of the two men, there is intense interest In the trial Howard has been in jail since the shooting.
 Thursday morning at g o'clock when Judge Salter opened his court, the courthouse was crowded to its capacity, every seat was taken. and people wei standing, sitting in windows and try ing in every way to catch everything that fell from the lips of the judge and attorneys.
 About twenty five witnesses had been summoned and the taking of testimony and arguments by the attorneys is ex- pected to take up several days
 Fl. C. Cosby, Dr. J. c. Pennington, Altman, Harte, Faults and Thompson were the witnesses called to the stand
 Cosby, the first witness, testified that he saw the defendant in company with zeb Kierce. in Adkinson's saloon, drinking, about five minutes before the shooting.
 TIarte, the second witness, testified that he saw the defendant with kiercc drive to Thompson's grocery store, and that defendant got out of the buggy, went into the store and in few min utes returned to the buggy and drove off towards the Court Square with Zeh Kferce Thompson testified that How ard came into his store Saturday morn ing and wanted to get his brothers gun Howard walked to the end of the st Dre and the witness did not nS- tice what defendant did. but SAW h'r leave the store. He did not see tho pistol. but missed it from his desk q short while after.
 Pruets testified he was in the bank when Howard walked in. He ditnt notice anything peculiar about the appearance of the defendant &
 pr. Pennington said he examlIed the dead man after the shooting, and found three pistol wounds in the left side close around the heart, and that he believed either of the three would have been fats l.
 Altman was the most important wit ness examined. He said he had started towards the shop of Basley, where he saw buggy drive io with Kierce and the defendant Tn It: How ard got out of the buggy, pulled some thing from his pocket, walked up to the east door of the shop and peaA;l firing just as he reached the door. He said HoWard rested the gun oa his left hand and shot three times. He could not see who was on the inside of the shop, but when the shooting was over. Howard turned and walked away from the shop and towards the bank.
 He said he was about forty yards from the shop when the shooting oc- cured, and didn't see any one else there except Keirce, but he thought small boy was standing in the door of a stable just across the street from the shop. He said that he ran to the  found Bagley dying.
 The afternoon session was taktn up " lth the testimony of Steve Taylor young boy about 13 years old; Man. ming. Parnell. and Bird Taylor. negro. all of whom were witnesses to the ragedy. This testimony was sub stantally as follows: Howard, in company with Zez ISierce drove up to the shop where Bagley worked Howard got out of the buggy. walked just inside the shop and began shoot ing. After tho first shot he began to retreat towards the door of. tae shop. and by the time the last shot was fired he was just inside the door. BAgiey was about ten or fifteen feet ion Howard when he fired first. md he moved in circle around Toward while the last two shots were being hreo He held his arms up and grab bed a hammer from his work be ich, / rout half a minute elapsed during the shoting.
 The defendants attutude all during the course of the trial today was calm and serene.
 Solicitor Parks Is here prosecuting the case. and a notable array Of legal talent is representing the defendant