The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-19
WYNN FREED BY CORONER'S JURY Three Other Defendants Also
 Turned Loose NO CONNECTION SHOWN Coroner Examines Witnesses In Effort To Find Who Killed Conductor
 Wood On South Besse- mer Car Line.

O. w. Vim, the Bessemer plumber who has been held in connection with the kill ing of Conductor P. S. Wood, was given his liberty yesterday afternoon by the coroners jury which is Investigating the case. Ed Newsome, a former street car employe; w. B. Boagard, a conductor on the South Bessemer line, and Mrs. O. W. Vim, the divorced wife of Winn, who were held as witnesses, were also re- leased. In order to insure their attend ance on the hearing warrants were sworn out against all of them charging them with murder, though it was understood that Newsome Boagard and Mrs. Vim were simply being held as witnesses
 The hearing was held in the second di- vision of the criminal court on the third floor of the court house to accommodate the large crowd which had gathered to hear the evidence. Street car employees were very much in evidence
 It was plainly apparent shortly after the taking of the evidence began that there was practically no case against Vim. The first witness was Motorman w. E. Browning who related the story of the killing, telling how his car had run to the crossties and how while he and Con- ductor Wood were removing them from the track a shot rang out and Wood fell mortally wounded Browning was fol- lowed by Armisted Williams, negro, and the only passenger on the car at the time. Williams testified to hearing the shot of ct xrip in fIa tla rrix al of the officers from Bessemer. He statetd that he did not see anybody besides Browning and Wood Williams has won a great deal of praise by his bravery In staying with Wood while Browning went to Bessemer for help.
 Ed Newsome, who was employed as conductor by the street car company until last Saturday, told of having swapped runs with w. B. Boagard in order that he might "spot woman" for Detective Sullivan.
 Other minor witnesses were placed on the stand, their testimony having no rele- vancy to the case. It developed that Boagard was not acquainted with Mrs. Vim. It was brought out that he had had trouble at his boarding house with a man named Phillips.
 T. s. Madden, conductor on the South Bessemer line, testified at the afternoon session eas to having met Mrs. Vim on his car, and of her having ridden on it a number of times. He told of one occasion when Winn and another man were on hs car at the same time Mrs. Vim was. Vim paid no attention to her he stated
 Frank Nagle at whose house Vim lives, and who works for Winn was also placed on the stand at the afternoon ses- sion. Nagle told of Winn coming home on Monday night at S:1O o'clock, and of how he had talked to him until S:3O. Ma gle testified as to how after leaving Winn's room he had lain down on a couch in the hall until 10 o'clock and that Winn had not left the house.
 Mrs. Nagle he stated, was in bad health and couldn't sleep well and if Vim had left the house that night she would have heard him.
 Nagle also stated that the shotgun which Vim had borrowed from the pawnbroker, Deason, had remained in his bedroom all the time and it was in his room the night of the killing be- hind the door; that all of the doors to his room were locked and that it would have been impossible for Vim to have gotten it.
 Nagle stated that "Winn had spoken for the gun to the pawnbroker, but that he had gotten it.'' When asked what he wanted with the gun he replied ITO keep those doggone niggers from steal ing all our corn and chickens" He also stated that he had fired the shotgun three times at some pigeons the morning after the killing.
 Deputy Sheriff George Courson testified to having made the arrests in the case, but stated that he had not secured any evidence on which Vim could be held
 Winn also took the stand in his own behalf, saying that he was at home on the night of the killing, and denying that he had any connection with the killing at all
 The jury decided that no case had been made out and release orders were issued on the persons who had been arrested. Coroner Paris did not discharge the jury but stated that another session would be held in about ten days and a further investigation made.