The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-02-27
CLEMENTS SON
GOES ON STAND
IN MURDER CASE
An UnSchOOIed Country Boy
Makes Most Excellent
Witness
SWEARS THAT FATHER
WAS AT HOWE IN BED
Says He Borrowed Soda at Edmondson
House on Day After Murder Was
Said to Have Been Commit
ted-Defendant on Stand.
BY WILL w. NELSON.


son of Bob Clements, sat in the witness
stand and gave evidence that will have
more to do to save the life or liberty of
his father than all else that has been
told from the witness chair In favor of
| the defendant.
| The lad has lived in the country all his
life and had never seen a court house
before, to say nothing of facing a jury
as witness. Notwithstanding this, law
yers for the state with many years of
practice failed utterly to make the boy
| contradict himself. He said: 81 was
asleep when the fire commenced; mamma
woke me up and when 1 woke up papa
was in the room putting on his clothes
and told mamma to ring the bell and she
rang it, and papa followed and ran to the
] fire. l went to the door and saw the
fire." He testified he was at Edmond
sons before dark the evening of the fire
and saw Tom Edmondson and all the
family there. IT went there to borrow
soda and Aunt Fannie gave 1t to me-"
Just before dark, he says, he saw all
of the Edmondsons again when he went
i out on the porch to wash his face. I'VE
all went to bed about dark
Clements on Stand.
Bob Clements took the stand in his own
defense. He denied the story as told by
his brother-in-law, Rufus Luker, and
Luker's. son yesterday He denied that
he had ever told the Luker boy and his
father that he killed the Edmondsons
and would burn them in the buildings
that night and denied giving the Luker
boy 20 cents. He denied killing the Ed
mondson family, and setting fire to the
buildings.
The day the Edmondsons were lying
dead in the building, according to the
evidence of the state, Clements said he
was at Edmondson's in the evening and
helped Tom Edmondson to feed his stock.
The light shining through his window
and the roar of the fire woke him up,
he said. He was the first person at the
fire. John L. Grier came next, and a
number of others followed. Both the
house and the barn were on fire when l
got over there. My house was 1863 steps
away, 1 couldn't see anything in the
house for the fire. l ran to the front of
the house to see if 1 could see anything
of the Edmondsons. l didn't see them
and then went to the south of the house,
but failed to see them. Thinking they
had become frightened and ran away,
myself and others searched the woods
and fields for them"
Later that night bodies were found in
the fire. The night after the fire voice
followed hello in front of my house.
I went out and saw no one. | thought
the voice was Tom Edmondsons. We
thought Tom had done the killing and
burning and we were afraid he would
come back and burn us out and we moved
away the next day"
Clements didn't know whether or not
the strip of sedge grass where Nettie
Edmondson is said to have been killed
was searched or not He didn't search
there and under ss-examination ques-
lions propounded by the states attorneys
as to this particular spot seemed to worry
him. he moved restlessly about In his
chair.
Defendants Good Character.
A dozen or more witnesses testified to
the defendants good character. Several
testified that Rufus Luker, defendants
brother-in-aw, told them Luker would
claim the reward.
Ionnie Clements, the DEFENDANTS BROTH
err. testified: Rufus Luker told me and
nv wife 4 had Bob Clements arrested,
I'VE got the old boy. I'll have to get
new suit of clothes; the man VINO IS
getting rewards of 1926 can afford a new
suit The wife testified to the same
story.
Al. Clements another brother of the
defendant testified rufus Luker told
me he thought his son, Glib, should have
the reward, and Glib said he thought
so, too"
The case will likely go to the jury to-
morrow night.
Night Session.
The crowd which packed the court
house at the session of court tonight
was the largest during the Clements
trial Many were compelled TO go away
as there was not standing room Men
sat in the windows and the aisles We're
packed with men standing. Many ladles
were in the vast crowd.
The defendant was again placed on inc
stand and said he had lived on Tom
Edmondsons place four years; that Ed
mondson and his wife did not get along
and that Edmondson and his wife had
some trouble the night before the burn
ing concerning Henry Culbreath. The
day before the burning Henry Culbreath
went to Tom Edmondsons to get tur-
nips and Mrs. Edmondson went to the
turnip patch with Culbreath and Ed
mondson got mad. Edmondson said sew
eral times if his wife gave her affec-
tons to any other man he would kill
her, his entire family and burn every
thing He testified he saw Edmondson
run her out of the field. He said he
did not leave any bloody clothes at his
home or put any in the fireplace. He
did change some clothes from a tub so
it could be used at. Edmondson's house.
Robert Willis corroborated Clements
as to hearing some one hallow: Hello,
bob" at Clements house the night after
the fire.
Bob and I went out on the porch"
said Clements Each of us had gun.
We heard some one talking. asked who
was that. He said that's all right and
Mr. Butler came from the direction of
the burnt house. I stayed with Bob
Clements that night. He was afraid Tom
Edmondson would come back there that
night and burn his place." Defendant
rested at o'clock.
In rebuttal the state examined DR.. w.
L. Dinsmore and DR.. Meyer. They testi-
fed it would take blood from few hours
to "a hours to coagulate
Court adjourned at 1920 o'clock to-
night without completing the rebuttal
evidence. The argument will likely COM
mence before noon tomorrow.
The Defense.
Promptly at S:45 o'clock this morning
Judge Thomas w. Vert called the c'ourt
to order and the fight for Bob Ck,m-
ents' life was commenced by placing wit
nesses ON the stand in his own behalf.