The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-10-05
NAbORS' CASE WILL BE TURNED OVER ID JURY DURING DAY Four Attorneys Argued Yesterday-TwO More
 Are To Be Heard ATTACKS ON ROAD
 ARE DAYS FEATURE Defense Contends Road Violated Law in Furnishing Passes To
 Witnesses in the

The argument in the trial of William Majors, formerly fireman for the Louis- vile and Nashville railroad, who has for the past 10 days been facing the wit nesses for and against him on charge of murder and train wreclSing, was begun yesterday morning.
 It was agreed at the beginning of the argument that there would be no time limit on the speeches. C. P. Beddow opened the speech making for the state and was followed by Jere King for the defense. George Ross spoke next for the defendant and Solicitor Hefin's argument was finished just before court adjourned, after o'clock.
 | MT. Beddow said that one undisputed | fact in the case was that the passenger train on the Louisville and Nashville road was diverted from the main line and caused to dash into siding at high | rate of speed and collide with freight | train standing there, crushing out the lives of two men, injuring others, and causing an engineer to make his last run as an egineer, because he lost his hand in the wreck. | review of the evidence in the case was made by Mir Beddow, regarding the | condition and position of the switch, and the condition of the track. He said that | if the defendant threw the switch, or even cooked, it, he was responsible for the wreck The evidence about the sev- eral trains passing the switch was re- viewed.
 Mir. Beddow commented on the evidence of Engineer Harrison, saying that the de- fendant left the engine twice, and that the second time he left to get to a place of safety When he cried out to his | engineer, Harrison, I hear No. com- | ing" he was conscience stricken, and called out to give Harrison warning. "The defense will try to show" said he. that Majors left his clothes and watch on the engine; that if he had known there would be collision he would have taken them with him. Majors Is too smart for that"
 | Attacks on Railroad | The attacks on the railroad were crit | icised by the speaker. "Why should not their property be protected?" he asked why shouldn't their passengers be given every protection? Why criticise them for hiring detectives to run down criminals? Would anyone say that wrecks should no. be investigated? Does anyone think | that the state or the railroad or the post | office inspector of the government would pick up scapegoat and let the guilty party go free? The only defense the de- fense has is railroad detectives per jured testimony formed or trumped up testimony.
 "The detectives fixed the crime on Ma bors, and he is guilty. He shows it by his own handwriting, and by his con. duct.'
 1 Mr. Beddow commented on the propo- sition of the defense to submit the case i without argument, saying that he did not want 10 do so when Jefferson county and the state were so much interested In closing he reviewed the testimony of Thomas Crane, saying that in his opinion l Crane told the truth.
 1 Attorney Jere King was the first speak CT for the defense. beginning his argu- ment when court reopened after the din- ner recess.
 MT. King Speaks l Attorney King scored the Louisville and Nashville railroad for employing the ar ray of lawyers that have assisted the state and bringing down Chief Special Agent Harlan and the other detectives to get up the case against Majors. ue said that this is unprecedented in the | history of Alabama for the last hundred years. But he said that was not all The railroad has furnished passes and paid witnesses to attend court.
 "The state of Alabama has fixed by legislative enactment the amount a wit ness shall receive-$1.50 a day. But we have shown that the Louisville and Nashville road has paid as high as s25 a day for some of the witnesses in this | case"
 l MT King -arraigned Tom Harrison as a turn coat and traitor. who had changed | his testimony, and was unworthy of be- | lief He said that without Harrison the state had no case Harrison sat in a court of justice in this courthouse and | held up his hand to high heaven and swore that Majors was in the engine when they came to stop. He has changed his testimony and it is your duty, gentlemen of the jury, to decide when Harrison was lying. Was he tell l ing the truth when he was in Judge Benners' court, or when he was in Judge Weavers' court, where Majors is being prosecuted?"
 Different Positions
 '.Who saw Majors throw the switch? !? The states own witnesses had the switch in fhree different positions Who lied |? In what position was it? We don't know; we weren't there that night It was dark night They haven't gotten Majors within SIG or 630 feet of the switch and not one of their witnesses say they said Majors threw the switch. "Gentlemen of the jury, there is anotn-