The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-07


train left Calera There were at least 25
detectives and postal inspectors working
| on the case yesterday and the city of
Birmingham was thoroughly gone over.
but no trace of the robbers was found
The United States government yesterday
morning offered $1,000 reward for the cap
turc of the two robbers. The offer of the
reward came from the postal inspectors
who are in charge of the case. 1t was
where Gustin lay on the floor. Gustin
was breathing, and l took a hold of his
tongue while DR.. Hehin worked over him.
His tongue was always slipping back in
his throat, but | kept pulling it out, as
have been told that is the best way to
| resuscitate.
Before the ambulances came the Moose
We're leaving the hall by ones and twos
| but after the ambuances had taken both
bodies away and it was said that both
men were dead there was a hurried rush
away from the hall until when the police
arrived there We're only few left"
Confusion at limitations
| Mr.. Meyers was closely examined by
| Solicitor Locke and several of the jury
men, but stuck to his story. He told Of
working about electricity and being ia
miliar with it. He said that in his opinion
| Kenney and Gustin must have died Of
fright He said also that confusion
| reigned supreme at the limitations IN
Moose hall. He also asserted that some
time it was all very irregular. He had
| been told that when he noticed there was
anything doing such as a man caving in
under the strain to stop the initiation.
| ID. S. Campbell, the next witness,
testified that he had been initiated inn
| meditely after Kenncy and that he
had noticed Kenney fainting when he
was pulled off the fitting board. He
said that he had asked, What are you
doing to me?" because of seeing the
condition of kenney He described un-
der the repeated questionings of Mr..
| Locke the initiation that followed and
said that he had felt a slight tick
ling sensation when he was branded.
Matte Samuels, who operates a
house at 1909 Avenue d. was the next
witenss. She refuted charges made
against Kenney's character.
She also testified that about six
months ago she had given Kenney some
strychnine tablets for his heart but at
! the time she had thought and still
thought that Kenney was putting on"
She had always thought that Kenney
was in a healthy condition, although
| his eyes gave him much trouble She
told of Kenney going to Atlanta some
time ago for an operation on his eyes
and denied that Kenney's trip to At
| lanta was for any other purpose than
for an operation to his eyes.
| Following the testimony of Matte
Samuels, a newspaper man testified
and the coroner recessed the hearing
until 9 o'clock this morning.
Sfradford Testifies
| The morning session began prompt
ly at o'clock yesterday and nj. T..
Stradford, an electrician, was the first
witness He told of selling the small
electric generator to the Ellxs and said
that he considered such a device as
crude cruelty.
| d. A. Eehols of Echols & Angwine
was the next witness and he testified
that in his opinion the body of Kenney
showed signs of electrocution. The
body, he said, had a burn over the
heart and one over the ankle, where
the electricity had been applied A fact
that led Mr.. Echols to believe that Ken
ney was electrocuted was that his hair
was loosed. This, Mr.. EchoIs averred,
was usually shown by men who had
been electrocuted. The death certifi-
| cate of Kenney read heart disease. Mr..
Echols stated that he would not have
embalmed the body without the cor
oner's permission.
L. N. Metts, wire chief of the South
ern Bell Telephone company. was the
next witness and testified at length
as to the power of the small electric
generator which. he said, was the same
as is used on desk telephones. He said
in his opinion 1T would not develop
over ITO volts. However, he stated that
it had enough power to ring a bell
from Birmingham to Atlanta.
John Abbott. dictator of the lodge,
was the next witness, and told the
story of his activities on the night of
the initiation of Kenney and Gustin He
said that the ''horse play" was neither
forbidden nor called for in the ritual of
| the Moose order. He said that he had
excused one candidate because of ILL
ness.
Mr.. Abbott recited all the events of
kenneys and Gustin's death but threw
no light on the matter as his story was
| practically the same that had been
told the jury half dozen times. Mr..
Abbott stated that it was his informa-
| tion that Kenney had Just recovered
| from disease and that Kenney had
made no such statement to DR.. Neill
when he had been examined.
| 1t was a matter of common knowI-
edge. declared Mr.. Abbott, that Kenney
was in bad physical condition and the
supreme council in Cincinnati had Sc
verely criticised the Birmingham lodge
| Witness further testified that he be-
lieved Kenney was taking his life into
his hands when he submitted to an
\ initiation. Mr.. Abbott further stated
| that under the circumstances of Ken
ney's physical condition it was quite
likely that a small shock OF electricity
had killed him.
! Mr.. Abbott further stated that he
| had heard that Gustin had lost a great
deal of sleep before the initiation took
place. Mr.. Abbott further stated that
he wished the inquiry to be as thorough
as possible. Mr.. Abbott's testimony
| closed the morning session.
Today several witnesses in rebuttal
will be called. According to Solic-
itor Locke it is highly important that
Mr.. Abbotts charges on the condition
of Kenney at time OF death be probed
| to the fullest extent No opinion was
expressed last night as to when the
| Inquiry would be terminated as the
| jury and Solicitor Locke are deter
mined to ascertain If possible what
were the real happenings at Moose hall
when Kenny and Gustin met death.
| The Best Hot weather Tonic
GROVES TASTELESS chill TONIC en-