The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-03
Well Known Merchant Is
Charged With Murder
of c. w. Saunders
KILLING RESULT OF
CHILDREN'S QUARREL
Dying Statement of Murdered Man
Given Court by Witness-Promi-
nent Young Women Appear
i'm Role of Witnesses

Admission, July 2.-tspeeiaL)--A silence
as still as death prevailed in the circuit
court room Wednesday morning wher
Mrs. C. w Saunders. widow of the vel
known bicycle dealer. who was shot down
in front of his house on June q by G. II
Bailey, a well known merchant, tool
the stand and swore that her husband
had been shot down in cold blood and
undertook to show that the shooting was
the result of a premeditated act on the
part of Bailey.
Mrs. Saunders was attired in black and
spoke in a very low voice. She stated
that she heard Bailey make a threa
to kill her husband, following the quar-
rel between the children of the two men
and that she telephoned Saunders to be
on guard. Later. she said. Bailey eaint
to the house, called Saunders out ant
shot him down without Saunders having
a chance to make defense.
Court Room Crowded
The case was called at o'clock II
the circuit court room before Judge II
d. Merrill. The defendant was in cour
and seemed to be unmoved by the pro
-cedure Solicitor Tunstall is being assist
ed by T. c. Sensabaugh and e. d. vii
lett. The defense was represented
Wednesday morning by Judge S. w. Tate
Judge ]. j. Arnold. P. p Wharton, W. p
AcSer and Hugh Walker.
The circuit court room, which is th'
largest assembly room in the courthouse
was crowded beyond its capacity whel
the case was opened, the gallery beint
the aises They represented people from
every rank and file of social standins
in the city, interest in the case being in
tense.
Young Ladies Testify
A rather unusual feature of the cas-
was the appearance of young women from
some of the best families of the city il
the role of witnesses. Among them wer
Miss Frances Coleman, daughter of Judg
T. w. Coleman. and Miss Marion Walsh
Both of them showed marked composur
as they told their evidence in support o
the states claim of murder. They wer
eross-examined by the prosecution Mrs
Martha Klein was another witness, fol
lowing DIR. w. d. and DIR. f. M. Sellers
who attended the deceased They wer
the first witnesses called, and they SAT-
that death of Saunders resulted from al
abdominal wound, the ball coming on
in the back
When court reconvened at 2 o'clock A
F. McGhee. who took the dying state
ment of Saunders, was placed on tn
stand by the defense. He was followet
by the Rev. Frank Brandon, who sav
Saunders as his pastor, the deceased hav
ing been a member of the First Methods
church., and he corroborated the dyin.
statement. A. A. Carmichael and G.. VI
Vice also testified this afternoon for thu
state, Mrs. Saunders being called bacl
to the stand for few minutes.
A recess of 30 minutes was allowed by
the court, and the prosecution then put
Gus Johnston on the stand as their stal
witness. He testified that he was rolling
his baby up the street when he met Bail
ey, who asked him to accompany him tc
Saunders. He said he did not do this
but went on to his own home and left
the baby When he returned he heard
Bailey call to Saunders to come out
Saunders complied and the two mer
walked up the street johnson says he
heard Bailey then say, Don't you draw
your knife, Saunders and that Saunders
replied, Yes | will,'' advancing at the
same time. Bailey then fired and re.
turned to his home.
On cross-examnation he admitted thai
he did not see Saunders with a knife MOI
did he see him use one. He also admitted
that he and Saunders We're ON bad terms
with one another. johnson was on the
stand for about an hour, the court ad
journing until o'clock Thursday morn
ing