The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-02
WILL KEEP UP FIGHT ID SAVE ERWIN POPE !! Governor May Be Asked to
 Commute Sentence MAY REOPEN CASE Many, It Is Said, Believe McClurkin Murdered by Another Party.
 Mayor Wilke Announces for
 Reelection at Anniston
MAY REOPEN CASE

Anniston, July 1.-(Special)-Still an-
 other chapter may be added to the fa-
 nous case of Erwin Pope, who has been
 sentenced to hang on August 21 for the
 murder of J. B. McClurkin, the well
 known Oxford miller and planter, as the attorneys for the negro are now consid-
 ering an application to the supreme court | to reopen the case, or else a petition to
 the governor to grant a communication to life Imprisonment.
 | Thomas J. Harris, who has represented | the defendant in the last two trials. as- sociated In the last case with E. D. Will 1 lett, ste tes that he has not yet decided what cor1se to pursue, and that decision will not be reached until he has chance
 to study the official records of the court S action. He says however, that, although he is working for charity he will not let the negro go to the gallows without
 a further fight. Pope has never lost his nerve He
 maintains that he did not kill McClurkin,
 and he still believes that he will win his freedom, his attorneys declare. Many stories have been told of him, among them that he has a rabbits left hind leg taken from a molly cotton tail" which
 he caught in a cemetery on a dark night to which he attributes his various es-
 capes from death.
 The attorneys for Pope still believe that John Body committed the crime and a
 They have been for sometime raising
 @, .l.
 parties, amateur shows and other alter natives having been resorted to to raise funds.
 The murder was committe in front of Body's house, the club used having been taken from wood pile in his yard. These facts, together with the fact that the murderer dragged the body away from the house, to cotton patch, that Pope had no one-horse wagon, as did Body, and other circumstances have aided the lawyers for the defense. It is also ar- gued as being significant that Body has never returned since his very unusual tes- timony in the first hearing.
 Five Calhoun juries have found the ne- gro guilty, however, and those prosecut- ing the case declare that they will con- tinue the fight until the negro pays ,the penalty Of his crime on the scaffold one gallows having routed while the case was pending in court.
 Mayor J. L. Wikle announced his can- dldacy for reelection Wednesday after noon. He stated humorousy in that con- nection that 1t should not be concluded he is bull moose by the fact that he is seel.-
 ing third tel4n, as he fsAto make the race on hiS' democratic record. mere fre really no issues in the pres
 elit eafnpaign, as I see it. Mayor Wilzle sald However, I shall continue the Work of improving the city's thorough fares, build more cement bridges, and hope to extend the sewer system to ev-
 cry part of the city before I leave off,
 flee. It shall also be a part of my plans to purchase a crematory, or public incinerator. and establish municipal slaughter house."
 Mayor Wikle has no opposition, and there has been no other development in the city politics since Tuesday afternoon.
 other than @ citizens meeting in the Fifth ward to pick candidates. It was also announced Tuesday evening that AL derman Burgess will De in the race for councilman before the week ends