The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1916-10-26
STATE RESTS
IN COPELAND
MURDER CASE
Defense. SUBMITS
INITIAL EVIDENCE
Effort to Introduce Knights of
Columbus Oath Fails
Case Hard Fought.

,;NT,VESTON. Texas. Oct. % The
STATE rested this attCrunnn III the case
-: John Copeland bank cashier. ct
Marshall. Texas, OR trial III connection
wiki the killing OF William Black, al
:,uti-taihOlic lecturer, L year and nine
months ago, Il MarShau
Only fiyc witnesses had been rXim-
med. Sadie Black. the adopted dauSh,,
:rr OF the lecturer. il WAS announced
Tonight. will arrive tomorrow night.
the States attorney said she w"uiu
ye 4 witness Tor them III rebuttal.
The defense began its cas-" with IN
attempt TO INTRODUCES rs evidence WHAT
WAS declared TO be an authentic COPY
al The fourth degree oath OF the
KNIGHTS OF Columbus 10 retute IN" at
fhur 81 the circular introduced III ril-
,:suce yesterday us having been circu-
,3.,,: hv Clarence T. Hall. Blacks bus
mess aSc"t. Sam J. Williams. OF Cal
yrStN". MAS sworn IL rs 4 witness. hut
s:-,r he had stated that he was
,,.~-h decree member nt the orgaujGa-
.:o; ard familiar with the oath taken.
IL State objected. gaining L irmp"-
.ary victory.
Thr jury was excused during III" ar.
ci:ruertS. Attorneys for the defense
commended that the oath should b" at
mitied aS evidence retutinS the "atn
circulated by Black, which they saul
WAS false and ScurrilouS. ana as
showing the motive OF Copeland in go
ing 10 Black 10 protest against another
lecture.
State Upheld.
Judge Briggs upheld AZ this TIM" n"
contention OF the attorneys Tor me
State that no ground had been laid Tor
the introduction OF the oath.
The defense then announced TWO
witnesses who had attended the lee
illve given b. William Black IN Mar
shall on the night preceding the $anot-
ing. Henry Holcomb. 4 shop workman
OF Marshall. said Black declared the
converts were more or less prisons
and ought to have government lnSrcC'
ton. The lecturer. he added. also
made sensational statements about
the electatiouS of nuns and priests.
and declared he would rather see his
wife or mother dead than in convent.
Did he make a wholesale Genu1tis-
ton Of the nuns?" asked Attorney t.
0. Beard, on the cross examination.
Yes, nearly ALL replied the Wit
ness. FIe added that the lecturer WIS
widely talked about in the shop next
Walter Scott, now Of Fort Worth
hut at the time Of the killing IN Mar
Snall. gave leSIllIoLtS StAhlAS-A
comb. Fle said that Black declared
during his address that he had peen
shot several times, had been IN a hos
p!tal several times, and expected mat
he would die IN "the cause.
DEPOSITION Ruled Out
The state objected when the defense
sought to introduce q deposition taden
at Louisa. Lawrence County, Ny, de-
failing Blacks entrance into anu de-
narture from the Masonic Order. 1t
Claimed the deposition was intended
70 iniure Blacks character with the
Jury. The objection was sustained ty
Judge Briggs at this time.
The defense had contended that the
fianosition was admissible as showing
rnat Black was unreliable and that
statements made BY him could not be
believed.
This, is contended. would justify he
action OF Copeland in going TO him 10
protest against his lectures.
INST before court adjourned Attor
nav James D. Stubs produced the
Judgment OF the District Court OF Hay
-ison County, acquittins Harry Nlnn
and Frank OLeary OF Marsh2!I IN con
naction with the killing OF Black. At
r0rnevs for the state objected 10 Ihe
introduction OF this judgment, argu
;nr that the action of another lurE
should not be allowed TO influence The
action Of the present jury. Judge
Briggs adjourned court until morning
when, he said, he would announce his
r'ariSior