Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-12-08
TWELVE MEN HOLD
FATE OF OFFICERS
Jury in Case Against Police
men Fails to Report as
Promptly as Expected.
REEVES CLEANS HIS SKIRTS
County Attorney in Talk to
Jury Declares That Perjury
Broke Prosecution.

George Reeves. county attorney, In
closing the states argument In the
nuroer case against III. II. Townsend,
Raimey Miller, William Shue and Carl
Lewis for the killing of Vernon Hat
field, a taxicab driver, on the night OF
January IL of this year, declared II
was thru no fault of his that perjured
testimony had been introduced by the
witnesses of the state In an effort to
secure a conviction OF the four men
on trial. within five minutes after
Reeves had taken the floor to argue
the case, he had closed for the state
aud the jury had been placed In the
charge OF the bailiff and was closeted
in the juryroom. seeking verdict.
The testimony of many of the wit
nesecs for the state during the trial
| had failed to substantiate or repeat
| the charges made In the preliminary
hearing against the four defendants
and Il was this that caused counsel
Cor the defendants to declare early In
the trial that a victory was assured.
and which caused the state to admit
that little or no case had been made
and that an acauIttal of all OF the de-
lfendants was expected.
| The jury in the case of Townsend.
Shue. Miller and Lewis was given an
alternative OF returning one of three
verdicts: that of murder, manslaugh-
ter in the first degree and justifiable
| homicide.
1t was In these Instructions, handed
down by Judge McNeal. that the real
death blow to the prosecution was
dealt. and representatives OF the coun-
| ty attorneys department are free TO
admit that with such precedents es-
tablished the greatest latitude is given
peace officers who are forced 70 kin
In cases where II Is established that
the persons sought are assisting and
abetting In the selling of liquors.
As portion Of his instruction. and
dealing upon this point directly, Judge
McNeal instructed:
The Instructions.
"You are further instructed that II
you should find and believe that one
| Ben Bowdry was on the 18th day OF
January. 1917, keeping and maintain
Ing n place for the sale of intoxicat-
ing liquors, and that the said de-
ceased was aiding abetting and as
siJting the said Ben Bowdry In keep
ing said place for the sale of lntoxicat-
ting liquors and also engaged In de-
livering the same to whom the same
might have been sold that under the
law the said keeping OF the place by
the said Ben Bowdry would be a fell
ony and that II the said deceased on
said date was aiding or assisting the
said Ben Bowdry in keeping said place
that said deceased would have been
guilty of felony and subject TO ar
rest as felon.'
The Instructions further declared
that In attempting to make an arrest
of felon. the officers In the pur-
suance OF their duty were authorized
to use any force necessary TO effect
the capture of the felon.
Covering the phase alleging that a
conspiracy occurred, the usual in
structions were given. which provided
that In such cases all defendants were
to be found guilty OF the same Of
fense
One Of the first witnesses to go on
the stand yesterday morning for the
defense was J. Il. Porter of Joplin,
who testified that while he was en-
ployed by the Milwaukee Beer COM
pany OF chat place he had met Ver-
non Hatfield on several occasions
when the deceased had purchased
liquor which he declared was TO be
brought to Tulsa.
FLASHES n Revolver.
In an effort to illustrate the char
acter OF Vernon Hatfield, the defense
called to the witness stand Bailey Bell,
now police court prosecutor. who as
special constable had served some
legal papers on young Hatfield Bell
testified that he found Vernon in a
pool hall on tho corner of Main and
Third and that when he approached
Hatfield and had announced the pur-
pose of his mission, the taxicab dri-
yer flashed n revolver out and pressed
II against the officers body. Only
when Bell explained that 1t was not a
warrant for his arrest did Vernon pu,
the gun away, according to Bells tes-
timony.
The defense then introduced as wit
nesses ]. A. Castleman and James
King, huth OF whom declared that they
were near the scene OF the killing OF
Hatfield on the night of Jan. II. 1917.
and that they heard shots and saw
Hatfield I'm an automobile attempting
TO escape from the officers
The first material witness for the
defense. however. was Tom Howard
former night desk sergeant at the po-
lice station. who testified OF tele-
phone call he received the night OF
the shooting, and which had a tend
encv 20 connect Vernon Hatfield with