The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-01-10
EVIDENCE TENDS ID INDICATE SUICIDE
 AS CAUSE OF ACT Many Witnesses Testify Be- fore Jury Investigating
 Death of Walton
 INSURANCE MEN TELL OF MORE POLICIES Testimony Indicates That Dynamite
Testimony Indicates That Dynamite Caused Explosion-Jury Adj0urns Until Tomorrow in Order to
 Get Additional Witnesses

That Louis Walton committed
 suicide and that dynamite was
 the means used was indicated by
 the evidence brought out at the
 inquest held before Coroner c. l..
 Spain and a special grand jury
 yesterday. The feature of the
 proceedings was testimony to the
 effect that Walton had taken out
 insurance policies to the amount
 of s30,Oo0 shortly before his de-
 parture for Birmingham and that
 each contained clause for dou-
 ble identity, namely, $60.000, in the
 event death occurred on railroad
 train.
 The hearing commenced yesterday morning at 9:30 o'clock and was con tinued until 5:30 o'clock last night. Over 8 score of witnesses were ex- amined and much testimony was sub insurance men from Atlanta, who testified as to the nature of the poli- cies secured by Walton. the hearing was concluded for the day and in or der to give the officers time to se- cure other witnesses the hearing, ad- journed until Thursday morning at 9:30 o'clock.
 The evidence of William F. Prioleau. secretary and treasurer of Bickerstaff, Richards & Co.. of Atlanta, agents for London and Lancashire Insurance com pany. and others. was in reference to the manrsr in which the policies were issued by his company to Wal tnr1 a nd hn icia nf hn inc ance contract He stated that on last Friday Walton applied for an acci- dent policy and that one was issued with a double indemnity clause in the event of death or accident while rid ing on a common carrier,
 DOUBLE INDEMNITY
 It was further given in evidence that Walton carried $5000 with the London and Lancashire company, $5OOO with the Aetna Insurance company, $10.000 with the Pacific Mutual Insur- ance company and $10,000 with the Northwestern Insurance company, all carrying the double indemnity clause in the event of death on a railroad.
 Other witnesses testified to the gen eral demeanor of Walton on the Bir- mingham Special on Saturday night previous to the explosion which killed three men and injured a number of people It was stated in the testi- mony by those who were in the smok- ing car with Walton that he appeared nervous and excitable, and that pre- vious to entering the lavatory, where the fatal explosion occurred, that he borrowed a match. Others stated they saw bundle wrapped in a newspaper in his pocket.
 number of experts on explosives including Philips Early of the bureau of explosives. were examined, whose testimony was to the effect that any high explosive, including dynamite works with equal force in all direc- ticns.
 Col. John Mills engineers corps, U. s. A.. of Savannah. was the first wit ness to testify and told of the per- ambulations of Walton in and about the coach the fatal Saturday morning He stated he was dozing when the ex- plosion occurred which dazed him After coming to. he stated there was all odor of dynamite in the coach.
 WALTON WAS NERVOUS
 William Makeson. an analytical chemist, testified that Walton seemed nervous and restless during the jour- ney to Birmingham and that he went into the lavatory several times be- fore the fatal explosion. He was stunned by the explosion and had nc recollection of it's effects.
 Detectives Thomas Christian, w. r. Garner and w. H. Propst testified tc the effects of the explosion on the car. Among other witnesses were rail road employees, who testified as to the rules of the company in carrying ex- plosives on passenger trains.
 Quite number of persons attended the hearing yesterday afternoon, but most of the testimony was in ref. erence to the policies secured by Wal ton and the nature of the contract The hearing will be resumed to. morrow morning when it is expect ca 1t will be concluded during the day. The jurors on the case are Wal tor K. McAdorY t H Holonmh Rnh-