Weekly journal-miner., 1918-03-20
SHERIFF ON TRIAL FOR
 HOMICIDE
FRANK LACEY OF OAT- MAN FACES JURY ON A CHARGE OF SHAVING GEO. SMITH, ALLEGED LIQUOR IMPORTER.
(F,om Tuesdays Daily.)

sheriff who IS on trial m the aVapal Superior court for killing George Smith on January 6, 1918, yesterday afternoon took the stand in his own defense, and related all of the cir cumstances which led up to the un- fortunate culmination of the officers booze hunt on the highway between Needles and Oatman.
 The story told by the defendant was substantially as follows:
 The guard on the Colorado river bridge had telephoned to the sheriff's office in Kingman that a big carload of booze was heading for Oatman. The sheriff at once called Justice of the Peace Sheffield at Oatman and informed him of the matter, and Sheffield sent for Lacey, and the lat ter, accompanied by Sheffield's brother Joe, left for a point where ! they hoped to intercept the load of | booze. Soon the lights of an ap, preaching car came into view and the officer walked down the road and | signaled the oncoming car to stop, waving his fiashlight across the road way The driver of the car did not heed the warning to stop and the big ] boat dashed past the officer and his companion. Lacey, who was armed with shotgun loaded with BIB shot,
 says that rather than to allow the | car to escape, he decided to irc d load of shot into the tires, and, ! blinded by the glare of the headlight, ! he fired at the car after 1t was AI ] few rods past him. The car ran sev- l eral hundred yards down the road and was seen to stop. Lacey, who, was expecting the occupants to come
 back and start trouble because of | the fact that he had fired at them,
 went forward. prepared to defend
 himself from a possible attack. In
 stead of the occupants coming in his , direction two of the men climbed
 out of the car and ran of into the
 adjacent hills. When Lacey and i Sheffield reached the car, they found
 that it had been driven by Smith, ! and that the man had died while seated at the steering wheel. Ten
 cases of whisky was found piled in
 the back part of the car. The two. men who made their getaway were ! later identified as Robert Milne and ! Elmer Sweeney of Oatman. said by ] the officers to be professional boot | leggcrs of that place. The shooting was at once reported to Sheriff Co.,
 henour at Kingman and Justice
 Sheffield placed Lacey under arrest. i The defendant had been in jail sinoI
 the time of the shooting. he said. The
 defendant testified that he did not
 know who was driving the car at the
 time he fired at it.
 Arthur Elmer. brother-in-law or
 the deceased, was the first witness f called by the State John Rondini,
 said to have once been dcputizcd by | Lacey. was the next witness called. Rondini it is said, was, at the time
 he was hired by Lacey. told to shoot
 to kill if necessary, in stopping the
 cars suspected Of carrying booze. | Robert Milne and Elmer Sweeney who were in the car at the time the killing occurred. were placed on the | stand and testified in behalf of the ! State.
 Justice Sheffield, of the Oatman :. .- .L, 6rs, v-itnsSS iutro- duced by the defense. He told oil having directed Lacey to go out and intercept the contraband shipment,
 and also related the events which took place immediately after the kill ing. At the conclusion of Sheffield s testimony. the defendant was placed in the witness chair.
 Attorney Ross Blakelcy Of King | man, attorney for the defense, made ! a motion that the court instruct the jurv to bring in a verdict ot not guilty. owing to the failure Of the State to allegc facts sufficient to con-
 stitutc a manslaughter case. Ihis motion was ovcrrulcd. At one point durllS tHe dl'eihoOi' the trial was halted long enough to enable the jurymcn to go down to the street and inspect the car in which Smith was riding the night he met his death. The car showed scarcely any marks of the tragedy. there being five or six small holes in the back of the seat occupied by the driver. the BIB shot having in few places pierced the sheet iron covering. County Attorney Stewart of Mo- have county. is in charge of the prosecution. being assisted by County Attorney Haworth and Attorney Err nest L. Kolb. The members of the jury which is sitting in the case Are the following
 (. w. Smith, F. c. Brcoht. (. F. Truex. Glen Richwine. c. E. Lan- | caster. Charles Saucr. David w. Mur- dock. Nauhcw Hall. Stanley A. Day, w. l. Davidson, F. (. Mcclure and Reginald w. Forbes.
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