Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-04-03
THE DEFENSE'S CASE

T. Havis Nixon made the opening statement for the defense, calling at tention at the outset that the state was depending almost entirely upon what Hargrove, the "hired detective" would testify to matters told him by Converse, who was characterized by the attorney "as a drunkard and boctlegger" and had failed to appear to testify at this trial, or on the date when it was set for trial, two weeks ago. "And then," declared the attor- ney, "they fall back upon Wiley Good, a man Green and Reidinger worked up case against and sent to the penl- tentiary."
 Attention was called by the attorney to the fact that with four felony ln- dictn1ents against Green, he was plac- ed on trial on a misdemeanor charge, and declared Git is an attempt to assassinate the character" of Green. He expressed the belief, however, that Good nor any othr man would get on the stand and say under oath that he saw Green take money illegally and asserted that as constable, Green and his deputies had arrested and convicted more men for bootlegging than all other officers of the county and city put together
 Says Thomas Sold Whiskey. Ali Thomas, the attorney character ized as ''the chief bootlegger of Lin coin county" who is indicted at every term of court and defended by Ed Brockman of the prosecuting at torney's office of this county" He said Thomas was one of the chief dis tributors of whiskey in Pine Bluff.
 The attorney also declared that the records of the courts would show that more fines had been imposed for drunkenness since Green had been sus- pended than in similar period while he was in office.
 As to the car found on the Star City road. the attorney said it would be shown that Greens car had broken down, and that he purchased from the Dodge brothers agent the car receiv- ed in the trade with MT. Bolinger, pay ing $500 for it. He said the constable had to have car in his business, and Green calculated he could sell the small car when his own had been re- paired. That he did sell the car, re- ceiving $365, and paid a man named Taylor $10 for finding buyer. What hands, Green does not know.
 As to Massie Galloway's testimony that he saw Green on the road to Stal City, the attorney said Green had moi been to Star City but once, and or that occasion accompanied Mitchell Selligman, architect, at the latter's re- quest. He explained MT. Selligmar had suffered an injury, and was afraid he could not stand the strain of driv ing to Star City and back and tha the trip was made in Sellgman's car and not Greens.
 Thomas story, as related by tn. prosecuting attorney, MT. Nixon de clared he believed untrue. He did no recall just what Green had said abou it, but Green would take the stanc and the jurors could hear what he ha' to say. "He has nothing to hide," sait the attorney.
 Referring to the continuance of tht trial from the date two weeks ago tt yesterday. said to have been necessar, because of the absence of Hargrov, and Converse, the attorney said the, would show why Converse was not herr then and why he is not here now that his absence is not due to threats that Hargrove would testify that h. had been instructed not to come fo the first trial unless Converse came Converse is not here, the attcrne, charged, because he sold whiskey, i all reports are true. He said he hat talked to Hargrove and that the lat ter said he never heard it was danger ous for him to come to Pine Bluff un til he heard of the report after hi arrival Monday night. He charge, the whole story was only an attemp tc besmirch Greens character.
 Converse, MT. Nixon intimated might have pretended to be detec etive to protect himself, in the even of detection. He said Converse hat made remark to Reidinger which tn, latter interpreted as an efofrt to ten der him bribe; that Reidinger com municated with the prosecuting at torney, who said "the matter had no gone far enough" to warrant an ar