Republican farmer., 1918-10-11
DID PATROLMAN RAID ON SPEEDY
 INFORMATION?
Evidence Offered in Baby Doll Case to Justify
 Raid on Dive.
Thursday, Oct. 10

 Lieutenant James Walker to show that the police acted on speedy in- formation in raiding the Keystone club last December, reversal of a rul- ing made yesterday by Judge J. H. Reed in which he said the police were not justified in the raid because they had no warrants, admission of the testimony of John Sterback, ruled out yesterday, and the story of Policeman Thomas N. McNamara were the fea- lures of the trial of William Thomas and Jacob Hawkins in the Superior court today for the murder of Norriss Pannill
 McNamara told at considerable length the story of &he shooting, and testified that as he looked through the loop hole of the door of the Key stone club he saw Texas fire three shots with nickel plated revolver two of which struck himself Pan mill was in the doorway at the time having been driven back to the club by Sergt. Burns and McNamara
 Lieut.. Walker was the first witness and told of receiving a complaint over
 
 said he had been assaulted at the Keystone club. Attorney Lewis for the defence objected to the admission of the testimony, was overruled, and filed an exception.
 After Walkers testimony Judge Foster for the state moved for the admission of the testimony of Ster- back, ruled out yesterday. After considerable argument, Judge Reed said that in his ruling of yesterday he had not taken in the full scope of the statute under which the police acted. He said the police were justi- fled in acting on speedy information, and said the use of modern inventions could not be excluded, and he could admit the contention of Attorney Lew is that complaint over the telephone Is hearsay, and not speedy informa- tion. Attorney Lewis filed exceptions to the ruling.
 Walker said he had been called about 12:30 on the telephone by some one who said he had been assaulted in the Keystone club. Later he was Greene to get Sergt. Burns and make
  ed did not give his name.
 There was another argument over the admission of testimony by Ster- back, but Judge Reed admitted it. Sterback testified that he was in the club, saw Thomas strike a white man with the butt end of a revolver He did not know who the man was, what started the row, or how it ended Sterback heard no shots while he was in the club.
 Policeman Thomas N. McNamara was the principal witness of the fore noon session, and was still on the stand under cross examination when recess was taken for lunch. McNamara told of going to the club with Sergt Burns and Policeman Greene, and hearing three shots fired inside the club, apparently from the rear. He was near the door at that time. They demanded admission and were refused, the door being slammed, and he heard Thomas say 'Shoot the ............." McNamara said he looked through the peep hole and saw Texas blaze away three shots from nickel plated revolver. PannilI was
 
 the shots struck McNamara. The three McNamara, Pannill and Burns, | backed out of the doorway and Pan mill was ordered to go to Gilbert street McNamara. watched him until near the corner when a crowd coming out of a restaurant shut off his view. l McNamara then told at length his doings of the night until early morn ing. He told of an arm waving a "gun" from the doorway and of Burns firing several shots He heard no shots between the time Texas fired until he saw Burns fire at the door way.
 | Attorney Foster carried McNamara through all of the occurrences of the morning until he finally went home. | Attorney Lewis took up his cross examination and questioned McNa- mara as to the alleged statement Of Pannill that he said he had been shot by a policeman. McNamara said Pannill had made no statement when he left the club.
 Attorney Lewis announced during i his argument on the adnissibility of the evidence of Walker and Sterback. that the defense would be that Pannill was killed by a bullet fired from a re- volver in the hands of sergt. James | Burns.
 Two lines of testimony were eX- cIuded by rulings of Judge J. H. Reed in the trial of William Thomas and Jacob Hawkins in the Superior court yesterday for the murder of Norriss Pannill in the riot at the Keystone club last December. The first was the testimony of John Sterback that Thomas was resisting arrest at the time the shots were fired. Judge Reed ruled that as the police had no war rant at the time for entrance into the club they had no right to force an entrance. Sterbacks testimony was excluded, but Judge Foster asked per- mission make a motion at another time for it's admission.
 Testimony to show that Thomas had made threats to shoot policemen was offered by Judge Foster, in charge Of the case for the state objected to by Attorney Lewis for Thomas, and over ruled by the court. Judge Foster wished to show that previous to the riot Thomas had made such threats, and that the bullet fired was intend ed for a policeman, but actually hit Pannill.
 It has been a practice of Bridge port police to make arrests on com plaints and Judge Reeds ruling has caused much discussion among mem bers of the department
 FRENCH SHIP PLANS MADE Paris, Oct. 1O.-Fernand Bouillon. Under r-secretary of State of the mer- chant marine, declared yesterday the