The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-12-11
Man Indicted for Laneford Murder
Will Fight Case and Opening
Statements Indicate His
Defense.
THE JURY rs SELECTED
First Testimony is Taken in the Case
at Carthage, and Witnesses
Tell of the Altercat
ton

sCARTHAGE, Ill, Dec. 11.-Follow-
inseare the jurymen who will decide
The fate OF Wick Crenshaw in the
trial of the case against him for the
killing of Bud Langford at the Car
thage fair last fall:
Fred Haas, Walker township; A j.
lanes, La Harpe; Lester Thompson
Fountain Green; Lyman G. Brandon,
Fountain Green; Frank NJ. Reynolds,
Foutain Green; John W. Graham,
Dallas City; c. C. Collins, ST. Adams;
Glen Breneman, St Adams; Frank
Robertson, Chill; John Ward, St AL
bans; w r. Markley, st. Adams;
]. III. Cratsenberg, Fountain Green.
#e Claim SeIf-Defense.
The Jury was completed at $50
O'clock Thursday afternoon. Attor-
uey Earl Wood of counsel for the
state, made the opening statement TO
the Jury He was followed by Attor-
ney CLYDE Johnson, who is conduct
ing the defense. 1t was plain from
ATTORNEY Johnson's statements that
the defense will largely rely upon a
plea of self-defense to clear Cren-
shaw of the charge against him; that
an effort will be made to show that
Crenshaw believed Langford was
about to kill or injure him when he
struck the fatal blow with his fist
that resulted in the almost instanta-
neous death Of Langford.
There is great interest in the case
and the court room is packed at
every session of the trial. There are
many residents of the Lima neigh
borhood in Adams county, here, as
Crenshaw, whose home is now at
Warsaw, once resided IN the Lima
community and is well known there.
Also the Bentley community, this
county, where the Langford family is
prominent, is we'll represented in the
trial, which, it is evident, will be a
hard-fought legal contest
Cappis Tells of Attack.
Two witnesses for the state, Daniel
Cappis, of Denver, H., and John
Letter, of Warsaw vicinity, were
heard before court adjourned last
evening.
Mr.. Cappis testified that he over
heard the conversation between Cren-
shaw and Langford just previous to
the blow that caused Langford's
death Witness said Crenshaw asked
Langford why Langford had been
telling lies about Crenshaw around
Warsaw Langford denied the charge.
Crenshaw said, IF it were someother
place than here I would kill you"
Crenshaw then grabbed Landlords
arm, turned him around and said:
For two cents | would kill you right
here and then he hit Langford. wit,
ness stated. Langford was knocked
against another man and then he fell
to the ground Witness went with
Langford to the emergency hospital
on the Carthage fair grounds when
the victim was carried there.
Cross-exanined by Attorney John
son. Mr. Cappis added that Crenshaw
called Langford dirty pup and
dirty cur before he struck Langford
and that the entire conversation that
ended in the blow took place in about,
two minutes. CrenShaw struck Lang
ford with his right fist and struck his
victim only once.
"a Corroborated by Letter.
Mr.. LETTER testified that he and
his mother and two sisters were with
Bud, or BERTHE, Langford-witness
knew the victim as Bertie-just
south Of the amphitheater at the
Carthage fair when the killing took
place. He was about five feet from
Langford when Crcnshaw came I'D
toEthe group Witness told the same
story of Crenshaw's verbal abuse of
Langford that was told by Nj. Cap
pis and also repeated the words that
directly led up to the blow as stated
by Cappis. He told of the blow. and
then witness stopped to aid Langford
with the idea Of helping him TO his
feet! He said the victims eyes and
mouth were open and there was not
much sign OF life. Witness also OBJ
served that Crenshaw turned and left
the scene at once.
Cross-examinCd by Mr. Johnson
witness said the group was about six
or eight feet distant from the south
end of the amphitheater and that
there were many people nearby He
stated, as Cappis had also stated.
strike Crcnshaw or offer any resist
ance. Witness said the blow struck
the left side Of IangfOrl's head and
neck. LangfOrd had his hack turned,
partly at least, 10 Crenshaw when
the. blow was struck, witness stated
The victi~l had been turned around
by Crenshaw when Crenshaw grabbed
his arm and shoulder.
The taking Of testimony is proceed.
ing rapidly h't those in charge Of
the case have rot made a prediction
of when it will come to Z close. The
defense will undoubtedly introduce
considerable testimony