Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1920-11-13
WINNES' ATTORNEYS
FIGHTING FOR HIM
Prosecution Has Closed Its Case
Al Harlan In Mysterious Par
sons Murder Case

j. 1IdlIdll, Ky, 1NOV IO-AllOI
neys for the defense late Friday
afternoon began their fight to lif
fthe stigma OF suspicion from Jas
Robinson, convict, e:nd DR.. H. c
! Winnes, state veterinarian, who
are being held jointly as probable
slayers of Miss Lura Parsons
Pine Mountain school teacher, OF
September 7, by Harlan county
authorities.
! Examination of Robinson, the
! lcontinued substantial circumstan-
tial evidence by witnesses accum-
ulated against DR.. Winnes anc
the efforts of the attorneys repre-
senting the doctor to implicate
| Jerry Reed, another convict, as
the possible murderer, were the
outstanding features of the trial
When Attorney Floyd A. BYRD
and Commonwealths' Attorney
! Grant A. Forester, announced al
$50 the commonwealth had closed
its case, Attorney F. S. Acre, de
tending James Robinson, asked
permission to place his client on
the stand
| This request was granted and
indications are that Robinson s
side of the case will be disposed of
before the attorneys representing
l,Dr. Winnes will begin their effort
to break down the wall of circum.
stantial evidence built up by the
commonwealth against him. From
the opening of the court at nine
o'clock until it closed at five, the
court room was crowded with
men and women. Women were
present in large numbers and
composed approximately half
the spectators. During the after
noon session the crowd was SO
large that many were forced to
stand
Robinson was on the stand for
possibly an hour. By his owr
statement and the testimony al
ready heard as the trial progress
es it is almost apparent he will be
able to establish his innocence.
He has res Wrhen, ,odenceM
When placed on the stand Robin
son related the same story he has
told since his arrest and since it
was first believed he was inpli-
Gated in the crime. He said he had
been sente ced TO tie pen ter tia~v
for two years from Fayette coun-
ty, May 5. 1919, and had been at
the convict camp since May Of
this year. Robinson said he had
e,ten dinner ON the water wagon.
in answer to question where he
had taken his meal the day of the
crime.
He stated that he fed his tear
before eating himself and the
guards passed him seated on his
wagon on their way to the camp
for their noon meal. He then went
to the steam shovel. he declared
During the day Robinson said
he made three trips for water and
admitted shooting craps during
the noon hour with several other
convicts. Robinson declared he
did not see either Miss Parsons or
DR.. Winnes the day the crime was
committed. Robinson said when
the crime was discovered he went
to the spot and viewed the body.
= He was questioned by authori-
ties until several days after the
crime. Cross-examination failed
to make any change in Robinson's
testimony. Jerry Reed, convict
from Louisville, was under exam
nation during the morning and
half of the afternoon Reed ad
mitted he left the compressor,
which he operated, and went t.
the camp for dinner. In explain
ing why he did not tell this to the
grand jury or authorities who in
vestigated the crime previously,
he said: 81 didn't remember going
to the camp at that time"
Reed, while on the stand, was
was closely questioned by attor-
neys for the defense, but they
were unable to shake his story.
Reeds idea of item differed some
what from witnesses who have
preceded. him. but the common
wealth apparently does not be
1ieve. it will have any great bear
ing on the case.
Reed admitted seeing DIR. Win
mes ON the trail and said he di-
rected him to the trail that led
over the mountain to the school,
but said he never saw Miss Par
sons.
B. Blackshire, also an inmate of
the convict camp, was placed on
the stand during the afternoon.
He told of seeing both Miss Par
sons and DR.. Winnes pass the con-
vict camp and asserted that they