The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-18
INDICTMENT OF 8
 TUSCALOOSA MEN
 APPEARS CERTAIN
Speed Record Set By Authori- ties In Taking Action to Bring Justice to Those
 Who Lynched Baird
By R. H. FISHER

Jasper, January Within 30 minutes after Judge Horace C. Wilkinson, special prosecu- tor, representing the attorney general, had arrived in J .sper from Birmingham this mo- hing, Judge Thomas Soweiis on the circuit court had ordered and instructed grand jury to in. vestigate the assassination of William Baird, 24-year-old miner, who was taken from the local county jail on the night of January 13 and riddled with bullets. Within another 30 minutes the grand jurors were organized and prepared to hear testimony. It is easily the tIme record in court annals.
 It is reasonably certain that the
 testiInony before the grand jury.
 which began during the Inte after
 noon under direction Of Judge Will
 kinson and County Solicitor J. M.
 Pennington. will result in the in-
 dicfment of at least nine soldiers,
 members of Company M. TuscaIoosa,
 who had bsen on guard duty and
 now are in jail in Birmingham.
 These include Glen l.. Stevens, Robert J. Lancaster, D. F. Cox, all sergoanis. Manly R. Sexton. E. W Speed, Jr.. Jo- seph w. Key, corporals William E. Hamby, James Franklin, Roy Patton. privates, and c. E. Richardson, bugler. It is not improbable that Leslie West. taxi driver of Holly Grove, and Clyde springer, guardsman. will be released eventually TheEe are unverified ru- ihors that because of their confessions and the fact that they are reported to have been only incidental factors in the iynehing, may cause the state to hold ehem only as witnesses. Tae trial prob- ably will start early next week
 The state 1t is understood did not present other evidence before the grand jury this afternoon than the testimony of people living along the Montgomery highway leading toward Townley, the road taken by the mobbers after leaving the jail These witnesses, 1t is under stood, will establish the fact that two automobiles passed their home at about l the time the jail raid was made Others. a fuslllade of shots were beard at ap- 1 q Nusllade of shots were heard at ap- l proximately the same hour and in the 1 identical vicinity where Baird's body i was found lying along the road the fol- ! lowing morning.
 MAY END WEDNESDAY
 It is possible that the grand jury in- quiry VIII close Wednesday, and Tues l day. it is thought, will be the principal 1 session. It is understood that Judge ! Wilkinson on Tuesday will offer in evi- | dence the written confessions of Clyde | springer, guardsman, and Leslie West | the chauffeur, There is a proba bilitv | that the Springer confession was of- | fercd this afternoon for it is known 1 that Judge Wilkinson brought a trans | script with him from Birmingham The [ transcript however. of Vests confes- | sion had not been completed for use | Monday. Jailer J. F. Sides and his son. Watts Sides, on duty at the prison when the raid was made. will be other impor- tant witnesses, and it is thought that 1 George Cryer, living only short dis tance from the scene of the killing, will | testify that he heard the shots.
 The grand jurors were selected from the petit jury list, or rather transferred from one department of jury duty to another. This is a wide departure from the usual but by reason of the order Judge Sewelfs court attains the dis tinction of putting grand jury into &C., ion more quickly than was ever known The jurors include the following: c. D. Long. merchant, Jasper. foreman; Ed w. King. merchant. Townley; Pink Un- derwood, farmer Cordova; James c. Brown, farmer, Jasper; Robert l.. Mus grove, farmer Jasper; James Donahoo, miner, Dora; D. Lee Tubb, farmer Oak il nan; Lee B. Movies, farmer, Nauvoo: Iohn R. Cagle. farmer, Nauvoo; M. Felix Suel farmer. Jasper; Dock H. Murry. farmer. Nauvoo: John Henson, farmer Empire; F. Marion Chandler farmer. Gamble Mine Albert c. McCannas, miner, Dora ED c. Black barber, Town ey; c. Lewis Lindsey, carpenter. Sipsey; Oscar smith farmer Nauvoo and Charles w Miller, farmer, Nauvoo.
 CORONER STILL BUSY
 Peculiarly and of less importance LOW, in that the grand jury has begun Ind his jurors are continuing their in- 'estigation. The coroDer's jury Is work. ng just across the hallway from the yrand jury and are going to the bolton, before returning a verdict. T shall not i top until the inquiry has been thor ,ugh." declared the coroner There will never be charge that this lynch
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