The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-14
MASKED MObbERS
 RAID JASPER JAIL
 AND LYNCH BAIRD
Young Miner, Held for Murder ing Guardsman, Is Taken to Lonely Spot and Body
 Riddled With Bullets

Jasper, January 13.-(Special) )--Sevcn
 masked men raided the jail here at 2;3o o'clock this morning. and after compell-
 cell keys, took William Baird, young
 miner awaiting trial for the murder of
 James Morris, guardsman, to lonely
 spot three miles north of the city and lit erally riddle,l his body with bullets
 Leslie West, a taxi driver of Holly
 Grove. was arrested at that place this
 afternoon as a suspect. lie is in the
 county jail here. It is understood. how
 ever. that he probably will be released, as the evidence connecting him with the
 conspiracy, k is declared is slight. The
 prisoner, has stated he had been calling
 upon his girl.
 Bards body was found beside the road early this morning by rural mall car rler The body was sieved with 25 bul- let holes..y Iwenty-nipe empty shells were found in the immediate area of the exc
 cution 1t IS believed by some that he
 was blndfolded with a towel and stoou
 against a small sapling and shot to death. Others are inclined to think he was
 thrown from the car and fired npoh while he lay upon the ground, Tners , was no evidence of a struggle.
 MOB BUSINESS-LIkE According 10 Jailer Sides version ol the attack on the jail, the mobbers pro ceeded in a iusinesslike manner. After
 arriving in two automobiles. they di- vided, three going to the front doos or the prison building and the remaining four scaling the walls surrounding the ian door While the party at the irohl door asked for admattance and kept thf jatIel occupied. the four at the rear srashed in the door and covered ths iaior with guns.
 I've want Baird" they advised him. Give us the key to his cell
 | Sides sought to dssuade them by as-
 serting that Sheriff Claud Cutlery hao
 the Keys. A blow on the head with q six-shooter and an assurance that they
 meant business even to the extent or more drastic treatment caused theNaller
 to yield the keys and the men with the
 official in charge proceeded into the
 iail proper Watts Sides. night Watch :
 man and son of Jailer Sides who was III
 the corridor of the prison proper ol- fered no resistance, explaining that ne
 thought the party new group or prls-
 oners until he was covered and advised
 to obey orders.
 WORK SILENTLY
 Once lnS1ue IJdlIQ < ttiif tHN5 -
 silently and made no response to Baird $
 calm inquiry. asking What they in- tended to do' Baird was equally unex-
 cited when one of the raiders puied towel from his pocket and fastened IL
 about the~ mouth of the prisoner. II
 was evident that the young miner pe- Iieved he was in the hands of frlends who had come to effect his delivery. Upon quitting the jail they nurried 10 their cars and drove rapidly nortn"aio toward the ontgomery hiSnWas, ihe entire proc dure was handled "itnout q false move No words were. wasted and 2 prearranged schedule unques- tionably was carried out by the small Inf determined little band or men Wno had decided upon Balrd's death. Jailer Sides notified sheriff Cutlery ,,, ,adiateIv after his masked visitors b ad denarted and the sheriff assembled his deputies for the pursuit m the meantime Conrad Austin or the state enforcement squad was notllied at DIT mingham. He hurried to Jasper and later joined the sheriIi lorces III 'neii hunt for the mobbers.
 BODY AT JASPER
 rhe hodv of Baird was brought to fasner Immediately after its discovery folonp The highway and given into cus- ,todx. of Coroner A. B. Legg He inn nanelled jury during the morning and inc inquiry began at 2.30 this afternoon, The inquiry was not completed and ad- iournment was taken until Friday morning. when Jailer sides and his son will be examined.
 Suppressed excitement prevails through out Jasper and the strike zone There have been no indications. however, of outbreaks and there is slight probabil- itr@ that any demonstration of any character will result There is com nkte disposition among the miners and inc public generally to permit sheriff Gutterv and those cooperating with him tn handle the situation as their judg- ment suggests
 Balrd's $ lynching is the climax of a
 twin killing December 2 when Morris. ], member of Company M Tuscaloosa
 national guards. shot and lyslled John
 Northcutf. a striking m aar, and Bairl $
 f,ther-;,, law. 1t is alleged, for resistlag ',rresi X. r.ncstt was killed near
 Nanvoo. where one of the minpg com
 nanies have store. and while Morris
 companion hal gone to report the oc- currence. Morris was slain, it is alleged,
 from ambush. Baird was suspected and later confessed. although he declared the
 shooting was done In self-defense.
 Baird before surrendering, wandered in the woods in the vicinity of the strike
 zone and surrendered to Sheriff Robin
 son of Winston county, only after secur- ing a promise that he would be taken