The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-02-03
WITNESSES RELATE
 GRAPHIC LYNCH|NG
 STORY ID JURORS
Wilkinson, Prosecuting First of Alleged Mobbers, Weaving 0minous Net About Ac-
 cused Guardsmen
ny FRED H. GonM.Ef

Hamilton, February 2.- (Special.) Circumstances tend ing to connect national guards men with the lynching of Will fam Baird, striking coal miner, in Walker county, January 13, were submitted to the Marion county jury by the state throughout Wednesday, and when the day ended the jury had the declaration of Leslie West, who drove one of the death cars, that he saw Sergt. K. l.. Lancaster, now on trial, in the party.
 The statements of other soldiers that Lancaster. shortly after the lynching. asked q boy to clean his gun and scab- bard and to obtain dry shoes for him, and the testimony of Capt. H. L. Me- Means that | muddy overcoat bearing the initials "R. L.' was found with other clothing secreted between two walls of the soldier barracks at Townley. were -adduced in testimony.
 AUSTIN OFFERS JOB
 But the defense in the eross-
 examination of the state's witness
 es had obtained the testimony of
 one soldier, Guy Cannon. that c.
 w. Austin, chief law enforcement
 officer, during the investlgatIon of
 the crime while he was held for
 tho fnuuir.w h.I "A y.~ ~~nx.tH h.
 given job paying SJ n day and a
 discharge from the national guard.
 md from another. Robert Hall.
 that Judge Horace Wilkinson, chief
 prosccuting officer, had shown him
 the Jcfferson county jail and hnd
 informed him he wOuld be placed
 there and all of Compcny M In
 dicted before morning if they dId
 not tell tho story.
 The state also brought from various soldier witnesses the statement that Judge Wilkinson had told them they might refuse to discuss the case with attornAy, for the (efensa if they so de~ sired, al ltlaeNsh tls3 < alss Iiaai been stsxi1- inennd ies Y ttnnasts for the deIense.
 NESTS TESTIMONY
 Vests story was that tile soldiers er- ganized the party at Townley; that bs drove one of the cars to Jasper, ard that Baird was shot on the return trip to Townley, but he could not say he saw the shooting, because he turned his head before the firing began. West admitted that he had told several stories about the case, but decided to fell the truth after his brother had talked with nm.
 < Two witnesses testified that one soldier remarked that he was going to put sone notches In his gun One was positive the statement was made by Iahcaster and another said the voice sounded like Lancaster.
 Captain McMeans' testimony about tho finding of the clothing was probably tho most damaging of the day, because i'd tended to corroborate tho story of West that he was driver of one of the cars and that his black overcoat was taken by one of the soldiers shortly before tho jail was reached. ArcMean's testimony was that black overcoat bearing ths name "I4. West" and an army overcoar bearing the initials "R. L.'' were found between the walls.
 DEFENSE RESENTFUL Throughout the day much bitter A entered the trial and the defense sef ksg especially resentful of the manner o <sa Investigation which preceded the fl eieta ment. After the defense had obt Inca from Guy Cannon the admission that Chief Austin had promised him a j @6 day and that he had acted S 4 sa agent for the state in the irvestie J Judge Wilkinson sought to obtain fu lfsee information about his service. m s < fense objected and Judge Wilkinsf a1s swered:
 ~I want him to tell 1t. beeateS
 take pride In the nerviee he hAh
 rendered the state.7 #
 mn not intereatercA fna s<e
 pride of Judge Wnkinson infxns2 x Maatter and ! an Ruling en Inc / lAw,r the eeurt aala IT It susssasn-