The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-10-20

told nm she was living with me, and l was interested in her. He then asked. didn't I know that she was married. I told him l did not, and he replied that he had himself married her to Catholic that afternoon.
 "I asked him to whom he had mar fed her, and he replied; Pedro Guss- man., and l said You have treated me like d dirty dog He told me not to, repeat that, and when ] did, he called me - and struck at p1e He hit me on the head, caught me by the belt, and made motion toward his pocket. 1t was then that fired" Defendant Excited The defendant was excited by the recital. and choked several times. He didn't know how many times he fired, and did not fire after the priest fell.
 He then told of eoing to the sher- ! ifs office after the shooting. aus- peuders he wore at that time were shown to the jury. They had been torn, and were offered as evidence Of struggle He had never seen Ruth with Gussman, he testified again, and would have resented Gussman's oom- ing to the house to see her. State attorneys asked for time for short conference before beginning the cross-examination. The state be- gan examining the witnesses at 4;l5 o'clock.
 Stephenson was composed practical ly the entire time he was on the i stand. He talked in slow deliberate manner, and his voice was scarcely audible except to those very close to the witness stand. Several times his attorney told him to talk louder. | . nh y1- 1 son testified that he had been liv- | ing in Birmingham since November 909, and had been a minister since 1892. He had never had a church In Birmingham. The first five years he had lived here he practiced his trade | as .a barber Since that time he has been preaching and teaching
 The defendant said he had no Ill feeling to the Catholic church, and f, had never told his daughter he hated it. He denied that he had ever said he would like to see the Catholics i tlown to hell. or see bomb placed under St Pauls church or under ! Father Coyle's home
 Chattanoosa Trip
 Mir Stephenson said his daughter | was IS at the time the shooting oc- ] cured, but was i9 on August 20. He l QlQ not kHON lHdl NdtAiOAiNS heAN shAT thing to do with her trip to Chattd- l family. and did not know from his family, and did not knok from his personal knowledge that Catholics had furnished the money for the trip.
 Mir Stephenson admitted that at l this time his daughter was bothered | by some trouble at high school, but refused to admit that this was the reason She ran away. He found her !, in a hotel in Chattanooga. She had gotten the promise of a Job, but was not working at the time. He saia 1 he did not know of his personal knowledge that the girl was con cealed in Fred Bendcrs home by the Catholics, and did not know whether some one locked the door or not. The defendant said he did not ask the girl whether she was locked up by some one else or not.
 Did you think at the time you shot Father Coyle that your daugh- ter had ever been confined by Cath olics?" the defendant was asked.
 "I knew she was locked up,' he replied.
 'Did you load your pistol when YOU went home at o'clock?"
 T did not I did not notice if 1t was loaded or not. 1t generally was | When 1 went up Third avenue from tho court house I did not notice whether Father Coy1e was on the porch or not.
 sitting On Porch
 The witness said he did not intend going in the rectory when he re- | turned later until he saw Father Coyle sitting on the porch. He did | not know how long he was at the rectory. nor in which chair he sat | He remained sitting until Father | Coyle struck him the first time. He did not know whether the priest was reading when he came up or not lie 1 iumped back when the priest struck l the first time, and the second time was knocked down by post on the porch.
 The defendant said Father Coyle kicked him on tho side. He wouio have been knocked down by tho firs' lick if it had not been for the post He was on his knees when kickeo' "The priest put his hand towaro 1 his pocket" MT. Stephenson said. T | could not see whether he had pistol or not. When he did this 1 shot. l 1 had no idea of hitting him In the body"
 The witness declared to the insist ent questioning of John Morrow, as- l sistant solicitor, that he did not ao- vance upon tho priest Court adjourned shortly after o'clock with Stephenson still on the l stand. The state will continue its | cross examination when court con venes this morning.
 Insanity Plea | When court convened yesterday, the defense continued it's efforts to make out the Insanity plea by piacing upon tho stand Wallace McAdory, formerly l connected with the county solicitors | office, who testified that the defend ant approached him in July regarding his daughters disappearance, and at 1 the time he broke down and cried. He i would not say whether he considered l him insane or not
 | E L. Erwin and A. J. Morris were \ offered as character witnesses, who I testified that Stephepson's cnaracter was good
 Mrs. Stephenson, wife of the de- l fendant, was placed on the stane shortly after 5 o'clock. She answered questions in a clear voice. and al l though she showed the effect of the strain under which she had been la boring, she was composed while or the Htand.
 l She testified that she and her hus- band had been married 25 years. Sht was a Methodist, and all her people i have been Methodlsts. She told of tn, trouble the family had had with theii daughter and of tho times the gir has run away from honie.
 Letter to Priest
 She had seen letter Ruth wrot' the Catholic priest on the Southside asking him to let her alone. Th' state objected to this testimony say ing the letter should be brought Tn Judge Black offered to call in Fathel