The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-30


 The Baird case reads more like mel
 odrama than fact. Thtfe Is no paral' Iel to 1t in the history of Alabama nor probably in the nation. It has attract ed nationl' attention. Incredible speed
 has marked the investiga tion, indict- ment and arraignment of the men ac' cused of the crime.
 ALL MERE YOUTHS
 l None of the soldiers charged with the llynching over 22 years of age. Some of them are only IS. Two of them ars overseas veterans, having served WILT the American forces in France during 1 the World war All are members ol families Tn moderate circumstances es TheS have no money with which to de- l fend themselves But they will be rep resented by able counsel. The peopis of Tuscaloosa have no intention or per hitting their boys to suffer for lack of funds Tuscaloosa is raising de- fense fund and Tuscaloosa has supplleo dozen attorneys to conduct the de- fense of her own. Tuscaloosa is determined that the soldier boys shall have a fair triai And they will have. There is no ques- ton on this point. The people of Mar ion county are absolutely neutral. Many Of them 1tkQ IOl CNSh ASe~tU ~--7
 Baird lynching until the soldiers were brought here for arraignment.
 Marion county citizens are rugged and honest. Few crimes are commit ted here. A single prisoner occupied the Hamilton jail prior to the coming of the soldiers. The people leave their
 doors unlocked at night.
 BITTER FIGHT TENDS
 The preliminary skirmishing at the larraignment indicates that Hamilton IS
 to be the scene of one of the hottest legal battles in the history Of Alabama when the trial opens Monday. DeienSe
 attorneys surprised the state by max ing a plea in abatement. They claimed that the law requires tna. .ne names of jurors shall be drawn from the jury box by both judges in circuits having two. as this. the Fourteenth cir- cult, has. The constitutionality of the fury law was also attacked, the defense alleging that it carried no caption. 1 But the two pleas that Judge Sowel considered of greatest moment, ant which will be argued before the Jury Monday, aver that the law had not peei compiled with in drawing the panel Ioi the special grand jury which indicted the guardsmen or drawing the grant fury itself. The state is willing to Wvt this point determined by actual evi. dence to be presented to the jury, anc If it loses to have the accused rein dicted and another trial date set. HISTORY OF CASE It was on December 22 that James Morris buddy of the accused men shot and Killed John Northcutt. a Wal | ker county coal miner. after the miner is said to have tried to kill the soldier Morris sent another soldier for assist ance while he stood guard over thu body When assistance arrived. Pri' vate Morris was dead. with a buile | hole in his body. Reports were that ht was shot in the back.
 William Baird, 24 son-in-law o' Northcutt. disappeared and was imme' fdiately suspected of the crime
 On Christmas night Baird surren dered to the sheriff of Winston count, | at Haleyville and begged for protection He was taken to the Franklin county ] jail for safe keeping and two dayi l later femoved to the Walker county jai
 at Jasper. :. l Early on the morning of January IL small body of men--less than in overalls and other wise disguised, forced their way into 1 the Walker county jail and took Bairt i away. It was thought at first that hs | had been liberated by his. friends. ant mot until several hours later, when hi i body was found beside the road by
 rural mail carrier, was 1t known tha he had been lynched. There were mor' l than score of bullet holes in his body HUNT IS BEGUN
 | As soon as the lynching was reportet 1 the coroner began an investigation ant searching parties were formed in al effort to trail the mob.
 1 Comapny M. under command of Capt Richard Loiiar. was stationed at Town Hey, near Jasper. in connection with tn coal miners strike. On the day follow
 ing the lynching the members of Com pany M were ordered to their home bar racks at Tuscaloosa by Gen. R. N ] Steiner, state troop commander. On member of the detachment. Clyd ] Springer. and Towniey taxicab driver
 Leslie West were held for investiga ltton.
 l The finger of suspicion wac p0intinl !! toward Company NJ and the entire com pany was examined by General Stetne
 at his headqparters in Birmingham. Tn the meantime without news Q ldefinite results tn the hpnt for Baird
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