The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-08-24
State Witnesses Give Testi- mony of the Killing of Father CoyIe-Hearing to Be C.s<A. <, tinued This Morningesss Crowd Attends HesSSs

Dramatic tensenes.s the sit uation in the preD 4 hearing of Rev. Edwin R.. < hson, charged with the killing rather James F. Coyle, as the second day of the hear ing opens this morning at g o'clock. Ruth Stephenson-Gussman, whose marriage precipitated the trouble leading to the killing of Father Coyle, is believed to be the states ace in the hole. She is expected to take the stand against her father today.
 With humanity occupying every available space in Judge Dan A.. Greene's courtroom, the case was called at o'clock with Judge H. $. Abernethy of the Jefferson county court of misdemeanors presiding The halls and stairs were crowded with persons endeavoring to get in to hear the evidence to be introduced, and of- ficers were detailed to keep order. Seldom, If ever, has such a crowd of spectators thronged the courtroom in an effort to hear a case
 MT. Stephenson, dressed in clerical attire and carrying a soft felt hat, was escorted into the courtroom a few minutes before o'clock. He looked little haggard, but attempted smile when he saw anyone he knew.
 First Witness
 Sheriff J. c. Hartsfield was the first witness called, and he told of seeing Mir Stephenson in the county jail and being present when Solicitor Joseph R. Tate and George c. Moore, assistant coroner, talked to him the night of the shooting.
 Fred McDuff. chief deputy, was the second witness called by the state.
 He told of a conversation with Stephenson in the hospital ward of the county jail shortly after the shooting. According to the witness, he, Solicitor J. R. Tate and MT Moore had gone in the jail and MT. Tate and MT. Moore had asked the prisoner questions.
 MT. McDuff testified that MT. Steph- enson told them that he was passing the home of Father Coyle, who called him in. The priest was sitting in the swing at the time, he said, and that he (Stephenson) went in and talked with him. In the course of the con versation. Stephenson said, Father daughter, Ruth Stephenson, to Pedro Gussman that afternoon.
 Mir. McDuff svated that MT.
 Stephenson said too. that he told
 the priest he had treated him like
 . dirty dog and that Father
 Coyle hnd told him not to repeat
 that. Stephenson said he repeated
 1t, calling the priest . "dirty dog'
 and that at that point, Father
 Coyle went into the house and
 came back on the porch and told
 the minister not to say that any
 more. according to the statement
 Mir. Stephenson made that night.
 The witness testified that MT. Stephenson said he repeated the statement, and Father Coyle knocked him down on his knees and grabbed him by the belt hurting his side and in some way hurting his foot. The priest then put his hand on his hip pocket, according to the statement made by the defendant in Jail, and at that point he (Stephensop) fired three shots. Mir. McDuff testified that he was present when Dr. Hambrick, the county physician examined the prisoner about o'clock, and that there was a bruised place on his head.
 Bullet Holes
 MT. McDuff testified that he went to the scene of the shooting inn mediately after MT. Stephenson was placed in the county jail. On cross examination, MT. McDuff stated the first bullet hole was about 2o;s inches from the floor and about or 31s feet in front of the swing, while the second was 52 inches from tho floor and about two feet behind the swing on the porch. He stated he had measured the distance to be cer- tain.
 In response to a question of Cramp- ton Harris, attorney for the defense, Mir. McDuff stated there Vi ere trees in the yard and there was not any (Continaed on Page Two)