The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-03-25
ORDERED A BELL,
GOT LAWN MOWER
WITHOUT A RING
Thought It New Kind of Bell
But Got Disguised When
Working Handle Pro-
duCed No Sound
by Associated Press

Macon, Ca, March 24.-An aged
negroes story OF how he purchased
bell from mail order house in Chi
cago and received a lawn mower,
which had no ring in it, enlivened
today's proceedings in the federal
court room. where SO men are on trial
on charges of conspiracy to steal ex
press shipments from the United States
government.
The negro was G. C. Carter. ri or
dered a bell that rings at dinner time"
said the negro Instead they sent
me this thing" and he pointed to
lawn mower in the courtroom
II thought it was a new kind Of
bell, so / hung it UP. l worked the
handle up and down, Then / took it
down and hung it up the other way
and worked it every way that / couId
until l was tired out and l couldn't
get any ring out of it. l took 1t back
to the station agent and told him to
ship it back; that 1t wouldn't work"
PART OF LOOT
The government showed by other
witnesses that the lawn mower was
put off at Oglethorpe and was part of
the loot recovered from the home Of
u. e, Dunaway, agent at that point,
who Is one of the indicted men.
Court recessed for Is minutes during
the morning TO give deputies from the
limited States marshars office time to
ASSEMBLE the exhibits of goods aIleg ed
to have been recovered, for witnesses
to identify. Hundreds of pieces were
carried into the courtroom, cigars,
wearing apparel, bicycles. automobile
| tires and guns being in the list.
II. c. Wilkerson, express messenger,
testified that he purchased the
"Whoopee" ham referred to in Hughes
testimony for 81 He knew of no other
thefts of messengers, he said.
T. A .Lovelace of Atlanta told OF two
men one small and one big. coming
20 him after he had quit the fish bust
of fish. He identified Hughes as the
small man. but could not Identify W. E.
Drummer positively as the big man.
CHECK IDENTIFIED
Lovelace said that he offered to
dispose of the fish and agreed to pay
whatever he could get The check.
made out to w NJ. Anderson. was pro-
duced in court and bore the indorse
ment of Mrs w. r. Drummer. An Off
ciaI or the Fourth National bank of
| Atlanta also identified the check.
Asa Yosbik OF Cuthbert and Frank
Robson OF Charleston, S. c. testified t.,
egg shipments which Hughes had pre-
viously mentioned in his testimony.
Yosbik swore he shipped three crates
of eggs to Robson and the latter said
he never received them.
Sheriff w. E. Taylor of Cuthbert
testified to a raid on the home OF
| J. ID. Hood and told of the recovery OF
property there. stack of goods
identified as part of this loot included
suits, window curtains, bathrobes and
an art square.
4 Hardy Burke, conductor, said me
bought gun from Charley Hunter In
February, 1920. The gun was identified
in court and the government claims il
is the same as stolen from a ship
nasnt. Burke said he had never heard
of any CROOKED dealings between mes
sengers and railroad employees
In all 81 witnesses from all parts
of the United States were examined
today, chiefly in establishing the iden-
tity CT property that the government,
charges was stolen.