The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-06-10
SHAY CONFESSED
 KILLING OF WIFE,
 OFFICER DECLARES
tContinaed from Page one,

(Contfnued from Page Onc)
 body of his 30-year- bride was found on a lonely hillside just out side of the corporation limits of
 Florence at midnight on Sunday, May IS. Seay was arrested about 3 ! o'clock Tuesday morning, May IT, as he was attempting to enter the home of his mother in the Douglass apart ments. He was immediately rushed l to Decatur for safekeeping and was brought back to Florence following an indictment by an extraordinary grand jury of murder in the first degree. He was arraigned here on the charge Of murder Wednesday, May 25, and through his attorneys plead mot guilty by reason of insan ity."
 Venue Change Denied
 As soon as the court was con- vened at 9:20 o'clock this morning w. w. Callahan of Decatur attorney for Seay filed motion for a change of venue and after a lengthy argu- ment by lawyers for both sides the court denied the motion. Seay's attorneys claimed that on account of the condition of the public nina here that the defendant would no. be given a fair trial.
 After denying the motion for a 
 asked for a continuation on account of insufficient time for the defense to properly prepare their case. The grounds stated were that on account of the crowded condition of the court room the defense could not tell whether all their witnesses answered or not; that strenuous efforts have been made to get in touch with threa naval surgeons who examined Seay l. IL Il such efforts have been unsuccessful; a letter from the treasury depart ment signed by R. H. Halle.t of the claims division showed that the de- fendant had been registered as sui fering from mental disability at the time of being discharged from the navy in October, 1913; another com- municaton from the war depart ment, though not sufficiently com plete. showed that Seay had enlisted in the navy on December 2. 1917. and had been discharged in October. 1918. on account of a mental disease known as Dementia Precox. An ex- pert on mental diseases who is fa- miliar with Seay's case and who lives in Hot Springs, Ark, was stated by Attorney Callahan to have agreed to be present at the trial and on the night before telegraphed that he could not be present, according to the agreement, therefore no time mas been given for taking his deposition. Claims More Time Needed
 Mr. Callahan stated that he es- pccially wanted the evidence of the naval doctors. as their statements could not be questioned on accoun, of any interest whatsoever in the case. He said that he believed that the defendant would get fair trial but that enough time to properly prepare the case should be given. At this juncture the court asked to see a copy of the defendants dis charge papers and they were re- ported as having been destroyed The court overruled the motion of the defense for continuation. to which | action the defendants attorneys duly excepted. Mir Callahan announced | to the court that the chief and prin- l cipal defense would be insanity. This of course was the expected ac- ton.
 Indications are that every step of the trial will be stubbornly contested both by the defense and the state