The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-29
GRAND JURY SAYS
 MONSH|NERS HAD
 PLANNED MURDER
Hamp Kirby's and Negro'S Confessions, Prosecutor De- cIares, Proves Existence
 of Plot to Kill Officers

Tuscumbia, January 2S.-(spe-
 cini. made my Hamp
 Kirby, son of Sid Kirby, accused
 of the murder of Don Stephenson
 and the wounding of Calvin High
 field and Andrew McPeters, law
 enforcement officers, Saturday
 morning while in the act of To-
 eating illicit distilleries in this
 county, and Louis Kirby, negro, in
 the employ of the alleged moon
 sinners, State Solicitor Henry
 Jones believes that he has suf-
 ficient evidence to prove the ex-
 istence of a "murder ringv which
 had for its purpose the exter,nina-
 tiOn of the law officers who were
 in the habit of disturbing them in
 the manufacture of liquor.
 In the confession of Hamp Kirby. 1t is stated, that he and Sid Kirby, ia ther did the shooting and that seven shot in all were fired; that 1t had been arranged several days before, and that Will Holmes was implicated in the plot. It was the intention of the moonshlners, so Kirby states, to get all six of the officers who were in the raiding party.
 The negro, Louis Kirby, states In his confession that on Friday before the killing on Saturday he was sent to Leighton by Will Holmes to get three sacks of sugar and box Of shells. This evidence has been cor roborated by the merchant who sold the negro the sugar and the shells.
 PLEAD NOT GUILTY
 The confessions further state that after the killing the alleged murderers went to where Will Holmes was and related to him that three of the d-n officers had been shot' Whereupon it is alleged that Holmes replied that the three other d-n officers are un- der the bluff and to get them, too.'
 In the face of these confessions, how ever, the four men, Hamp Kirby, Sid Kirby, Jake Smith and Will Holmes when arraigned this morning, entered pleas of mot guilty" to all of thu charges. Only one of the defendants Will Holmes, had employed counsel while the court was compelled to ap. point attorneys to represent the Kirbys and Jake Smith.
 Judge Charles Almon. immediatel. after the pleas of the prisoners had been docketed, drew four special we. hires of 40 men each to try the cases This was in addition to 60 jurors drawr for the regular work, making tota of 240 men summoned from which tt get AS for the trials. The first to bt placed on trial will be Hamp Kirby set for Monday; Sid Kirby, for Tues. day. Jake Smith, for Wednesday, anC Will Holmes, former deputy sheriff ant alleged master mind of the ring, vii be tried Thursday.
 GRAND JURY REPORT
 At noon today the special grand jur, impaneled to investigate the crime with which IT men are charged ad journed and submitted its report t. the court as follows:
 eve. the special grand jury i'm paneled on Tuesday, January 25, for th' purpose of Investigating the recen killing of Don Stephenson and the SC rious wounding of Calvin Highfield ant Andrew McPeters, law enforcement of ficers, on Saturday, January 22. ant other crimes coming to our attention beg to submit this as our final report
 We have examined B witnesses, dock eted N cases and returned 26 true bills Of these indictments IS are for murder il of Don Stephenson.
 These officers were acting in the dis charge of their duty as deputies undel w. A. Romine, who is the federal pro hibition officer assigned to this tern tory when they were shot from ambush without warning, killing Don Stephenson instantly and dangerously wounding Cal win Highfeld and Andrew McPeters. MURDER RING" This offense, in our judgment, wa the result of well organized and care fully planned determination of a numpe Of moonshiners to continue at any haz ards their liquor traffic in defiance o the law of the state and the United States. These outlaws had evldentl, planned to assa4inate every officer wh' was engaged in searching for the stills but fortunately two were spared, wh' positively identify the parties who di' the actual shooting.
 These crimes are a disgrace to Colber county and we call upon the petit Jurors the officers of the state and county, an all good citizens to do their full dut in redeeming the good name of tn county
 A@afn-