The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-10-20


 events which had trSnspired on
 the porch of the rectOry on se
 Fatal afternoon. and under taa
 strain of recalling the shootiuM
 tears hnd come into his eea
 There was short pause. thea
 Judge Black, turning Co the aaf
 liff. asked that Mr. Gussman sa
 brought in. There was a naa
 of surprise in the cOurtroom nc
 Jury leaned forward, nnd StepE
 son stared nt the door.
 Gussmau entered and walked M eNs railing which separated the srert.s- tors from tho court officials Bs stopped and the jurymen stfaine f6s ward, looking at him Not a rass was satd Mrs. Stephenson. dan penlnd relatives, pulled at a han sissa chief which she had In her AIier & moment Gussman turn 4s IT 10 Walk out again One of the men on the back row asked tha Ha be brought closere and the baill corted him in front of the jury ls1
 Jury stares
 For full moment he stood sele without speaking. and with -4.. Jufyman staring at him. He seemed httie concerned with the trial and was perfectly composed He had inst had haircut and his clothes were neatly pressed. There was pause. lie was told that he might go.
 l Just wanted the jury to see the man., Judge Black said simply, and announced that the defense was ready 10 turn the defendant over to the state for cross examination
 Stephenson on stand
 Stephenson took the stand in his own defense at S:S0 o'clock. He said ne was minister of the NJ. E. church 9l years of age, and that none of his iamily' SO far as he knew, had ever belonged to the Catholic church. He lestltied that he had one living uausnteri and In answer to his at torney's question he said he had never abused her,
 Do you love your daughter Nil. stephenson?' he was asked.
 Yes love her. he replied and smiled slightly.
 MT Stephenson testified tha, ce le 9 4l& he hiHs G ~ hen8ag home two Aoifrs M9ite t1e otticere snt te eet Mr HFn@et i2 oper the rroul l6ne lIa nao nnVr sat her, nor tiea 4e i h4aus., a0T locAeu her up in her room he replied in answer to his at torney's questions.
 Church Attendant
 V tried to rear my daughter as a Christian girl" the defendant said She joined the Methodist church when she was years old Since be- ing in Birmingham she had attended the Methodist churches and the First Baptist church."
 Mir Stephenson said he heard of his daughters disappearance from Love- man, Joseph & Locb's, where she worked. about o'clock in tue after noons when MT. Hammer, a manager there, called him over the telephone When he went to the store later, MT Hammer told him of a conqersa tion he had heard between the girl and Mrs. Cromen several months before in which Ruth had said she would be financed on a trip to Europe by Fred Bender, her godfather.
 object to Letter
 At this point Judge Black handed the defendant q letter and asked him if it were written In his daughters Handwriting. He replied 1t was. The sta te immediately objected to the let ter being introduced in the trial un- til they had seen it. The letter was to Miss Frances F'adley of the hook department of Loveman, Joseph & Loebs. and was dated Oc- tober g. from Loretta, Tenn The state objected to using letter which was written after the alleged crime occurred. Judge Black said 1t was offered to coroborate the testimony of Mir Hammer. who appeared Tues day, and told of the conversation be- tween Ruth and Mrs Cromen regard ing Beuder's financing trip to Eu- rene. Judge Fort read the letter and upheld the states objection. VThe derendcnt testified that on the day of the shooting he talked to MT. Hammer and Chief Shirley of the Birmingham police department. He did not nave the remotest idea that his daughter was married, and did not even know that she had ever mad any dealings with Pedro Guss- man.
 Looked for Daughter
 He was worried. and tried to sac Kenneth { Charlton, United States commissioner. to get him to help In finding the girl. The commissioner was out of the city. Tracing his ac- tions from the time he left the sheriffs office shortly before the 
 shooting occurred. Mr. Stephenson said he went up Third avenue until he got in front Of Fred Blenders store He was determined to search for his daughter until he found her The pistol had been put in his pocket the last time he was at home that a afternoon He used 8 telephone at the Lige Loy undertaking company, and called Mir McGill, city detec- tive to ask him if he had found his daughter. Finding that the officer had heard nothing. he started up Third avenue toward the Catholic rectory. about block away.
 Seeing Father Coyle on the porch, he entered the yard. The priest asked him to sit down. and after thanking him. he took chair on tn. porch He had never met the priest. but had had two telephone conver- sations with him regarding his daughter. He told the priest who he was, and that he was In trouble and would appreciate assistance,
 Tells of Meeting
 This is no place to come to look after other peoples family affairs Mir Stephenson said Father Coyis replied, and asked him why he oh. jected to his daughter becoming 3, Cathollc.
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