The New York herald., 1921-10-18
PASTOR who KILLED
PRIEST IS ON TRIAL
Jury Completed in Case of
Alabama Minister and
Barber.
WITNESSES ARE SOUGHT
Many of III Called by Both
Sides Fail to Appear
in Court.
4 LAWYERS FOR DEFENCE
Daughter Of the Accused Over
Whose Marriage Shooting
Occurred Is Missing.

srsoiai Despatch to THE NEW YORK HnlALo.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala, Oct. 1.-THE
jury selected, and witnesses being
rounded up in every direction. the
taking OF testimony will start to-mor-
row In the case of the Rev. Edwin r.
Stephenson, Methodist minister and
barber, who shot and killed the Rev.
James E. Coyle of st. Paul's Catholic
Church on August IL as the latter sat
on the front porch of his home. a plea
OF not guilty by reason of temporary
insanity being formally presented in
the criminal court before Judge WILL
lam r. Fort this afternoon
Stephenson is charged with murder
in the second degree. Although bond
was fixed several weeks ago, it was
not taken advantage Of in order that
the claim Of a jail case having prefer
ence for trial might hold. The de-
fendant was neat Of appearance and
shaven. showing little signs Of i'm
prisonment when he came into court.
The weeks venire had response from
seventy-one men. and when 1t was deter
mined that the trial would be entered
upon qualifying of Jurors began. Eight
were disqualified for fixed opinions and
other causes and others were excused,
leaving enough to give to the State sew
enteen strikes or excuses, and to the de-
fendant thirty-four, and then leaving a
jury OF twelve, all city men except one.
a farmer.
In qualifying the Jurors no questions
were asked as to membership in secret
or fraternal organizations that have
racial principles or prejudices.
The defendant Is represented by Hugo
Black, former solicitor Of the county /:
Champtin Harris, world war veteran ;
John c. Arnold, representative in the
Legislature. and Fred Fite Young.
The prosecution is in the hands Of
Joseph r. Tate and all his assistants
John Mccoy, James Davis and John
Moore. The names of seventy-four wit
nesses for the State were called and 1903
for the defendant, but many were absent
Few Catholics were in the court room.
in fact little interest is being manifested
outwardly by them In the trial. When
the name Of Ruth Gussman, daughter
of Stephenson, was called there was no
response.
The shooting OF Father Coyle occur
red few hours after he had married
Ruth Stephenson. the eighteen year-oid
daughter of Stephenson. TO Pedro Guss-
man, n Spaniard. For some time Ste
phenson and his wife had made efforts
TO keep their daughter from joining the
Catholic Church and also to prevent her
marriage to Gussman.
Since the tragedy Ruth Gussman has
separated from Gussman and has writ
ten letters to the newspapers telling OF
her reason, saying Gussman was to ap-
pear as witness for Stephenson. He
has been summoned as a witness by the
defence.
A week to ten days will be taken In
the trial. The plea of the defendant al
lows almost anything to be brought out
in the case that might tend to show
temporary insanity. Conviction can
carry with 1t life in the penitentiary.
The shooting Of Coyle occurred a few
hours after he had married Ruth
Stephenson. the cighteen-year- daugh-
ter of Stephenson. to Pedro Gussman, a