The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-10-04
OFFICERS FACING
 MURDER CHARGE
 IN T|DMORE CASE
Conflicting Testimony Given Coroner By Witnesses at Hearing Yesterday-Ten
 Examined at Hearing

Warrants charging T. c. Dewes, w. M. Dewes and W. E. Eubanks, federal prohibition enforcement of- ficers, and J. B. Thompson, Bir- mingham traffic policeman, with murder in the first degree were sworn out yesterday afternoon by Coroner J. D. Russum, following an inquest in the morning into the death of Curtis Tidmore, whom the officers are alleged to have shot and killed several nights ago near Springville as they were attempting to make a search for liquor. F. Departing from his usual custom. Coroner Russum made his investiga- tlon public and number of people attended the lengthy session.
 Ten witnesses. including the four officers, Jack Horton, another officer, who was with them; N. l.. Pierce, chief federal prohibition enforcement officer under whom the men were op- erating; Chalmers Huffstutler. com panion of Tidmore; W. J. Huddles- ton. D. A. Stone and W. D. Wade, who live near the scene of the shooting, were examined.
 The testimony given by the officers was that they had just returned from a raid in Shelby county, and were in- formed by their chief. MT. Pierce, that he had a search warrant for d wagon being driven by Kirk Lewis. alias rid more, and a man named Huffstutler, who were alleged to be bringing quantity of liquor into town hidden under a load of vegetables
 They were said to have met the wagon about 16 miles from Birming- ham, and T. c. Dewes ordered the two men to halt. telling them that they were federal officers At this, one of the men opened fire with a shotgun and the other with pistol. All the officers except Horton admitted that they fired shots at the two men. After hand-to- hand struggle they succeeded in getting handcuffs on them, and finding that Tidmore was wounded placed him in their car and brought him to local hospital
 They admitted that they found no liquor in the wagon and that they could not find the pistol with which the men are supposed to have been firing, but did find the shotgun.
 N l.. Pierce coroborated the testi- mony of the officers concerning the warrant which he gave them to search the wagon and the order to capture. the two men.
 Contradicts Statements
 Huffstutler's testimony contradfcted that of the officers. He said the of ficers came upon his companion and himself and ordered them to hold up their hands. As soon as they did so the mules began to run. he said, ana the officers began shooting. He said he was not told the men We're officers. and did not know what he was charged with until he was placed in the county jail. when heSlearned that the charge was resisting all officer He said neither he nor Tidmore shot-
 W. J. Huddleston and D. A. stone testified that they lived within loo wards of the scene. heard the shots and that they did not hear shot gun fired They said they searched the ground the next day and did not find any wads from a shotgun.
 W D. Wade testified that he lived near the scene but did not know whether the shots were from shot gun or not.
 Coroner Russums $ inquest yesterday morning was supplemented by trip Sunday to the scene of the shoot ing, at which time he talked to number of people in that section. Warrants were sworn out against all the officers except Hnrtar