The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-04-15
CRENSHAW, ALLEGED
 NEGRO SLAYER, MAY. KNOW FATE TODAY.
Jury Is Given Case Thursday Afternoon-Crime One of Most RevoIting In States
 Criminal Annals

NiocHFihe, Aprll H.-(Special. )--The Jake Crenshaw case went to the jury shortly before midnight tonight. The Jury is not expected to consider the case until Friday, and verdict is looked for shortly after the breakfast hour. He is charged with criminally assaulting' and later murdering Mrs. Foster Gafford May Is. last.
 The case was closed shortly before D o'clock this afternoon, and each side agreed on two hours and 90 minutes each for arguments, County Solicitor Calvin Poole opened for the state and was fol- lowed by Prosecuting Attorney w. H. Stoddard. The defense opened their argit- ment through the young MT Bedow, who was followed by his father Pete Bedow
 ABLE ARGUMENT
 The state closed with Will Hin of Mont gomery. Friends of Mir. Poole and MT Stoddard claim that their arguments were most conclusive and that they were two Of the best arguments ever made in the local courtroom. The young MT Bedow is promising young attorney. with wonderful mind and good orator The speeches made by Will Hill and Pete Bedow were in their usual form Judge 1eNAhDAC, WliO lioS pIeSiueQ over the case made an able charge. explaining the points of law involved. Following this, the jury quietly filed out of the court room to their hotel for the night
 The defendant took the stand in his own behalf and remained there for over an hour. The testimony given by the negro in the cross-examination was some of the most discriminating evidence given in the whole trial.
 popc tha ofhar +..+;y,, during the day were the parents of the defendant and number of his relatives. The evidence produced through these witnesses showed the whereabouts of the defendant on the day of the killing and the morning of his departure from ,Bir- mingham
 LEAVES GAP OPEN
 A gap was left from the time he left his uncles house until he was later seen at the Patton negro's house. where he could not be accounted for. It was dur ing this time that the state claim Mrs. Gafford was killed The state claims that he went to the Gafford home for food, as he had often eaten there.
 Other witnesses testified to the fact that all of the doors from the dining room to the room of Mrs. Gafford were open on that afternoon and that one could plainly see through the house Mrs Gafford was taking a bath on that aft ernoon at the time the Cheatham chill dren saw Crenshaw leave the house from the rear. They further claim that he saw Mrs. Gafford in a partly dressed condition and that the devil took pos session of his heart and that he com mitted the unpardonable crime, later most horribly murdering her to cover up his deed''
 CHILD'S TESTIMONY
 The most discriminating evidence given from the array of witnesses on both sides in the trial of Jake Crenshaw is that of Officers Tyler and Harris ot Ensley and Cammie Cheatham, the seven year-old negro girl, who swore that she saw Jake Crenshaw leave the Gafford home from the rear on the Sunday aft ernoon of the killing of Mrs. Laura Gaf- ford May 16, last.
 There have been over 90 defense wit nesses to testify in the trial and all ex- cept one of these have been negroes, and with few exceptions all were related by blood or marriage to the defendant. The testimony given by these negro wit nesses was noticeably similar.
 From the testimony of over 15 wit nesses for the defense that testified this morning, nothing of importance was brought out, except the whereabouts of the defendant from the time he left his home for Sunday school until he was ar rested in Edgewater. The fact, that hc had planned for several months to go to Birmingham to work in coal mine was revealed, however, through the testimony of several witnesses.
 ALIBI IS LACKING
 The killing Of Mrs. Gafford occurred on the afternoon of Sunday. May 16, 1920. be- tween 1 o'clock and dark. There was no testimony made that will show where Jake Crenshaw was at certain periods in the same afternoon by the defense. and the state claims that he did the killing during this time when he was not seen by any one but the seven-year-old Cam mic Cheatham as he left the Gafford house.
 Among the witnesses to testify today were the parents of the defendant and several of his sisters.
 While Will Hill. for the state. was cross-examining Emma Lee Patton, MT. Bedow. Jr., made an objection to the manner in which MT. Hill was carrying on the examination, making the follow ing statement:
 Tt makes me sick. your honor please, the manner in which the examination of Mir. Hill is being made. This Is . solemn and serious occasion. This man is being tried for his life and that this is no vaudeville or burlesque show"
 IN REPARTEE
 MT. Hill quickly answered.:
 'He will be sickcr still before the close of the case"
 There was great laughter in the court room, and in positive voice Sheriff King Mnrvhv ca Had o,rt s.0rdep in c0lirt ss