The New York herald., 1921-10-20
SHOT WHEN HIT BY
PRIEST, SAYSPARSON
Alabaman Asserts He Chided
Victim for Marrying His
Daughter to Negro.

speoso. Despatch TO THE New YosK HIaAip'
BIRM1NcHAa1. Ala. Oct. 19.-The Rev.
| Edwin r. Stephenson. barber r-Methodist
minister, to-day told the jury trying him
for the shooting OF the Rev. Father
James L. Coyle that worry over his
daughter, Ruth Stephenson. led him to
become temporarily beside himself and
drove him to slay the priest
| He described his Eisit to the priests
bouse. of meeting him on the porch and
Of his inquiry as to the whereabouts OF
his daughter. The priest. he said. told
him he was not concerned in his affairs.
The derendant said the priest then went
into his house. returned Immediately.
and the shooting started.
The defendant said the priest struck
him and grabbed him, knocking him
against the post of the porch. While
coming UP to his feet, the defendant
said. the priest kicked him and made
a motion toward his hip pocRet.
| IL pulled my gun and fired" said the
defendant. IT do not know how many
times; l did not fire after he FELL
| At this point Attorney Black Of the
defence called Pedro Gussman. the
| Spaniard who married Ruth Stephenson,
and he was brought before the jury.
rs this Pedro Gussman?" the attor-
ney asked.
"Yes," answered Stephenson.
Lights were arranged in the courtroom
| so that the jury could get good look
| mt him. Tho darkness OF his complexion
| attracted attention and one juror asked
that Gussman turn his eyes upward.
Stephenson said he had entertained 10
| Ill will against the Catholic Church and
| denied he ever had told his daughter he
| hated Catholics or that he had told her
he would like to see them all In hell, or
would like to put bomb under the
church and Father Coyles home. He
denied ever having nlistreated his daugh-
ter and said he loved her.
! Stephenson added that he did not know
! his daughter was married that after
noon, but was seeking her. thinking she
had decamped. She had run away five
times before. He traced his steps from
the time he went to the police depart
nent to the sheriff's office and other
places in search of his daughter. finally
going to the priests house near the
court house.
| Stephenson In describing his visit 10
! Father Coyle said the priest asked him
| "Do you know your daughter has becom.
u CdtIlOlC anu does HOI DelOuS 10 you
| now. nor is she under your jurisdiction ~
Tho defendant said he told the priest
his daughter was under age. Then the
! priest divulged the marriage to Pedro
| Gussrnan and walked into his house and
came out again. Stephenson said he
| told the priest ne had treated him as
dirty as dog by marrying his daughter
| to n negro.
Mrs. Stephenson, wife of the accused
| man, was a witness. She said Ruth had
run away five times from home. The
question was put to her: Are you very
bitter against the Catholic Church," to
which was the reply: From what I
have heard I have no love for them.'
The defence gained a point when the
judge ruled that he could see no d'stinc-
ton between an abnormal mind and an
| unsound mind and when he admitted
evidence tending to show that tho de-
fendant was not normal on the day he
| shot Father Coylc.