The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-11-30
STIRLING CASE
TO JURY TODAY
Attorneys Were Finished in Fed
eraI Court Yesterday.

A total of 10 of the 40 witnesses
that had been supoenaed by the gov
eminent to testify in the Stirling case
were examined before the government
announced that no other witnesses
would be called upon to testify. The
pleas before the jury came to a con-
clusion last night shortly before 10
O'Clock, and judge Sheppard called an
adjournment until 10 o'clock this morn
ing, at which time he will charge the
jury and place the case in its hands.
Large crowds of interested spectators
fiocked into the court rooms all day
yesterday, and last night a record at
tendance showed UP to witness the pro-
ceedings and hear the arguments. In
fact, last nights attendance was the
largest at any time during the term
and interest in the case is at high pitch.
During the day there were twelve
witnesses examined, seven of the nine
teen having testified on Monday, and
with few exceptions those who testi-
fed claimed to be victims Of the al
legged fraud said to have been prac-
ticed by the defendant, Allan Stirling.
The first witnesses to go on the stand
We're J. w. Andrews and T, G. Finch.
two local bankers, who were called
for the purpose Of testifying to the
market value of the foreign bonds at
the time that the alleged fraud is said
to have been committed The real fight
of the case throughout and the conten-
ton that the government stubbornly
refused to yield, was that Stirling sold
bonds greatly in excess Of the market
value, and that the real market value
was decreasing at the time the quota
tons said to have been posted in his
offices were increasing. The further
allegation was that Stirling used the
mails in the furtherance of a scheme
to deceive the public into buying the
bonds.
The other witnesses who went on the
stand during the day were Mrs S. A.
Moreno, Miss Mollie Finn, Dir. A. NJ.
Ames G. ]. West, j. p. Ellison. f. E.
Hamilton, J. c. Gates, who testified be-
fore the adjournment at noon. Those
who testified in the afternoon We're w.
=. Evans. A. B. Fillingim, Mrs. Maggie
Fillingim and Mr. Pemberton. who
holds position as postoffice inspector.
After the examination of the wit
ness last named, the prosecution an
nounced that the government would
examine no other witnesses, and an
nounced that the government would
rest. Counsel for the defendant imme-
diate1y moved that the court direct a
verdict, whereupon Judge Sheppard
called an adjournment until 730
o'clock. taking the motion under con.
sideration during the intermission.
There was quite bit of speculation
during the adjournment as to the de-
cision that the judge would make on
the motion. but upon converting he
overruled the motion, and the pleas
before the jury began. Assistant Dis
trict Attorney Hoffman took the lead
and presented at length the evidence
upon which the government based
their claim for conviction, which in
viewed many documents, which had
been presented as exhibits in the case.
John p. Stokes. counsel for the defend
ant, made the next argument and made
an attack on the Prosecutors case
Philip Beall followed and did likewise.
District Attorney John J.. Neeley
made the closing argument for the
government and touched briefly upon
the issues that had previously been
presented by Mr.. Hoffman, and closed
his talk by reviewing a pathetic pic
ture that had been brought out during
the examination of one of the victims
of the alleged fraud.
At the conclusion Of the district at-
torney's plea Judge Sheppard adj
5ourned court until 10 o'clock this
morning.