The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-02-17
MOTHER TEST|F|ES AGAINST HER SON
 IN MURDER TRIAL
Ed Hill Case at Tuscaloosa Went to Defense Yesterday When State CIoSed-Vic-
 tim's Widow on Stand

Tuscaloosa. February 16.--(Special.)- )- Two notable features described today S sessions in the trial of EG Hill, charged with the murder May 20, IsIs, of Deputy Sheriff Earl Trutt in Walker county, and now facing a Tuscaloosa county jury with his life at stake on a change Of venue. The state closed it's case this aft ernoon
 One of the features, and the most mo- table, was the testimony of Mrs. Monroe Hill. mother of the defendant and wife of one of the three men charged with the murder Her tes.hnons .l,Da ,v tlsn,en the net of guilt which the state is draw ing about her defendant son.
 The other feature was the appearance on the stand of Mrs. O. W. Tucker, wife of the slain man, and since remarried. Mrs. Truitt. in a subdued tone fixed the date of May 20 when her husband went to keep the fatal tryst with the Hills, whom the state alleged enticed him to roughly dug grave and slew him. She also described his clothing and other de- taus, Nh-ch tafhed witu tne ,estIniony of young Clyde Hill, 17-year-old boy, who stated on the stand yesterday that his father and two brothers, Ed and Hard Hill, concocted the murder conspiracy, and that he was witness of the execu- ton.
 Mo II HEN lEC l IT iEfS
 Mrs. Hill, mother of the defendant, was the first witness when court convened this morning She testified as to the movements of the men implicated in the killing. She was on the stand some time. She said she had separated from Monroe Hill but did not remember the time the separation took place.
 Mrs. Hills testimony was largely cor roborative of the testimony given Tues day afternoon by Clyde Hill, the young CT brother of the defendant. She told of the alleged arrival of the defendant at his fathers house the day on which Truitt was killed and there meeting Clyde and Hard Hin at breakfast with Monroe Hill. She stated that she went out after breakfast to the barn to milk the cows, and when she returned all four of the men had left.
 She stated that while she was in the house occupied with her sewing, Clyde came running in with gun and pistol and threw them upon the bed; that he called for Hard Hills Sunday clothes and then went away, but she could not say positively whether he carried the clothes away.
 After that she said her husband came in and had some papers in his hand, which he threw into the grate and burned up She testified that she noticed that one of the papers was subpoena.
 Mrs Hill then testified that she saw ! shovel and grubbing pole in the back of the lot and that the tools had wet clay on them
 SHOWS CONFUSION '% On cross-e xamination Mrs. It'll hhowed some confusion as to wnose gun it was that Clyde Hill brought back, accord ing to her testimony, when the defense attempted to show that it was not Hiiis gun.
 Mrs. Earl Truitt was put on the stand ''I was the wife, she testified, "of Earl w. Truitt at the time of his death. We had been living at Empire about two months 1 saw him alive Tuesday morn- ing, May %
 She described his clothes, as testified to by other witnesses. Ere left home about a quarter after 5 o'clock, she said
 q saw his clothing at Legg's under taking establishment in Jasper and rec oguized them. l knew they were his buttons gave them to him. He had been wearing the buttons since Christ mas 1918. 1 saw his shoes at Leggs un- dertaking establishment. l did not see his body He was 4S or 49 years old He had two false teeth, with gold crowns. My name is Mrs. o. W. Tucker row.
 DUKE ARRESTED
 R. C. Duke testified.
 q live near Empire. Did not know Truitt Heard he was missing May 9 1919 Know Monroe Hill. l live with.i 275 wards of Monroe Hill. He owned 2 gun. l had the gun on May 20. It had been at my house three weeks. They had me arrested I was at my home when I was arrested. I was arrsted six days after Truitt disappeared It was double -barreled shotgun. It was in my house the day before and the day after Hill was said to have been killed. : Hill came to my house early eon Tuesday"
 Did he ask your wife if she heard the gun shoot?" (Ohjection sustained).
 He only remained few minutes He came back and remained for while They passed my house Monday after room, just before dark going to their fathers It rained Monday and the ground was wet Tuesday. I did not send Hill word that if he did not get me out I would tell the whole thing. did not make my boy carry the gun back to Hill's on Sunday after the killing is said to have taken place..
 Other witnesses were Examined and testified as knowing Trutt and of his disappearance. The defense will offer number of witnesses and it will take the baiance of the week to complete the trial.
 The circuit court room has been crowd e.5 TT, ast ne the day many heinz unable