The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-06-13
WILSON PLACED ON
 TRIAL FOR MURDER
Jury Gets Case Against Youth Charged With Kill
 ing Cole

Athens. June -(Special.) .)-The case against Tom Wilson, charged with the murder of Kirby Cole of this place on November 8, was called in the special term of circuit court of Limestone county this morning at 9 o'clock. with Judge R. c. Brikie pre- siding. This case has created more interest than anything of its nature that has come under the observation of the people of this section in many years.
 If will be remembered that this crime was committed on the Fayette- ville pike near Athens on the night of November s. last, when Juntus ln- mon, a taxi driver, was being accom- panied by Kirby Cole, friend of his' on a trip for which they had been engaged by two unknown young men, At a distance of about three miles from the city, without cause, accord ing to the statement of the man on trial here today, Kirby Cole, the friend of the driver who had been in- vited by him to take the trip for company on his return to the city. was killed by being shot from the rear seat of the car in which the two passengers were seated.
 Wilson stated the other man who was with him did the shooting and that after driving about B mile farther. the driver told them that the body of Cole would have to be re- moved from the front of the car. as 1t was in the way of his driving, upon making this request, he was ordered to stop the car and one or the men took the dead body from the car and robbed 1t of some change and stepped back into the car and ordered the driver to proceed This he did for a distance of about IS miles from the city at which point he stated that he would have to stop for gasoline. This he was permitted to do and while he was getting the gas, he managed to run from the car and from under the pistols which were being held on him. After be got away from his passengers he sounded an alarm and the men jumped from the car and made their escape.
 Found in Illinois
 The men were searched for for sev- eral days but were not found. A few weeks ago tip was given the offi- cers here that there was a man being held in jail in Carrollton, Ill, who was thought to be one of the men who took part in the murder. detec- tive was sent to Carrollton where he found the man who was placed on trial here today. When he was found there, he is said to have stated that he was in the car on the night of the murder but that he was not the man who did the killing, that his puddle. 6 man by the name of Chris topher. did the shooting and saij since that time been killed in East StA Louis. III,
 When Wilson was placed on trial today Junius Inmon. the driver of the taxi on the night of the killing. declared he was the man who did the shooting. The examination of witt nesses consumed from the time the jury was selected until o'clock.
 Lawyers for. the defendant are Rankin and Patton; for the plaintiff, Wall and Almon.
 Mir. Wall was the first to take the floor for argument and his appeal was one of the strongest that has ever been rendered in the court house of this place. The large court room was crowded throughout the trial and hundreds were forced back at the door for lack of room inside.
 The case went to the jury late in the afternoon.