The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-01-13
LANCASTER DENIES
 PARTICIPATION IN
 KILLING OF BAIRD
Defendant Declares He Was Asleep on Cot in Barracks at Hour Lynching Said to
 Have Occurred
By DOUGLAS G. rINsLEy C

J Absolute denial of any participation in the lynching of William Baird, striking miner, in Walker county a year ago, was the answer today of Robert J. Lancaster, Alabama guardsman, to the states charge of murder, on which he is being tried
 Lancaster took the stand fin nis own defense this afternoon at s:15i For more than an hour. under the ance of A. il. Carmichael, cauHa for the defense he related to a AlA iron county Jury in detail his move ments on the fatal night and trla them that he slept on his barrs cot from midnight until morning.
 Crowds Of spectators packed the room and hung over the railings az the accused soldier told his story and underwent a grilling cross examina- tion at the hands of Horace ls. Will kinson. special assistant attorney general in charge of the prosecution.
 The crowd leaned forward and fo- cused every eye upon the accused man when MT. Carmichael asked hin. the direct question If he and other soldiers had together raided the Jas per jail, taking Baird out and shoot ing him to death.
 Amid breathIcss silence. Inc
 accuaed soldier faced the IF men
 who will decide his fnte, and in n
 clear voice, audible over the en-
 tire room, replied.
 "I did not.'
 The defense will close it's case thi, morning, after which the state vii, offer rebuttal testimony, and arzu. inents will be made, followed by Judge Gamble's charge.
 Lancaster's fate will proba biv h. in the hands of the ju r5-v afternoon.
 Lanea.ter's Il sat4
 Sergeant 55ancaste
 he lived afles
 and joif AL.
 guard a3LeA zeths 1e
 ! the guard ta sas t M the ffft fffaniry ae
 Frsr0e titi that outfit, wnerc ns stayH .hre ueRtHs. When the coal strii 4e san. wifiess testified ha iiFet s INtes ssa, where he haa Gqhs 4aasa4 to his discharge ttaa4 the ar He drove taxi for Wni'e e called out on strike asafg wtlh Jmpany M, Fourth Ala ngim& tnta cry. He first did duty ag |94i Hey. in Walker county, hc qsatififa and later at Townley, with aaiacAment of about 30 men De- T fe.. was on strike duty from [ September IF until the Baird killing \ The barracks where the detachment was quartered were about three quarters of mile from Townley, de- fendant testified There were three ! posts, he testified, one at the bar T acks, another in Townley and the third at the junction point. where the striking miners received supplies. Tfhese were taken care of by several patrols, in placing which there was no formality.
 On Duty Till Midnight
 At 5 o'clock on the night of Jan ITF 1921. defendant went on s.y H h his apatrol, he tes-
 rom to 12 there was no V h1 gnaec at the barracks. he tstt nal tc aced two men at tho .aaei on 9afaf During the time he was 1p ea le be on duty he stayed arour4 town About 12 that night he ie he tazsified, and went back Co thl amp wlth his patrol. Lancas- ter de ad eng Leslie West at any time titat night at Knox's drug store or ell fn here Defendant took his patroi hack G camp via the railroad when ss esme off duty at 12 o'clock. he tsstdfiad fs the union joint. and i thence ry shs road.
 When ha Ae ived there he got drink nf water and went to his room. l Lancaster told the jury. | Ills cot was in the corner next to l inc firspiace, ae testified, with the head nea4est ahe fire. Sergts. Whit son ana IT .mpson and Clyde Kitch- en and MoalsT Moore shared quarters | with Aim ne said.
 l Tancaster thsn went to bed and | slept shroHshcut the night until awakened next morning by Lieuten- ant Mcbride. he testified. This was | about 4s30. te said. and he got up |. at about e:t5 He denied asking 1 anyone 10 clasl a scabbard or send l nnyone for ehoes. His shoes werf wet from tne -ain in which he lid | duty untn m anight, he said. Lan- 1 caster denied stating at breakfast | that he was eoing to cut a notcn on his gun or nat the man who told
 feotiuasd on Page Twe)