The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-01-11
LANCASTER CASE
 WILL REACH JURY
 BY END OF WEEK
Mudstained Uniforms, Said to Have Been Found Hid- den in Barracks of
 Company, Introduced
Ry DOUGLAS c. TINsLEY


 Hamilton. January 1O.-tSpe- ciaiD--.Joseph W. Key. the second Alabama gunrdsmnn to be tried for alleged participation in the Iynching of William Baird. will go to trial here January 23. This date was agreed on today between connxcl for the state md the de- fcnsc before Judge A. E. Gamble. A venire of 100 will he sum moncd for that date from which to select the trial jury.
 Hamilton, January, 10.-(Speelal.) ) the state will close its case against Sergeant Robert L. Lancaster, on trial for the alleged murder of Will liam Baird, striking miner, tomor- row morning.
 Horace C. Wilkinson, special assistant attorney general in
 charge of the prosecution, am nounced today that his ease would probably he completed be- fore noon tomorrow. Testimony for the defense is expected to
 consume about TWO u"ss' hts"'"
 ing to attorneys, and Lnncastcr's fate will probably be decided be-
 fore the week ends.
 Introduction by the state of mud stained uniforms and military equip ment which, it was testified. were found boarded up in the walls Of Company Ms barracks at Townley following the lynching of Baird fea- tured this afternoons session of the trial.
 An overcoat bearing the initials tt7. L., which Capt. II. l..s MeMeans idetitiffed as being among the efoth- ing found concealed behind the bar rack walls, was introduced and mum erous other articles and clothing with names or other soldiers under indictment for the alleged murder oi Baird were exhibited to the jury.
 West Gives Testimony
 Earlier in the day the state through it's chief prosecutor, Horace c. Wil. kinson, sought to forge together it's links of evidence tending 10 connect the defendant with the lynching ear
  Leslie West, who swore that he drove one of the cars in which Lancaster and his companions are alleged to have taken Baird to the scene of hls death and related the details of the alleged trip.
 Several witnesses were put on the stand by the state who swore that they saw Lancaster and other sol diers enter the car with West at a drug store in Townley at midnight the night of the lynching. Others who lived along the alleged route of the automobiles 10 and from Jasper tes- tified to seeing or hearing the cars during their alleged trip and testi- fled to recognizing the car of West because of it's loud exhaust.
 Rapid Progress Made
 Marked progress in the case was made yesterday, and it is cons i'd ere I likely that 1t will reach the jury the last of the week. Judge A. E. Gamble rules promptly and keeps the case well under way. In this he is CO., operated with by attorneys on both sides.
 Efforts to break down the testi- mony Of state witnesses who testi- fled to seeing Lancaster and other soldier defendants with West a the alleged beginning of the fatal trip were made by defense attorneys on cross examination. Attempts were made to show that they were mem oers of the striking miners union and to show that the miners desired to have the soldiers recalled from the strike area.
 pr. A. N Waldrop was the firss witness called by the state when court reconyened this morning. He testified that as health officer of Walker county he held an autopsy over the body Of Baird after his death and described the wounds of the dead man. He said there were six
 tContinued on Page Seven,