The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-06-27
TESTIMONY BEGUN IN GORDON'S TRIAL FOR COBB'S MURDER
Prosecution Begins Case Against Oklahoma Student Charged With Death of
 Local Boy

Saltwater, Okla, June 26.-(Spe- cial. .)-Five witnesses for the prose- cution testified in the Payne county district court here Monday afternoon against Earl Gordon, 25, of Miami, Okla, charged with the murder of Beckham Cobb, 23, of Birmingham, Ala, here on May g. Four of them had testified at the preliminary hearing.
 The jury was not completed until three o'clock. after four hours of examination and challenging, with an hours delay intervening, due to the exhaustion of the original panel called.
 It is Jury of farmers, with the ex- ceplon of one juror who Is q mer- chant and another who is a dairyman. All are married and most of them have large families. Their ages range from 36 to 5s years. In presenting the case to the jury. County Attorney John Vaughan declared that the state would show that Mrs. Cobb. the widow and chief character in the triangle had gone to a tent show one night with a certain Mrs. Caldwell and that Gordon, the defendant. and another man had sat by the women and had followed them out. that on another night the two women met Gordon and a different man on the I. a walk, that Gordon attempted to assault Mrs. Cobb who later told her husband of the occurrence. her state ment being the motive which caused the trouble between Cobb and Gordon on May g. That Cobb and Gordon, who we're wounded ex-solders de- tailed to Oklahoma A. X M. college by the federal government for vo- cational training, had walked from the chapel building to place near the campus where Gordon drew hls gun, stepped up to Cobb's side and fired, that Cobb had cried. "oh, buddy, don't shoot" and had made no attempt to shoot Gordon, that Gordon fired on Cobb while Cobb lay on the ground pleading.
 First Witness
 The first witness, Cespyr orner, 20, pretty college girl, who testified that she was walking across the street Sften ste saw Gofsion pull his gun, point it at Cobb and fire. Cobb cried. .Oh, buddy. don't shoot" sha said before Gordon fired the first of tho three shots. Cross examined by Frank Nesbitt of Miami, defense at torney, Miss Orner admitted that she couldn't soc where Cobb's hand was during the shooting.
 Next was Raymond Shannon, 22, a college graduate and chautauqua entertainer. He also was across the street. Two shots had been fired.
 When first saw Cobb. who was falling" shannon said, "Gordon walk ed a step or two around as Cobb lay flat on his back. Cobb held up his hands and yelled Oh, Buddy, don't shoot but Gordon fired again, then he looked at Cobb and walked away"
 shannon's testimony differed from that of Mss Orner, in that he said Cobb cried out after he had been shot. Two other witnesses declared that the outcry came after one or more shots were fired.
 Shannon stretched himself on the floor to show Cobb's position. On re- direct testimony he said that he had not seen gun in Cobb's hand. On cross examination he refused to ad- init that he couldn't see Cobb for Gordon's body intervening.
 Undertnher Testifies
 k. E. Vincent, undertaken; Joe Brown. Ardmore, student, and Sofia Orner. sister of the first witness, were the other witnesses called tc- day.
 Mrs. Alice Gordon, of Miami. wid- owed mother of the defendant. sat in court room with her daughter, Mrs J. H. Barham, of Tulsa. Through out the testimony the mother sobhed
 Gordon sat apparently unmoved during the day but when Attorney Vaughan summed up the charge against him. he leaned forward rest ing his elbows on the table.
 Mrs. Cobb, the girl widow. was not called In the list of eleven chies witnesses for the state. If she tes- tifies 1t will be as a rebuttal witness. The defense has 29 witnesses ready for call. Judge c. C. Smith granted the Jurors permission to go home for the night. All of Wednesday Is expected to be used in taking testi- mony.