The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-01-19
MOB MEMBER
n 7 |F|ED
At He AIRING
Witness Names Newt Gray as
One of Men Holding Up Vic
tins in Mer Rouge Case.
Third Degree Methods
Charged by Lawyer
BY Associated Prest


mony tending to establish the iden-
tity of at least one member of the
masked band which on August %
kidnapped Watt Daniel, T. F. Rich
ards and several others, was Of
fered today at the open hearing be-
ing conducted here by the state of
Louisiana into The activities of
hooded men in Morehouse parish.
The mutiliated bodies of Daniel
and Richards were found. several
weeks ago floating on the surface
of Lake Lafourche. Psychologists
reported that the two men had been
tortured to death before their
bodies were weighted down and
thrown into the lake. Other mem
bers Of the kidnapped party have
testified to having been flogged by
the kidnapers.
Names Grny
Fred EubanKs, forenoon witness,
testified that he was held up by
masked men on the Bastrop- Mer
Rouge highway that evening, and
that he recognized Newt Gray as
member of the party.
Most of the testimony yesterday
and today centered about Gray, and
certain questions put to him while
on the stand Tuesday and Wednes-
day drew from his counsel the OBJ
third degree variety" Judge F. M.
Odom as a result OF the protest ruled
that Gray need not answer any ques-
ton that. might teRd TO inc ninatts
MIN. 81 ].
Gray's first appearances on the
stand was tuesday. He testified that
he was notified by William Higgen-
bothem, a planter residing near Mer
Rouge that he had received warn
ing letter mailed in Monroe. The
letter was received by Higgenbothem
on August "a. the day a baseball
game and barbecue was held here.
Higgenbotham, according to Gray,
showed the letter to Gray, Jap
j Tones and Thomas Higgenbotham,
relative, 1t was decided that If any
attempt was to be made on Higgen-
botham's life it would occur that
might, and Gray said he volunteered
to go to the Higgenbotham home to
act as guard.
Went to Baseball Game
Gray said his wife and members of
his family were at the baseball game
and after his wife refused to let any
one but himself drive her home, he
returned to Bastrop and asked Rufus
Eubanks, a youth, to take the other
10 nv tteiI as3H
that Eubanks did not know how TO
shift the gears of the automobile
and that he took him out on the Bas-
trop highway to show him. He said
1t had been arranged prior to leaving
Bastrop that Thomas Higgenbotham
was to pick him up on the highway
and take him to William Higgen-
bothams home.
He turned the machine over to Eu-
banks a short distance from Bastrop
and waited for Thomas Higgen-
botham. He failed to appear and he
walked to the home of William Ell
bridge. While sitting on the Eldridge
porch automobiles loaded with
masked men and also truck passed
by. He declared he saw the cara
van. but did not notice the number
plates of the cars.
Gray declared Thomas Higgen-
botham picked him up later and took
him TO William Higginbotham' s home
where he stood guard until about
midnight. Thomas Higginbotnam, he
said, took him to his own home az or
about that hour. Gray was On the
stand more than two hours and was
subjected to a barrage.
Attorney objects
.Ite tot. Jt1A H.
said that Gray was one of four men
who would be identified as members
Of the kidnapping band. He was re-
called 20 the stand at the opening
If court, but his attorney objected
to his testimony further on the
ground that he had been placed in
4 suspicious light as result of the
newspaper article The court over
ruled the objection but permitted
Gray to leave the stand to consult
further with his counsel.
Thomas and William Higginbe than
ater were called and both corrobor-
ated Grays testimony.
Rufus Eubanks today testified
hat he had been asked by Gray to
lrive Gray's family home as Gray
wanted to stay in Bastrop to attend
10 some business. Eubanks said he
was thoroughly familiar with the
gear on Gray's automobile and that
Gray drove the machine out on the
Bastrop highway himself and turned
IL over to him at or about 200 yards
from where Daniel, Richards, w. c.
Andrews, Tot" Davenport and j. l..
Daniel were kidnapped. He said Gray
get out of the machine about half
IN hour before the kidnapping occur
!, II al