The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-05-15
Local Citizens Will Try To
SaUe Man From The GalLows
Tom Wilson, Scheduled To Hang June 8, Maintains His
lnnocence-Case Will Be Taken Before Governor.
Life Story Of Former Birmingham Youth In County
Jail Is Pathetic

Continued From Page One)
the crime totally lacking an ade-
quate motive. it seems ridiculous that
the lie of human being could be
staked on it,
again, the defendant was able to
prove by several witnesses that he
the spot the night of the murder; that
he ate supper, went to bed and went
to sleep.
Record Should Not Count.
other things also lead us to be-
ieVe the boy has been the victim of
circumstances. Also, we feel sure
that the fact that the immature
youth had been in trouble before
ana 1t counted against him-which is
wrong. For he was being tried for
tn murder of Kirby Cole-rot on his
past record"
r. Wise who was appointed to ar
range FOR the special committee to go
70 montgomery, said its members
would probably leave the middle of
the week. 1t will go armed with a
transcript of the exact evidence. and
With signed statements to prove tina,
Nllson was at Huntsville-25 miles
away from the scene of the murder
the night Kirby Col was killed on
the main road two miles outside of
Athena.
The crime, which a-itated the
whole of Limestone county during III q
fall of 1921. is one of the most necu.
liar and unusual in court annals of
Alabama
1t is is gripping and thrilling as A.
detective story and it's mystery
as battling. It's details also tool,
place under cover of darkness.
this:
KIRBY Cole, young man of Athens,
went on jitney drive with June In
man, taXicab driver. Two strangers
were in the back seat The stran-
gers according to the statement made
by inman on the stand, had arranged
with him to take them to Clements
gin, which was in the country out
side of Athens.
the hour of departure was 7
o'clock at night.
AT O'Clock, Kirby Coles body was
brought In from the side of the road
about four miles out of Athens He
had been shot in the head and neck
Strangers Conc.
Inc Two strangers were not to be
located. 1nman's story on the stand
was in substance this, according to
one of the prison workers:
That when he, Inman, and the
murdered man had driven some little
distance into the country, a shot was
fired from the back seat and Cole
was slain. One of the strangers was
smaller than the other. the driver
said, and sat on the left-hand side
in the rear SET. This was the man
he claimed did the shooting. who did
all of the talking, and who gave all
the instructions following the crime.
The larger man covered him mean
while.
After the crime. Inman related
that the body interfered with his
driving, and so complained of this
fact to his passengers. At which the
smaller stranger. Inman said, got out
of the car. removed the body and
took it out on the side of the road
and robbed It, This was around
1880 p. m.
THE chauffeur then went on to
state that he drove within a short
distance of the town of Ardmore.
Ala. when he discovered shortage
of gas. mentioned this also. and got
which the smaller man also got out
and took the measuring stick to
verify the statement.
Gas Bought.
Then the driver motored to Ard
more. where gas was obtained from
a man by the name of White who
runs a store there and whom the Bir-
mingham prisoner has known. he
says. for five years.
Here, according to the taxi driver.
he next asked the smaller strangers
permission to get some water. and
obtained the same. Once out of the
car, the driver related that he sprang
behind post and screamed Murder"
Whereupon the two strangers piled
out of the car and ran away into the
dark"
With his hands gripping the bars.
these were some of the things Tom
Wilson pointed out Saturday, which
he So ardently hopes will help prove
If he gets his chance-that he is not
the man and not a murderer.
His story Is pathetic human doc
ument, pitiful in its revelations.
First of ALL" he declared, Il was
in Huntsville Tuesday night. Nov. g..
1921-the night of Coles murder
and which l absolutely knew nothing
about until several months later. L
was living in Huntsville with my rel
atives. Mr.. and Mrs. Mark Wallace,
Mrs. Wallace being my half-sister.
l was working for Mr.. Wallace and
ioi oCH SoWicy, my Hdil-pi othSi :
Both of them have stores there. l
had taken a young lady to church
Sunday night, and was at the Wal
laces Tuesday night, because l was
figuring on going back next day to
see the girl, who lived out in the
country In a different direction from
Athens. where Mr.. Wallace went to
gather butter and eggs. But l didn't
go because Mr.. Wallace told me he
wasn't going by the girls house. So
1 went over to help in Ben Cowley's
store instead.
Furthermore, I didn't even know
Kirby Cole-never heard of him in
my life till a warrant was brought
for my arrest in Carrollton, Mo-,
where, unfortunately, / was in trou-
BILE. and which has made it so hard
for me here. But l couldn't help it,
Seems like l have just always been
unlucky.
est. Louis was my home, and had
gops back there Nov. 10-beat my
way, me and another boy, because
didn't have the railroad fare. He
Lived In Georgia and l Joined him in