The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-01-19
WITNESS NAMES
MEMBER OF MOB
IN MER ROUGE CASE
Newt Gray Identified as One
of Men Holding Up
Victims in More
house


he passed Tom Higginbothans car
on the way and that Higginbotham
was alone. Both Gray and Tom HiE-
ginbotham had previously testified
that Gray was in Higginbotham's car
at that time en- route to William
Higginbotham' home.
Dean Ashcraft, field manager for
the Southern Carbon company at
Spyker, in the course of his testi-
mony made the first statement tend
ing to establish an alibi for T. jeff
Burnett, former Morehouse deputy
sheriff, now under arrest on charge
of murder in connection with the
deaths of Daniel and Richards, Ash
craft was a boarder at the home of
Burnett at Spyker Burnett. he said,
attended the baseball game and bar
becue at Bastrop. on August %, and
returned to Spyker before Z o'clock
that evening. Burnett was to relieve
a Waterman at the carbon plant for
the night and when Ashcraft saw
him, Burnett had donned his work
ing clothing. The working clothes
are kept in the bath house, he said,
and the fact that Burnett had them
on was proof that he had already
been to the plant.
state Freezing Around"
Questions put to witnesses today
clearly indicated that the state lis
feeling around" in the hope that
something might be developed un-
expectedly. Ashcraft was questioned
at length concerning a wedding that
occurred at Spyker, December 81.
the night Lake Lafourche was dyna-
mited, and which resulted in the
discovery of the bodies of Daniel and
Richards the next day. Questioned
about the use of dynamite at the
plant of the carbon company he tes-
titled that he had placed about 20
cases of the explosives in the mag
azine about three months ago. The
dynamite, he said, was used to clear
land where a new plant was being
erected
Questions put to other witnesses
concerning their families, their
church affiliations, acquaintance
with various citizens of the county.
their occupations and what reports
they had heard concerning the kid
napng.
Even the o-called torture ma
chine with which the bodies of
Daniel and Richard were supposed
to have been broken and bruised,
came into the Interrogation in an in
direct manner. T. B. Pratt, Jr., was
questioned about the equipment of
the small saw mill operated by his
father and himself, the length of
the carriage upon which the logs
were sawed, the kind of dogs" used
to hold the logs in place on the
carriage. how many teeth the dogs"
had and what kind of a log loader
is used
Harlie Rogers. night Waterman at
the carbon plant, also was among
today's witnesses. He was identified
during the latter part of last week
by Harry Neeils, former Bastrop
garage man. as having. with T. jeff
Burnett, held him up on the Bastrop-
Mer Rouge rdad on August II.
Neelis said he was on his way
to Mer Rouge when he was stopped
by Rogers and Burnett. who at the
time were unmasked. They COM
manded him to return with them to
near Bastrop where Neelis said he
had been detained a few minutes be-
fore band of hooded men.
The garage owner testified that
after Burnett and Rogers arrived
with him on the scene. they put on
their black hoods and Joined the
band. Neelis said he was detained for
about 80 minutes. The band fol-
lowed into Bastrop and seized Rich
ards, who was in Neelis employ, in
front of Neels' repair shop. escorted
him away and gave him lecture.
Rogers was grilled concerning the
kidnapping of Richards on August II.
He denied having been with Burnett
at any time on the Bastrop Mer
npca road and orlv knew a r Il a
when he saw him on the streets of
Bastrop. He>was questioned at length
on minor details, on The kidnapping of
Teegerstrom, which he claimed he
knew nothing about. and then later
on the dynamiting at Lake La
fourche and the discovery Of the
bodies, which he said occurred when
he was sick in bed"
Rogers admitted he was klans-
man and while he did not know Watt
Daniel personally he had heard re-
ports that Daniel was "bootlegger"
and gambler which he did not
approve of.
The manner in which the states
attorneys questioned both Ashcraft
and Rogers indicated that they may
figure prominently in the case. For
three hours they were grilled about
the Bastrop celebration. the kidnap-
ing of Daniel and Richards and the
dynamiting of Lake Lafourche.
Both men were told that there
would be no further examination for
them for the present, but that they
would be subject to recall at any
time.
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