The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-24
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 HAMILTON, Ala, Jan. 23.-Argu- menty summing up the case of Robert J. Lancaster former seargent in Com pany NJ, national guard, charged among seven others with the lynching of Will liam Baird, miner. will begin Thurs day, possibly before noon. Counsel for both sides agreed on this Wednesday night. Only one witness for the de- fense remained to be put on when court adjourned shortly before 5 o'clock Wednesday afternoon and he was the defendant himself, who will go on the stand at o'clock Thursday morning. Judge Almon, having called court for this time instead of 8 30 o'clock.
 The case probably will reach the jury Thursday afternoon or Friday morning following the summarizes of both sides, which will be limited to. a comparatiyely short time. Judge AL mon indicated Wednesday three at torneys on each side will be allowed speeches Some of the most brilliant legal pleas in the history of Alabama criminal law are being prepared for the final arguments Eager spectators be- gan crowding the Marion county court house to capacity "Wednesday after noon in hopes of hearing the final arguments and the testimony of Lan- caster himself. Extra guards may be placed .at the doors of the court room Thursday and Friday, 1t was said.
 Comrade after comrade of the ln- dicted guardsman came to his defense Wednesday and repeatedly told how the soldiers slept throughout the night of the lynching and how they were not awakened until early morning when orders came to be on the lookout for the lynchers. Few damaging state ments were wrested from. the soldiers by the gruelling cross-examination of Judge Horace c. Wilkerson. Doggedly and with brief, almost terse replies to his questions of their conduct and knowledge.
 Lancaster Looks On
 They told without hesitation their ac- counts of the night and the events which followed. Robert Lancaster, sit ting with his attorneys watched in tently the every movement of the sol dier-witnesses, occasionally smiling, as if in approval. Friendly glances and freuuent smiles were exchanged be tween the two. The state rested Wed nesday morning at 9:20 o'clock. after calling for brief Questionings of Clyde Springer, guardsman-witness of Tues day, Houston Smith, J. A. Ballinger, Capt. H. l.. McMeans of Birmingh
 The defense called J. K. Sides, Jas per tailor, who could not remember whether or not one or two cars left the jal after Baird was taken. He had previously testified that only one left. Lucien C. Brown of Birmingham, ma ior and at the time chief of ordinance in the Walker cowhty district, was put on by the srfense as their army expert.
 A long examination of Dan u. Searcy, former member of Company NJ, brought out that Searcy was Tn the barracks until 10 o'clock, up again after a brief sleep at midnight, and on patrol duty in the barracks until 4 o'clock in the morning. He said he saw Lancaster frequently during the night and that nothing unusual occurred. The company car, accord | ing to Searcy, stood in front of the barracks, as far as he. knew. all night, that no cars came or went. The most extended and severe cross examina- I tion of the entire trial followed when Judge Wilkerson began questioning Searcy about details of his account. With the exception of an admission that he saw Lancaster at a distance and did not remember what he had on, and in spite of having seen all the men in the barracks, Lancaster was the only one he recognized.
 Judge WiIkerson's fire did not seri- ously ylamage his testimony. Burrell Quinn, supply seargeant of Company NJ, and room mate of Bryant Hart ley, star witness of Tuesdays prose- cution, was chosen by the defense to attack Hartley's testimony. He com pletely denied every statement of. his