The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-22
LANCASTER CASE
 ON TRIAL AGAIN
Story Retold of Baird Lynching at Jasper During
 Strike
HAMILTON, Ala.,

HAMILTON, Ala, Jan. 21:- Special )-Incidents in connection
 with Alabama's greatest coal mine strike in 1921 were brought to the forefront again here today with the opening of the trials of eight for mer members of. the Alabama na-
 tional guard charged with lynch ing William Baird, g miner, near
 Jasper. After the jury was or-
 ganized during the morning several witnesses took the stand during the
 afternoon and told of how Baird
 was taken from the Walker county jail, spirited two miles down the
 road and his body riddled with bullets. .,,.s Baird was in prison on a charge of
 killing Private Morris, a member of Company M., Alabama national guard.
 Morris previously had shot and killed
 Rev. J. c. Northcutt, father-in-law of Baird. The killings and lynching all
 occurred during the mine war. The state charged that members of company M. lynched Baird in revenge>for the slay- ing of their comrade, Morris.
 Sergeant Lancaster. is being tried first here and the others to face trial are: Joseph w. Key, Henry R. Sex ton, E. w. Speed, IT,, William B.
 Hanby, Glenn Stephens, Roy Patton
 and c. B. Richardson.
 Jailor Tells Story T J. F. Sides, former jailer of Walker county, was the first witness to be examined at the trial today. He tes- tified that masked men came to the jail overpowered him and spirited Baird away in an automobile. M. Daniel, mail carrier, was the second
 witness. He told of finding the bullet riddled body of the miner by the road side the next morning.
 Coroner A. B. Legg mad Dr.. A. M. Waldrop, county health officer, tes- tified as to the wounds on the victims body while R. M. Ellis and J.. A.
 Ballenger told the jury of finding
 blank cartridges at the scene of the killing. {. w. D. Craven was the last wintness
 of the day. He lives about four miles north of Jasper. and testified that a party of men in two automobiles came up to his porch about 3 o'clock of the
 morning Baird was slain. He said the
 men seemed excited and asked the way
 to Gamble.
 Judge Charles F. Almon of Flor
 ence is presiding. He organized the
 jury without trouble. Only three men
 were excused from jury service, one
 had fixed opinions about the case, an- other had served as a juror at a pre- vious trial and another was too old for jury service.
 Sergeant Lancaster's wife and little girl sat beside him during the day. The court room is crowded with wit. nesses and spectators, many coming
 from distant points. This little town off the railroad is crowded as at for~ mer trials. Witnesses Dead
 The fact that several witnesses have
 died since the former trials was em- phasized today when the testimony of witness, who was killed a few weeks the jury. His testimony was that he
 drove one of the cars that carried the
 seizeddd. Two other witnesses have
 men to the jail where Baird was
 died since the last trial. s Fflvate fatCon W7lt DC afralgneu 1 next and the trial of the company cor
 poral is set for Monday.
 Members of the jury, many of whom are ex-service men, are:,
 Ben H. Owens, farmer, Hamilton i;
 Thomas M. Shelton, Jr., Detroit; E.
 Lee Watson, Detroit; Grover F. Da-
 wis, HaHilton; Tasting ]. Rye, De-
 troit; J. Will Carr, Detroit; W.
 Hummer Williams, Hodges; Luther
 A. Jackson, Hodges; Josh w. Nichols,
 Hodges; Wick O. Howell, Hamilton;
 Frank M. Holmes, Bexar; Olin T.
 Bishop, Brilliant. Most of the jury are young men
 and ex-service men. The state is rep
 resented by special prosecutor, Horace Wilkerson, W. c. Davis, R. W. Quinn,
 c. E. Mitchell and Solicitor B. Grady Wilson; defendant by Judge Foster,
 \. H. Carmichael, B. B. and K. V.
 Fite, Lecil Gray and John Mcqueen. It is rumored that the state has
 some sensational testimony to be in-
 troduced tomorrow. The trial of the
 corporal is set for Monday, January 28. The jury was drawn by Judge
 Almon. Private Patton will be ar rai0uad fomnrrow