The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-07
STATE CASE
 PROGRESSES SAYS PERRY
Facts Slowly But Surely Coming To Light
 Says Solicitor
GIJARD CAREFULLY NEWEST EVIDENCE
Officials Confident Of Establishing Motive
 For Killing

After a week of stfenu- ous investigation and sen sational developments, Cir cult Court Solicitor $ e n Perry confidently asserted Saturday night that the Ed wards murder mystery is near a solution.
 Perry said the states case against Dr. George T. Edwards, charged with chloroforming and staying his pretty wife as she slept in their Fairfield bungalow last Tuesday morning, wouio be "practically complete" by Tuesday.
 .sThe facts in the case are slowly but surely being whipped ito shape, Perry said after a long conference wltn Dr. Lloyd Noland, chief of the T. C. l. health service, under whom Dr. EdWards worked prior to his arrest immediately after his wife's death last Tuesday.
 Cards Kept Down
 Perry admitted that he and his in- vestigators have uncovered much evil dence that is being carefully guarded. He now is convinced that the state will be able to break down Dr. Ed wards'@version of the crime and estab- fish u clear-cut motive for the staying. Considerable mystery yelled lengthy conference .beJweGt Perry and operative of the government scfet service late Saturday. 'St@ With the states net swiftly closing around him, Dr. Edwards sits calmly in the Bessemer jail and greets all visitors with the statment that he Is mot worried" over the outcome.
 In Comparable Cell
 The pailers have been good to the accused physician and have made his cell comfortable. Scores of his friends called on him Saturday, and many others have sent word they will call Sunday.
 For the second time since his arrest, Dr. Edwards received an Age-Herald reporter Saturday, but under strict order of George Ross, his chief coun- sel, he did not discuss the charges against him except in a general way.
 II have nothing to say except that I am not worried and that my original statement stands" he said.
 To Grill Doctor
 Solicitor Perry plans to grill the doctor Monday and ask hin to reconcile his version of the killing with the physical facts that have been uncovered.
 The solicitors forces are confident they already have in their possession an accurate picture of what took place in the Edwards home between 10 o'clock last Monday night, when the doctor husband returned from a meeting of the Birmingham medical society, and 4 o'clock the next morning when he terrified his neighbors with a har0rw- ing story of how an unidentified man entered his home, chloroformed and killed his wife and escaped after a desperate battle in the dark, during which the physicians left hand was wounded by a pistol bullet.
 Reports that Dr. Edwards since his arrest had withdrawn this version and issued statement to investigators that frightened the net about him, were ridi- culed and denied by George Ross, chief of defense counsel.
 '"There is not a word of truth in such q report" Ross declared. "Dr. Ed wards has made no statement since his arrest"
 Quarrel Reported Another development Saturday was the effort of investigators to obtain complete details of reported violent quarrel between Edwards and his wife at midnight last Monday. Officials in charge of the investigation admitted this angle was being studied.
 One of Edwards neighbors, it is be- lieved, has told Solicitor Perry of see ing lights in the home before the shoot ing. A search for supposed eye-wit- ness to the shooting also was under way.
 Though numerous conflicting rumors flew thick and fast, the investigators appeared to be centering their efforts culties in the Edwards home.
 It was said Saturday night that the investigators will assemble Sunday to discuss the case from every angle and compare notes on the individual in- quiries they have conducted during the