The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-11-29
LID. ATTORNEYS RIDDLE STORIES OF
STATE WITNESSES AT DECATUR TRIAL
by del

tify picture for record, he said an
grily, Don't understand pictures.
Know only what I saw from barn
window"
Look at the pictures" Leibowitz
insisted.
Norris took out his spectacles to see
pictures.
Are you near sighted or far sight
ed," Leibowitz flung at him.
Had No Glasses AT Time of Alleged
Attack
II have very good hearing" witness
returned.
Upon further questioning Morris
admitted he began wearing glasses
after alleged attack occurred.
Did you wear glasses because you
couldn't see well?"
81 was running a saw mill" Nor
ris replied.
The witness finally said he saw Ne
groes in second or third car from
engine. Other state witnesses said
Negroes were in fifteenth car. Lei
bowitz finally brought out that the
top Of the gondola car passing barn
window through which Morris
claimed he was looking when he saw
freight was higher than the window.
Heard Screams Over Noise Of Moving
Train
"You heard women scream9" Lei
bowitz pressed.
Absolutely"
over noise of running TRAMP"
Absolutely"
Got good hearing?"
Absolutely"
Leibowitz dropped his voice slightly.
Can you hear me as I talk now?"
The witness leaned forward, cup
ping hand behind ear.
'How's that?" he asked straining
to hear.
1t was obvious that the witness was
crumbling. Callahan interrupted, tell
ing defense counsel, That's enough
of that"
st isn't enough" LeibowitE re-
turned.
II said it was enough" Callahan
cried banging the bench with his open
palm.
Leibowitz became silent.
Go on" he court ordered.
I'll go on as soon as your honor
does something"
GO on now or something will be
done,' Callahan cried furiously.
alta boy" loud voice called from
the spectators seats.
The court did not order silence.
Negro Farmer Called by State Aids
Defense
T. L. Dobbins and other farmers
we're paraded by the state to testify.
They saw "tusseling" on a freight
train between Negro and white goys.
Several Of the "corroborative" wit
neSses are new. Why the state could
not find them for preceding trials is
a mystery.
Sam Mitchell, Negro farmer called
by the state to tell about the Gus
selling" actually testified for the de-
Tense, saying that Negroes were all
along the freight, some in open box
cars, swinging feet. This Is the first
time the state has called Negro wit
ness in this case.
Under cross examination by Leib-
owitz, Gilley said he never had a
job in his life; he was IAN enter
tainer." He explained entertaining"
consisted Of walking into hotel Hobbies,
reciing poetry and talking up a COL
lection.
When pressed to name one hotel
in Alabama where he recited poetry,
he could not.
Name one in the South" Leib-
owitz demanded.
Gilley could not.
Leibowitz began battering at Gil
ley's connection with Knight and
Victoria. He pursued hop and leap
tactics of questioning. He would ask
about the Jungle" and without
warning return to the freight and
then hop to Victoria's sexual affairs.
1t was apparent that Leibowitz was
trying to break the well rehearsed
story by following guerrilla attacks
After Attorney General Knight came
to see him In Huntsville, he (Gilley)
called upon Vicoria and saw her
several times since.
When Leibowitz pressed Gilley
for an answer why he did not testi-
fy at the original trials in Scots
boro, Wade Wright excitedly OBJ
jected and Callahan sustained OBJ
lection.