Evening star., 1949-10-28
Special Deputy Takes
Stand Today 10 Fight
Hogging Accusations
BY me Asseelatsd Press


BIRMINGHAM. Ala, Oct. 28.-.
Whether the voice Of Coleman A.
(Brownie) Lollar, charged with
fiogging while masked. revealed
his membership in robed and
hooded bands is a major issue to-
day at Lollar's trial.
Three State witnesses testified
they recognized the former spe-
cial deputy's voice. although his
face was covered. All placed him
at the scene of hoggings by white
sheeted men.
Lollar is the first of 18 men
arrested on various charges in
volving hooded hoodlumism to
face trial. The State ended its
direct testimony yesterday and
the defendant told reporters:
Now it's my time at bat"
Could Get 10 Years.
The maximum penalty for fog
ging while masked is 10 years in
the penitentiary.
The State sought to prove Lol-
lar was one of the men who broke
into the home OF Mrs. Hugh Nc
Danal. 42-year-old grandmother,
the night of June 10, struck her
twice and forced her to watch a
cross burning.
Mrs. McDanal testified she lifted
q hood and saw Lollar's face.
Three other identifications of
Lollar were in other night-riding
incidents. and all were by voice.
Sally Burton. II, said she rec
ognized Brownie Lollar's voice"
when robed men took six persons
from her home at Dora the night
OF June 8. Her mother. Mrs. Irene
Burton. and two men were
whipped. she said. Miss Burton
and two others watched.
Recognized Laugh.
William Stevens testified he
"heard Brownie Lollar laugh" af-
ter he had been whipped the night
OF May 19. Mr.. Stevens said he,
Jack Alexander and Mary Alice
Henderson all were whipped that
night.
Mrs. Albert Sanders, whipped
the night of April % together with
three other persons. said she
knew Brownie Lollars voice"
when he called to her to come
out Of her house.
This testimony was admitted
over the objection of counsel for
Lollar. The state contended it
showed a pattern of behavior by
masked mobs.
Earlier, two Klansmen had testi-
fled the raid on Mrs. McDanal's
home June 10 followed a Ku Klux
Klan meeting at Adamsville.
Identifies Man in Audience.
Miss Burton halted her testi-
mony to identify a man in the
audience as a member of the
masked mob which raided her
home.
She turned to Judge Robert ].
Wheeler:
Judge. recognize another man
In that mob. He is sitting in the
aisle"
The Judge said. Go down there
and point him out"
Miss Burton left the stand,
walked into the aisle and put her
hand on the shoulder of a man
later identified as r. j. Sexton.
Here he ts," she said.
Sexton was sent from the court
room as a prospective witness, at
the request Of the State. He was
back a minute later, charged with |
having slapped the face of Mrs. |
Irene Burton, mother of the wit
ness, In the witness room.
Weeps and Apologies.
Judge Wheeler sentenced Sex
ton to "a hours in Jail for con-
tempt Of court. Sexton wept and
apologized. The judge dropped
the sentence.
A letter. written to the mother
of one Of the f1ogging victims,
also was introduced in evidence.
Jack Alexander. fogged the night
of May 10. identified it as having
been mailed to his mother on
May 21.
Mr.. Alexander testified the en-
velope contained a letter and a
$40 bill. The writer said the $40
was to pay for damage to the
door of the Alexander home, bro
ken when Jack Alexander was
taken out.
If we have to come back" it
said, "he (Jack) will remember
1t a long time. God bless
you."
The envelope included a return
address which the defense ad-
mitted was post Office box num-
Der held by Lollar at Praco, Ala.
A parade of defense witnesses
later yesterday included a dozen
who testified to Lollar's good
standing in the community.
Seven others testified they
would not believe Mrs. Hugh
McDanal under oath.