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Show CLAIMS HE ACTED I SELF-DEFENSE David D. Overton of Hunts-ville, Hunts-ville, Ala., Tells of Shooting Shoot-ing Judge Lawler. HUXTSYILLE, Ala., Nov. 24. Probate Pro-bate Judge William T. Lawler, whose body was found in tho Tennessee river last June, was killed by David D. Overton, Over-ton, his political rival. Overton testified testi-fied here today in his trial on a charge of murder that be shot the judge in self-defense. self-defense. The killing. Overton swore, was the result of n fight precipitated by Lawler, who, he said, attacked him with a knife when he refused to join a plan to delay a report of the Madison county grand jurv. The special grand jury, in session at the time Judge Lawler was killed, was investigating alleged violations of prohibition pro-hibition and election laws. Overton declared he drove Lawler t,o the Whitesburg bridge in his buggy at Lnwlcr's suggestion to discuss their political po-litical difficulties. The judge attaclied him with a knife, he declared, when he refused to take immediate steps to do-lay do-lay any action by the grand jury. After a desperate fight, he said, he killed his antagonist, but had nothing to do with the disposition of the body, found three davs later weighted down in the rivers He informed Sheriff Robert Phillips of the. tragedy the night it occurred, Overton said, and when he snw Phillips the next day the sheriff told him tho "bodv had not been brought ffl town anil that no one would find it." Sheriff Phillips committed suicide the next week, leaving word he could not bear the suspicion he believed was directed against him. Three davs earlier. Shelby Pleasants, n Huntsville attorney, committed com-mitted suicide. Tr. G. V. Williams of Chattanooga, who treated Overton's wounds in that citv last June, was the last witness for tho defense, which rested its case late todav. He described what he said was a serious cut on Overton s mvk, near the jugular vein. It is expected tho case will go to the jury by noon tomorrow. |