The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-12-14
Sheriff Smith Somewhat Hastily
Orders His Men to Fire on Q
Threatening the Jail-Nauy Persons Killed
and Wounded Military in
Possession.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala, DEC. lV.-lnurs0ay
and Friday searching parties secured
every foot Of woods for miles around the
city in search for the body Of Mrs. Halves,
who was thought to have been murdered
by Engineer Halves, who is now in jail
here for killing his daughter, but until
Saturday morning no one thought OF
dragging the lake where the girls corpse
was found. As soon as it was suggested,
however, . party went to the lake with
drag hooks and began the search and
about noon the body of Mrs. Halves was
found. 1t was lying on the bottom
of the lake at the deepest part, about
200 feet from the shore. A hasty ex.
mination was made and there was found
the final evidence Of double murder, the
back of the head having been laid open by
o terrible blow with an axe. Securely fast.
ened around the neck was piece of rail.
road iron weighing fifty pounds. An.
other piece was tied around her waist and
third around her ankles.
1t was said that the body would be
brought to the city to the undertaking
rooms, and in less than two hours the two
streets leading to the rooms were filled for
a block each way with excited people.
The officers decided that sight of the
woman's body would inflame the crowd,
and it was quietly slipped out of the city
under a strong guard and secreted and
guarded.
At night about three thousand men
gathered in the vicinity of the Jail intent
on lynching Halves. Mayor Thompson
and several officers talked to the crowd.
The mob seemed without a leader, but
things looked very squally. One hundred
armed officers were inside the Jail, ready
to make a desperate resistance.
The mob advanced on the Jail about
twelve O'Clock, and the officers opened fire
with terrible effect. Nine men were killed
outright and a large number were
wounded. Terrible excitement prevailed,
and the military were armed as fast as
possible. Jim O'Rourke, of Kansas City,
had his brains shot out. James Werner is
dead.
About twelve o'clock the mob around
the county Jail began slowly pressing
back the outer guard and advanced down
Twenty first street to the mouth of the
alley leading to the Jail entrance. This
alley is about 100 feet long and twenty
wide and is the only approach to the Jail.
When the crowd reached the mouth of the
alley Sheriff Smith from the Jail warned
them to stand back time and again. He
yelled to them to keep back. as they would
be fired on if they advanced up the alley.
Finally he called out 81 will count three,
and if a man remains there in the alley
we will fire."
The sheriff counted three and the crowd
fell back little and the authorities did not
give the order to fire.
This seemed to make the mob holder, and
again they pressed up the alley.
IaI 20 IT
count five, and if you do not fall back we
will fire." He counted FIVE while the mob
hooted, yelled and continued to advance
up the alley.
Then the officers opened fire, which was
at once returned by the mob. At least one
thousand shots were fred
Yesterday the military took possession
of the city and the mob has been overawed.
The following were killed:
NJ. B. Thockmorton, postmaster, and
very prominent and popular citizen. He
leaves wife and one child. He was
abont thirty years of age and was born in
Louisville KY. He came to Birmingham
in 1880 as agent for the Southern Express
Company, and about eighteen months ago
was appointed postmaster.
An unknown negro, shot through the
lungs, and died this morning.
j. R. Mccoy was toward the front of the
crowd when the firing commenced. He
fell at the first volley.
A. B. Tarrant was shot in the back.
After the first volley he lay down on the
ground with the hope of avoiding flying
bullets. Fate would not have it SO, how
ever, and ball struck him as he lay on
his face and ranged up his back. After q
few minutes suffering he died.
A. ID. Bryant was shot through the
heart. He was standing rather near the
front, and was doing his best to restrain
the crowd from going any nearer. He fell
at the first volley, and died instantly.
c. c. Tate was shot through the hip,
thigh and loin. He is dying. He is a
painter, and lived at Eastlake. He is
about forty-five years old and has o
family.
Frank Childer, shot through the body,
died last evening.
Colbert Smith (colored) shot through
the right lung, died yesterday morning.
Lawrence Fitzhugh, q civil engineer,
was fatally wounded. He was shot
through the shoulder. He is thirty years
old.
head. 1t is thought he is fatally wounded. |
~ S' oShiSaSs q AuCSAouiS, woS SuOI III
the left side just under the right shoulder. |
1t is thought that he will die. He came
recently from kalamazoo, Mich. Several |
OF his companions were wounded, but less |
seriously.
Charles Jenkins was shot in the back of |
the head, the ball coming out in the center |
of his forehead. He lived until ten O'Clock |
next morning. He was twenty years old |
and lived at Smithfield with his parents |
and three brothers.
Branden, at the hospital, wounded in the |
thigh and abdomen. died at ten o'clock this |
morning. Just after be was shot he told |
his attendants he boarded at the house of |
the sheriff of Etowah County, at Gadsden, |
Ala, and was here on business before the |
United States court |
H
Il notice that one of our American girls
who married a nobleman has gone back |
to her old calling as hired girl. She mar
ried Eddie, the royal pinchbeck from across
the deep blue sea. He said he would be- |
patrimonial acres if she would be his'n. |
She consented. Then they went to live
with her father, Eddie eating the cream off |
the mornings milk of three cows, spread
over his vesper dewberries. Now Eddie's |
brother comes from across the sea and |
says that he is not noble, but boils sugar.
at home. He takes Eddie by the nose and |
tells me lady that she had better hustle |
for herself. So she has resumed the |
crumb brush and two nights out each |
week. What an American girl |
wants to be duchess or lady of high |
degree for, when she can be an American |
hired girl, with ten times as much power, |
is more than can make out. Aside from
being sleeping car conductor, with a
naughty mien and nothing to do I would |