Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-12-14
AWFUL CARNAGE.
The People Of Birmingham Rise up
in Mob Violence.
They Demand Vengeance Upon the Man
Who Committed the Most Brutal
Crime in Alabama's History.
The Sheriff Fires ON the Mob With Calling
Gun-Twenty Citizens Shot Down, Many
OF Whom Will Die.

BIRMINGHAM, ALA +, Dec. S.-Another
'bloody chapter in the Halves murder
mystery developed to-day. The body of
Mrs. Emma Halves was found in the bot
tom of a small lake near Lake Park half
a mile from the cottage where the family
had lived. Her head was crushed in by
heavy blow with an axe and heavy
pieces of iron were fastened about her
neck, waist and feet.
a lynching mob advanced on the jail
here at midnight. The officers fired
several volleys on the mob, killing nine
men and wOunding others.
BLOODY RIOT.
BIRMINGHAM, ALA. Dec, 9.-The dis
covery of Mrs. Halves, her terribly man.
gled body and the blood-stained clothing
of the missing child reused the people of
this city to pitch never dreamed of.
Long before darkness set in the people
began to gather, first in groups, then in
crowds, and the crowds uniting formed
mass of surging humanity. all bent on
one object, that of vengeance upon the
man who had committed the most brutal
and bloody crime in the history of Ala
bama
Sheriff Smith, well knowing the temper
of the people, had placed strong guard
at the Jail and had placed in their charge
a gattling gun.
As midnight approached the people
centered about the Jail.
At last their anger became uncontrolla-
bic and at l2:l5 an attack was made on
the Jail, defended by Sheriff Smith and
his sturdy lif2e force.
A hoarse WHrning came from the inside:
'Stand of or suffer the consequences. -
E1r, tI,. u 4, ;t,+n
those in advance pressed on by the crowd
in the rear
MADE A DASH FOR THE JAIL.
"Halt, - came the command from. the
sheriff, followed an instant later by rne
fatal word, ''fire. -
The deadly rattle of the r;nes and re-
volvers in the hands of this guards was
deepened by the heavier discharge of the
Calling gun
An answering fire came from the mob,
but in their blindness none of the shots
were well directed and none took effect.
There were over 500 rounds discharged,
and when the smoke had cleared away,
what Il pitiable sight was there.
Bathed in their own blood lay at least
twenty of Birmingham IS citizens, some
of them the best. Horror stricken ut the
fearful work,
|
No less than five will die and seven are
seriously wounded.
Among those reported fatally shot are:
MAJOR KENNEDY, IL prominent Repub-
! lican politician, shot in both legs,
\. j. SHIELD, shot i'll the bowels, sup
posed fatally.
CHARLES BAILY shot in the forehead
with the Calling gun, doubtless fatally.
C. F. TATTE, Il miner, badly wounded
/. c. CURD, occupation unknown, shot
in the groin with a Winchester rifle.
j. w. GILMORE, shot in the groin, will
die
a man named SHRYER, a brakeman,
shot i'll the back, supposed seriously.
As soon as the wounded were removed,
and before the mob could collect again,
| the Birmingham Rifles and Zouaves took
possession of all the approaches to the Jail
Halves was unconcerned during the
riot.
HOW THE PEOPLE REGARD IT.
NASHVILLE, TENN, Dec. 8. - The
American special from Birmingham,
Ala, says: The defendants of last
night s wholesale slaughter are quoting
i'll behalf of its perpetrators that the
blood of the martyr is the seed of the
church. They declare that the killing was
done by sworn officers of the law in
the solemn discharge of their duty and
that this example of unterritied intent to
uphold the statutes in their majesty, will |
prove valuable though tragic lesson to
mobs in the future. The public, however,
are not disposed thus philosophically to !
look upon the terrible tragedy, and nine |
citizens out of ten in this fren-
Zied city are in open denuncia- |
ton of the awful crime. Men were |
shot down who were neither mobbers nor
rioters to mob vengeance .5-sRheir dead |
bodies when examined welB nR loaded /
down with artillery, anda neaB pFsssalisa 81
saw any of those killed d@sS I
ANY ACT OF W4SScE q
or commit any offenss ySM could be con- :
strued either as a. egiA essa intent to COM
nit crime. Tlessk fnSfa5n had no pistol
and was enlaavoring to induce the crowd
to withdraw. To-day all through the
long hours of the Sabbath the blood
of the martyrs has crimsoned almost
every understanding and the limit of vo-
lence is openly advocated for those
who last night fired the fatal
bullets. 1t is generally believed
the sheriff i'll giving the command
to fire was assassination and it is stated
on all sides that the immense gathering
was not for the purpose at all of forcing
the Jail, but rather out of curiosity.
There was never any real danger of as
sault.
The Age-Herald to-day gave its read
ers several extra editions, and with wise
foresight shaped its editorials and local
articles with Il view to allay ex-
element and if possible prevent
any further trouble. There is no
calm, however, in the public mind and
excitement is far greater than twenty
four hours ago. In the light of last
night terrors the Halves affair
HAS ALMOST DISAPPEARED,
and the Indignation expressed is directed
against Sheriff Smith and the posse who
let go the fearful volley. To-day the
city is military encampment.
The civil authorities have prac-
tically stepped down and out and
Colonel Tom Jones of Montgomery with
the thirteen military companies, is abSo-
lutely in charge of affairs. The Jail is
guarded by state troops with picket
lines extended several squares in every
direction and at each approach there
frowns the countenance of a Calling gun ii
Mounted scouts are sent out in the u&Ef
and at regular intervals acquaint Cofon6flk
Ioy, ~,