Birmingham age-herald., 1895-04-03
He Succeeds in Capturing the
 Last of a Gang of
MURDERERS AND ROBBERS
Though a Pistol Had to Be USed-Record of the Men
 Now in Jail.

Deputy Sheriff Henry Cole shot, perhaps fatally, Jim Webb, colored, yesterday afternoon while attempting to arrest him.
 Webb is, it was alleged, a member of a gang of desperate negroes who had been terrorizing the community for months, aud to whom two murders and half dozen highway robberies are charged.
 Deputy Sheriff Cole went out to North Birmingham yesterday afternoon to arrest Webb, on a warrant charging him with as- sault with intent to murder, in connection with the shooting of old man Daniel out near East Lake early in January.
 The officer can upon Webb at Tweu- tieth avenue and Twenty fifth street and placed him under arrest. He pulled out his handcuffs to put on Webb, and the lat ter knocked them from his hand and started to run. The officer claims that as the negro started off he made a motion as if to draw pistol from his pocket. Fear ing the negro would shoot him, the officer fired four times, one ball entering the rear of the negro's left hip, passing through his body and coming out at his left groin. Two balls passed through the muscle of his left arm, and one cut hole through the right side of his coat.
 Deputy Sheriff Cole immediately notified Sheriff Morrow, who sent an ambulance to North Birming nam for the wounded pris- oner and brought him to the county jail, where he was placed in the hospital ward. Dr. Gillespie. county physician, was noti- lied and waited on the negro. After an ex- animation he pronounced the wound dan gerous, though not necessarily Iatal. The ball, Al Colts, had passed through Webb's bladder. At a late hour last night he was resting easy.
 TOUGH RECORD.
 The record, if true, of Webb's crimes for the past few months is tough one. He denies having participated in any of tue crimes chare ed to him, but the circum- stances point strongly towards him.
 He was arrested on information fur nished by Lee Harris, whose confession before the coroner's jury revealed record of crimes unparalleled in this section. For i've months ne and hls pals have terror ized this com mmuuity, murdering and rob. blng people with alarming frequency, yet ell he while so cleYerly doing their work as to conceal their; identity aud elude the officers who were exerting every effort in an attempt to run them to earth.
 The story of their. daeds. -rslated by Harris, begins with the
 THORNTON MURDER, ~ back in December. J. F. Thorntorn was an Ensiey City merchant. He was on his way from Bir ingham to Ensley, and when near the state fair grounds he was killed and robbed. Harris says he, Abe Mitchell and Stonewall Thomas killed Thornton. Harris took Thornton's watch and pawned il to Sam Harris for few dol lars; Mitchell took the pistol and sold it to saloon keeper named Henry on the Souta- side. Thomas got cash for his share of the booty.
 Yesterday officers went to the places des. ignated by Harris and obtained the watch and pistol.
 FEMALES ROBBED.
 A few days later two women were stopped in the road near the spot where Thornton's body was found by a lone highwayman, who demanded their cash. They had no cash, and after searching them he permit ted them to go their way. The two women reported the matter to Sheriff Morrow, stating that they believed it was white man who had disguised himself by black ing his face.
 Lee Harris says he robbed the women unaesisted.
 PREACHER HELD UP.
 A day or two before Christmas Rsv. MT. Stiff was on his way to his home near Mary Lee and when about a mile beyond North Birmingham two negroes stopped him in the road and relieved him of such articles in his possession as they cared to take away. One of the negroes was blind in one eye
 Henry Wimberly was recently convicted of the crime in the criminal court and sem fenced to nine years In the penitentiary. Wimberly had put one good eye.
 Harris says he and Abe Mitchell robbed MT. Stiff. Mitchell is bind in one eye and suits the description given by Mir. Stiff of one of the negroes.
 THE DANIELS SHOOTING. Early in January farmer named Dan iels, living near East Lake, was shot by negro man at his home. Three negro men went to his house and one of them de- manded money. He refused to give them any and was shot, the ball entering his abdomen. The negroes then left. MT. Daniels fingered between life and death for several days, but finally recovered. He described one of the negroes as being yell low with a black spot under his right eye. Webb is yellow and has the black spot.
 Harris story is that he and Webb and Mitchell are the three negroes who went to Daniels' house, and that he shot Mir. Daniels himself. When telling of the and eroaned Harris laughed heartily, as though it were 8 great joke.
 THEY WANTED WHISKY.
 About this time man named Barnes, who lives near North Birmingham, was called to his door one night and shot. The men calling him to the door wanted whisky, and because he refused to sell it to them they shot him, though the wound was not a serious one.
 Harris says he and Mitchell and Thomas were the three men who called out Barnes and shot him,
 THE MERRIwEATHER MURDER.
 The laet of their crimes and the one that caused the arrest of the gang, was the murder of Pleas Merriweather, a negro merchant whose store was in the northern