Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1895-10-08
SAM CHILDRESS SHOT.
Deputy Sheriff Coles Pistol Brings Down q
Would-Be Murderer Proba-
bly, Die.

Shortly after noon Sunday Deputy
Sheriff Henry Cole was called to his door
by q negro, who wanted Mr.. Cole to go
with him to house in North Birming
ham, where, the colored man said, an
other darby was holding an intruder on
his household affairs at bay with Win
chester rifle. Officer Cole mounted his
bicycle and kept his informant at
sharp pace until he had reached the ne
gro's house in North Birmingham. He
found that the disturbance had been cor
rectly reported to him. Sam Johnson,
a negro, told the deputy that negro
woman was under his roof and that an
other negro by the name of Sam Chll-
dress had knocked at the door and de-
manded admittance, which was refused,
and that ChildfeSS then threatened 10
break open the door and kill the woman;
that he johnson, had held him at bay
with the rifle while he dispatched a
messenger for an officer, but that Chll-
dress, the would-be slayer had departed
Just few moments before Mr.. Cole ar
rived. The deputy got on his blcycle
and after some vigorous pedalling In the
direction Childress had taken came IN
sight of him a short distance from Jonn-
sons house. 1t happened that Childress
saw the officer when he was still quite
a distance up the road, and judging that
he was wanted by that official he craWled
through a wire fence and ran across
ploughed field.
Mr.. Cole left his wheel and followed as
fast as possible on foot The negro
reached the other limit of the field,
crawled again through the wire fence
and waded Village creek and was just
in the act of getting through wire
fence on that side waen the deputy came
within shooting range. He called on the
fugitive to halt. he says but Chlldress,
who was in a STOPPING position, did not
hn
revolver and pulled the trigger. Inc
shot went wild, but the negro having
then effected a passage through the
barbed wire sprang to his feet and 1aced
the officer The distance was about 81
feet. BY the darkey's bold action Dep
uty Sheriff Cole says he thought Chil-
dress meant a duel to the death across
the little stream, and thinking that de-
lay would hazard his own safety he hred
at him twice. Childress then turned and
ran After running about thlrty yafas
he stumbled and fell.
When Deputy Cole reached his prls-
oner the man had an ugly hole in his
left side The bullet ranged around
through his left side and came out near
the naval. a..
II is considered fatal. The negro was
brought to the county Jail and given med
ical attention. He said yesterday that ne
had no idea of shooting Deputy Cole ana
that he had no weapon on him at the
time At last accounts last night the
negro was still alive. but his condition
was critical.
Childress admitted that he did not throw
up his hands when the officer called to
him, but Says he stopped in trying to get
his pantaloons free from the barbed wire.
The woman says she used to live with
Childress in Coalburg, and that about
three weeks ago he tried to drown her in
creek. She swore out warrant for his
arrest and when Officer Burk came to
arrest him, she says, Childress shot him,
though the wound was not serious.
Childress is considered bad character.
1t is highly probable that he will die
from his wound.