The age-herald., 1898-05-15
KILLED IN EARLY
 MORNING HOURS John BlaCkman, a Southern Railroad Con- duCtOr, Stabbed to Death. NEGRO ROBBING A STORE Has Captured by BlaCkman and Others
 But Made His Escape. WAS PURSUED BY HIS GATORS blackman Was in the Lead and Was Seen to faIter and Pitch Forward on His Face
 Died Before His compan-
 ions Reached Him.
MAS PURSUED BY HIS GATORS

John Blackman, a conductor on the Southern railroad, was killed in a some- what mysterious manner at Gains sta- ton, Avondale, early yesterday morning.
 MT. Blackman, in company with John Evans, brother conductor, was returning to his home, and while passing Shelby & Co.'s store on Cain street, heard a sound which led the two men to believe that some one was burglarizing the place. Wiley Shelby, one of the proprietors, lived next door. and was awakened by, the men.
 After listening for while on the outside of the store they decided that some one was on the inside and resolved to open the door and investigate. They accordingly en- tered and discovered a negro. He was in- stanly seized and hurriedly searched. The trio then made an examination of the store. but no one else was discovered.
 It was decided to take the negro to Gains station, only short distance away, in order to telephone the city authorities concerning the matter that they might send some one out to take charge of the pris oner. The negro was being carried be- tween Evans and Blackman and kept call ing out: Bill. bring my shoes.' The ne- gro was bare-footed and said that his "paP' had his shoes. When about half way to the station the negro made sudden dash for liberty, and, breaking loose from his cap- tors, ran up the road toward the store.
 Sound of Pistol
 When about even with the store a pistol shot rang out and Conductor Blackman was seen to fall on his face Before his eom- panions reached him the man was dead The negro disappeared in the darkness. The dead man was carried to his home on inc corner of Cain street and the Fifth avenue road The sheriffs office was immediateIv notified of the murder
 Chief Deputy Warnock. in companv with Deputies Ball and Jones, hurried to the scene of the killing. and the prison hounds were put on the fugitive's trail.
 The hounds followed the scent, and about o'clock stopped in front of house occu- pied by Frank Cook, some distance back of Avondale. Cook was placed under arrest and carried back to Gains Station, where he was identified by Shelby and Evans as the man whom they had found in the store. Cook was then placed on car and brought to the city and locked up in the county jail
 Produced by Knife
 Justice M. w. Steele empanneled a jury to inquire into the cause of Blackmans S death Physicians were called in to ex- anime the would and to decide it's charac- ter. They decided that death was caused by knife, and that the instrument was necessarily sharp and keen to have pro- duced death in such manner. The wea- pon entered the left side, striking the heart and causing instant death. The jury's yer dict was that Blackman came to his death from knife wounds produced by an un- known party.
 Conductor Blackman's remains will be carried a special train this morning to Eden, Ala, for interment. The train will be in charge of Avondale division O. R. c. The dead man leaves a wife and child, little girl two years of age Blackman had been an employe of the Southern for years and was well liked by all who knew him.