The age-herald., 1899-07-08
THE PAIR FLED TOGETHER Lawson Deserted Boy at CIanton After Buying Him Ticket. HE WENT }S SEE A WOMAN
  The Wis < Hayes, Who is a Well Kno haracter in That Wiz
 S Tommy in Mortal
 cS Fear of Hanging

Montgomery, July 7.-(Special.) .)-Mont- | gomery is fiocking In crowds to the police l station to gaze upon degenerate Tommy | White, aged 13 years, and the self-confessed l murderer of his mother and sister in the l wood and bramble of the country near Athens, Ala. Today Detective Payne had him photographed, gripping him tightly during the operation lest he run away and Tommy does not weigh over 73 pounds when he is in light marching order E Acting Chief of Police Martin today wired to Clanton for information concerning one Frank Lawson, the instigator of the un- natural deed, and found that the boys statement relative to Lawson having car ried him after the murder to Clanton and there deserted him for one Mrs Ola Hayes, a widow of the piney woods, has some foun- dation; in fact, that several residents of Clanton state that they remember having seen last Saturday a man answering to the description of Lawson walking rapidly In the direction of the woods. It is learned from a reliable source that Frank Lawson
 lived near Clanton about year ago, and was an illicit distiller. He left there to es- cape the courts, and 1t was then believed the Hayes woman went with him. The wo- " she having been in the courts in damage | suit against former ex-sherif of Chiffon county a few years ago.
 The authorities of Limestone county have been notified of the capture, and will prob- ably send for Tommy by Monday. Afraid of Being Hanged Fear and trembling-fear of Lawson and trembling lest he hang-is still remarked in the features of White, who continually re- peats:
 Don't let 'em hang me, will yer? Do yer reckin Lawson will get me?' The story of Whites crime reads like fic- tion written for the delectation of the mor- bid. Old man White, wife and daughter and son, Tommy, resided on the edge of wood eight miles from Athens They were, &C., cording to the boys story, extremely igno- rant.
 Old man White was a blacksmith, the family having originally having come from Rising Faun, Ga. In the woods while sunning for squirrels one day, Tommy and his father esped a still and near i. a man. who proved subsequently, to be Lawson, squatting before cave, and pulling in 6 black pipe. It seems that White had been interested on several occasions in the vig- orous prosecution of vioators of revenue laws, and this Lawson knew. He contrived to meet Tommy later after the discovery | of the still and by alternately threatening and cajolng him induced him to play into | his hands, finally making him an accom- plce in the destruction of his father. Per agreement, four months ago-the boy cannot tell the exact date-Tommy per- suaded his father to go on another hunt ing expedition. leading him over a new trail skirting clump of willows. In the
 clump was Lawson, his finger on the trig-
 ger. As old man White walked by in front
 of his son. there came loud report from
 the willows. White fell dead. Upon the
 discovery of the body by a stranger next
 day, suspicion attached to Tommy, who, at the earnest solicitation of his mother,
 was arrested and brought before the grand jury of Limestone county He explained
 that his father had met death through the
 accidental discharge of his own gun, and
 he was thereupon liberated.
 Tommy Felt Mean
 Everywhere went then," said Tommy
 to reporter, "the folks hollered:
 " There's thet dam boy what killed his
 father.' .
 ''Thet made me feel mean ar i'll at ther
 folks ter hum; an Lawson, him what
 wuz meetin' In ther woods. kep' sesin' me
 every day and learnin' me inter rno' .naan-
 ness Tore sho Lawson won't say any.
 thing t me if I tell yer? Wall, he kep'
 up an up, an said he'd cut my throat if
 I ever told. Anyhow, he said he'd cut it
 if l didn't kill Letetia and ma I wuz sho'
 skeered then-so I had ter do it-jest had
 ter"
 The boy says Lawson finally promised to give him S20 to do the deed, and provided him with very sharp jack-knife for the purpose. The afternoon of June 30 was the date set, and at that time Tommy went in to the house and purposey quarreled with Letitia. She skipping him, he cut her three times in the abdomen. His mother, who was in the yard, upon hearing the cries of the daughter started to run to her as- sistance, but her son met her in the porch and almost disemboweled her.
 Both died within a half hour
 They fIed Together
 Lawson, who was waiting in the woods.