The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-07-27
TUNSTILL IS IN
THE COUNTY JAIL
Brought to Birmingham Under Guard
Of Soldiers.
MOB VIOLENCE THREATENED
Dnnninnnf rifigonc and (ls.iaialc Guard
Prominent Citizens and Officials Guard
Ing Cullman Jail.
MURDERER OF JUDGE HAMILTON
Negro Declares He Did Not Shoot Until
the White Officers Fired on Him
He Didn't Know They
Had Warrant

Henderson Tunstill. the negro who MUIR
dered James X. Hamilton, justice of the
peace at Bount Springs last Friday, was
brought to Birmingham last night under
guard OF Company X and a detachment
of Company c.. and placed in the Jefferson
county Jail.
Captain Ledbetter, commanding Company
X, received a telegram from the governor
at 1880 yesterday to Immediately report
with his company to the Sheriff of Gull
man county and protect a prisoner conhned
in the jail at that place. Lieutenant
Thompson of Company G was also or
dered to report to the armory with fifteen
men. In am hour and thirty minutes every
thing was ready, and the company left on
a special train for Culiman. Arriving at
that place Captain Ledbetter found Sheriff
Angood with about twenty deputies guard
ing the jail. 1t was feared that a MOB
would come for the prisoner at any time,
and the negro was hurriedly placed on the
car with the soldiers and brought to Biz
mingham.
To Cullman for Safe Keeping
The negro was caught near Garden City
Tuesday night, and though the crime was
committed in Blount county, he was car
ried to Cullman for fear OF mob violence
As there had been many threats OF a
lyneiling IL the murderer was caught, Off
Ger McMurray tried to keep the fact of the
arrest a secret. Within an hour after the
prisoner had been turned over to Sheriff
Allgood the news got out in some way and
spread rapidly. Before Il o clock that night
ID an.
ragged citizens, presumably from Biount
county, who said they we're going to have
the negro at any cost. The mob was with
out leader, however. and afte rconsidera-
able talk decide dto defer action til later
Two drummers came into the town about
1 O'Clock in a buggy and stated that they
had been held up on the road by mob
who mistook them for officers with the
prisoner. Upon hearing this news Sheriff
Algood Immediately summoned posse to
guard the JAIL During the early hours of
the morning all kinds of rumors were
afoat. Several men claimed to have seen
large mob of men from Blount county
who said they were going to take the pris-
oner last night. About 10 O'Clock yester-
day morning Sheriff Allgood felt that it
was not safe to keep the prisoner in the
Cullman Jail, and telephoned to the gov
ernor, advising him of the situation. AS
result the military was ordered to Cullman
and the prisoner was brought to Birming-
ham.
The negro was badly frightened when the
officers came inside the jail, but when he
saw Captain Ledbetter's uniform and was
assured that he would be protected he
seemed to be greatly relieved. He was suf-
fering considerably from the wounds in his
arms, which have not yet received medical
attention. There are three bullet holes in
his left arm and one in his right wrist
The negro frankly admitted that he shot
Mr.. Hamilton, but says he did not know
who it was at the time. He claims that
what he did was in self-defeuse and could
not be avoided.
Story OF the Shooting
The trouble, which finally resulted in the
death of Mr.. Hamilton and the arrest of
Henderson Tunstill, started over a contro-
versy between the negro and w. e. Byers,
at Blount Springs last Friday. 1t seems
that Mr.. Byers claimed that a son of Tun-
stills had knocked a horn off of one of his
cows. This the negro denied and a quarrel
ensued. The negro finally left and went to
his home A warrant was then sworn out
for Tunstfl. charging him with murderous
assault. Constable Montgomery Hood, ac-
companied by w. e. Byers and j. K
Hamilton, went to the negro's home to
serve the paper. On arrival there the negro
was ordered to come out. This he refused
| to do and the shooting followed. Mr.. Ham
| ilton was shot in the abdomen and died two
| days ago. The white men claim that the
| negro fired the first shot. but the negro
claims that he did not shoot until after the
| officers had fred into hts door and had
| struck him in the hand. He also says that
| the white men never told him they had a