The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-02-01
ANOTHER KILLING
IN DALLAS COUNTY
Dan Beck Shot Cornelius Hunter
Near Portland.
CRIME AN INTERESTING ONE
Beck Had Been Maltreated by the Me-
groes of the Community, and
Was at One Time Swung
to Limb.

Selma, Ala, January 31-(Special) 1.-THE
scond killing for Dallas county since the
new year occurred yesterday AS they run
in threes, the first having occurred Thurs
day last, another may be looked for very
soon.
This morning Constable "Zeke" Cravey
reached Selma on the City of Mobile from
Portland, almost forty miles down the Ala
bama river, bringing with him Dan Beck.
who on yesterday afternoon killed Cornell
ious Hunter.
Beck is himself wounded, ball from
rifle having entered his back below the
shoulder and passed through his body lodg-
ing under the skin above the nipple. He is
by no means certain but that he will die
The causes that led up to the killing date
back some several days. Beck had been
before the United States grand jury and
had informed, SO 1t was claimed, on several
negroes who had been selling whisky. They
charged him with being a United States
jury spy and almost week ago a mob Of
negroes took him out and hung him to a
limb, cutting him down just before life be-
came extinct. Beck's neck shows evidence
yet of where the rope had him. He went
again to Montgomery after the mob of ne
groes had handled him SO roughly and tried
to get some action taken by the United
States grand jury to punish his enemies.
He was told to take the matter before the
Dallas grand jury.
On Beck's return from Montgomery, sew
eral warrants were sworn out before JUS
tice of the peace by various negroes charg-
ing him with defamation of character Yes
terday Cornelius Hunter was deputzed to
serve the warrants on Beck. He went to
arrest him, but the negro refused to be
taken and both went for their guns. Beck
was the quickest to get his and shot kill
ing Hunter almost instantly. The shooting
occurred about 3 o'clock in the afternoon
and mob of negroes quickly gathered and
attempted to lynch him. The white citizens
interfered and the mob dispersed. the pris-
oner being left in a store awaiting the ar
rival of a boat.
When the whistle of the City of Mobile
was heard, Beck was carried to the river
landing but the boat was farther away than
was thought A fire was built, and while
sitting around it out of the bushes near by
came the crack of rife and Beck cried
out that he was shot.
Who fired the assassin's bullet was not
learned, but it evidently came from come
of the same % who had attempted to
lynch him in the afternoon.
DR.. T. E. Lockhart cut the ball from UNI
the negro's skin this morning, aind, while
the wound is serious,i 1t is not thought to be
necessarily fatal.
Major D. NJ. Scott received the intelli-
gence this morning that his brother-in-
law, Professor William ]. Vaughn, profess
sor of mathematics In Vanderbilt university,
of Nashville, had his left leg amputated
on Saturday. He had been sick for thirteen
weeks with pneumonia, after which blood
poison set in and the doctor concluded 1t
was necessary to amputate his leg.
Professor Vaughn, some years ago, was
professor of mathematics in the University
of Alabama. and many years ago was pres
ident of the Centenary French college, then
located at Summerfeld. He married SIS
ter of Major Scott.