The age-herald., 1900-03-29
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
 AND ELSEWHERE

'The shooting of two policemen by men
 presumed to be burglars is startling proof to the people of Birmingham and the sub
 urbs of the danger that constantly con-
 fronts them," said notable citizen yester-
 day. Doubtless tlhere are many of these armed ruff1ans, these murderous marauders
 in the city and district; and doubtless also every criminal of them all is armed and ready to shoot down householders and of-
 fcers of the law alike. Of late the principal outrages have been committed in the sub l urgs, but the growing crime of the bur- l glars was committed in the heart of the l city last night. Two officers were shot, and the would-be assassins escaped. The Age | Herald account of the infamous crime has 1 produced the deepest sensation in the pub l lie mind which Birmingham has experi- | enced in several years. There is bitter in- dignation in the minds of the people, and no little alarm. There have been numerous suggestions of appealing to Jsdge Lynch should opportunity arise. That spirit of ter 1 rible vengeance will subside but its rising 1 is a proof of widespread public anger. The | reputable people of Birmingham are in- l stinctively peaceable and law-abiding; but l they are justly outraged by the presence ] here and the crimes of the worst of crim- 1 inals, gathered from the four quarters or l the earth. In no country is mercy shown I to armed burglars. Even in England, where l the law against the taking of human life | is more vigorously enforced than any other | country. the householder has authority to | slay an armed burglar. The burglar places | himself outside the pale of human mercy.
 
 Every citizen had theory of his own yesterday regarding burglars, highwaymen and sneak thieves. Nobody appeared to be- lieve for a moment that the men guilty of the most serious of offenses reside In Birmingham. It is believed that all of them have come from somewhere in the outside world. All sorts of suggestions were made | during the day. "The city should ouiid big stockade and put in it every man who is in any degree suspected person, or who cannot give satisfactory references or a good account Of himself said an officer. 'In this manner the city could be cleared of dangerous and thieving char acters' This was in effect an expression of a popular sentiment. The police force lis said to be entirely inadequate as to num- DeTS, put Intt6 Is HO QueSllUL.hS oA AAC fitness and efficiency of the men who are now policemen; they enjoy the esteem and good will of the public. Two of their num- her, brave men and true officers, have been shot down by ruffians believed to be burg lars. ''Where and when will the next out rage be commltted?" is a question people were asking themselves yesterday.
 "Competent and desirable invoice and copying clerks Who write plainly and legi- bly are very difficult to secure in Birming- ham," said a representative merchant yes- terday. Scarcely one young man in twenty-five seeking such employments has been taught to write a clear hand; and the fact causes much delay and annoyance. There are those who are most excellent iE shorthand and typewriting and are oth- erwise satisfactory except in the essential of handwriting. What they write with a pen cannot be read without difficulty. Yet a good invoice and copying clerk gets something like eighty-five dollars month for his services. As to the deplorably bad hand writing so noticeable with young men and boys, the primary fault rests with the schools. It is but just to say that the pub lie schools in the city are making praise worthy efforts to teach pupils good hand writing; but there are other schools that are neglectful in that particular. My own boys write so poorly that I can scarcely read after them. Every boy in every school should be taught plain vertical hand writing and taught it thoroughly. The youngster who starts out in life without having learned good handwriting, starts out badly handicapped!'
 Rev. Dr. w B. Crumpton, who was yes- terday named by the prohibitionist party as it's candidate for governor of Alabama, is one of the best-known Baptists in the state. For many years he has held a lead ing position in his denomination. pr. Crumpton, who is about 55 years old, was born near the line of Lowndes and Dallas counties. He began preaching when he was very young man, and in those daS; he was popularly referred to by the nick name Wash" presumably an abbreviatio.l of Washington. He is a brother or first cousin of Rev. Dr. Boardman H. Crump- ton, now of Conecuh county, who in his younger years was gifted with remarka- ble powers of eloquence, and who was af- 1 fectionately called "Boardy." This pr. Crumpton had a brother pr. Crumpton, an influential citizen and successful surgeon dentist in Lowndes, Dallas and Wilcox counties. A son of this last named is Thomas U. Crumpton, who has attained marked success as merchant at Naples vile, and is highly l1onored in that com n1unity. The family of the Crumptons have ever been held in high esteem.
 Asbury Hull. a leading cotton>factor and cotton exporter of Augusta, Ga. and own CT of large congresses there, is in Bir- mingham. MT. Hull who is one of the most progressive of Georgians, comes here to look after his large coal interests in the district.
 Judge Henry B. Tompkins of Atlanta, widely-known leader of the Georgia bar, is in the city. Judge Tompkins is interested in valuable mining properties in Jefferson and adjoining counties and he is consider ing the matter of city development here