The age-herald., 1901-10-28
YoungSterS'Actlng SuSplciouSly in Alley Pursued by Po-
 liceman Richardson
FIRED TWO SHOTSAS HE RAN
No One Identifies the Lad Who Was kllled-He Was Shot With 41 Bullet Through
 the Back.

An unknown white boy, apparently about 15 years of age, was shot and in- stantly killed by Policeman James Rich ardson In Second alley near Nineteenth street last night at $40 o'clock. The bull let which was fired from a 41-calibre Colts revolver, entered the boys back slightly to the left of the spine and ranged to the right, penetrating the heart and coming out through the center of the breast. The lad, who had been running from the officer, dropped In his tracks and expired almost immediately.
 The officers version of the affair Is that about ten minutes previous to the shoot ing he discovered the boy he shot and two companions attempting to bulgiarize a store in Second alley between Twentieth and Twenty-first streets. It was either the establishment of John w. O'Neill & Company or the Marks Liquor Company. he was not sure which, as the back doors of these places are very near together, and in a dark part of the alley.
 Claims One Was Watching. | the boys on the lookout and the other I two working on the door. He attempted to steal upon them, he says, but was dis covered, and the boys, or men, as he thought them to be, ran towards Twenty first street. The officer pursued them down Twenty first street to Third avenue, when they turned and ran towards Twen- tieth street, Richardson yelling at them l to halt. As Twentieth street was reached the boys ran towards Second avenue, but turned down the alley. going in the direc- ton of Nineteenth street Richardson says he was becoming exhausted by this time and as he thought supposed burg lars were about to escape he fired two shots. At the second shot the boy fell about fifteen feet from the mouth of the alley, but the other two kept running. Richardson continued the chase to Third avenue, but then gave 1t up and retraced his steps to ascertain the condition of the one who had been shot. The policeman still held the smoking revolver in his hand and trembled violently as he looked | at the dying boy.
 T would rather have let a hundred burglars escape than to have killed this boy" he said as Dr. May pronounced the lad dead.
 Crowd Express Indignation.
 great crowd gathered In the mouth of the alley and many gave vent to ex- l pressions of indignation. The face of the boy was so discolored that he was at first thought to be a negro.
 1 The body was taken to the Green and Taylor morgue where 1t was stripped and prepared for Identification. At least four hundred persons viewed the body but not one of them could tell his name. Many said they had seen the boy before but no. one could tell where or exactly when. i Several men said they had seen him sell ing papers and others said he was a fre- quent visitor at the ball park during the summer. Another young man said he saw the boy yesterday afternoon begging.
 The police advance the theory that the boy was a stranger in Birmingham and had come here accompanied by four | companions three days ago on an excur- sion. A small boy partially corroborated that theory by saying he had seen the boy and several other strange boys try | u paper stand at Second avenue and Nine- teenth street. Many still held to the theory, however, that the boy had sold papers and that he was not stranger in Birmingham. They said the boys evil dently knew the town well to make the circuit around the block and go into the alley to avoid the pursuing officer.
 Nothing to Reveal Identity.
 There was not a scrap of paper or mark on the clothing by which the boy could be identified. In his pockets were found a vulcanized rubber match. case which was sent out as an advertisement by the Arm & Hammer Brand Soda Com pany, a cheap pipe, a small piece of chewing tobacco, two packages of cigar cite papers, small bag containing sev- eral ounces of ground coffee and an aluminium good luck piece advertising a Chicago tailoring establishment. There were neither manufacturers marks on any part of his clothing nor a laundry mark on his shirt or underwear.
 The boy wore a small gray coli cap, dark brown pair of trousers, dark blue serge coat. pink shirt with collar and cuffs attached and heavy woolen blue undershirt badly torn and soiled. His socks were black with white polka dots and the shoes were apparently No. B. When laid out on the cooling board the boy measured from the tips of his toes to the crown of his head five feet and two inches. He Is very slender and of