The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-20
BOTH SIDES ARMED AND
 MORE TROUBLE MAY COMI
White Man Pushed from TrestIe b Negro Woman and Abused by Her Escort = Others Resented It
 and FusiIade Followed.
BY FRANK H. BELL.

 As result of a clash between whites and negroes here tonight one man is missing and believed to be dead whiis others are seriously wounded.
 The casualties:
 Joe Thompson. white, shot in bowels, serious.
 Ira creel, white. missing, was witi Thompson.
 John Baer. negro. shot in heel ant thigh serious.
 VIII Tolbert, who shot Thompson, sho in chest. serious.
 The trouble grew out of an effort mad by negro woman to push Joe Thomp son, white man from a trestle. She wal in company with a negro man. Will Tol. bert, who threatened to kill Thompson, at the same time drawing a pistol and cursing him. Thompson went in search of friends and returned with Ira Creeii John Laure and John Rouse. The negro man had by this time secured assistance. and with several other negroes lay IT ambush for the white men. As they ap' preached the negroes opened fire on then from behind an earthen breastworks.
 Citizens Appeal to Sheriff.
 The people here feared serious trouble and at once Autographed Sheriff Burgir at Birmingham as follows:
 'rwhite man shot and one missing. Ne groes armed and highways blocked. Things are serious. Send posse here ou. 1 10 o'clock train tonight without fall, S. F. w. BARNES,
 REV. F. R. SKELETON, W. F. LANE, l M J. MAXWELL,
 C. J. LANGSTON." Deputies were at once dispatched from Birmingham. In the party were Albert stradford. G. w. Courson, J. H. HILL w. s. Cole. w. J. Love and J. C. Burgtn- They were armed with Winchester rifles and arrived here on the late train from Birmingham.
 John Rouse, who was present when the shooting was done, says:
 James Thompson was crossing trestle about 100 yards from the station when met by Will Tolbert, negro and a negro woman. The woman pushed Thompson from the trestle and the ne- gro man pulled a pistol, threatening to kill the white man and cursed him. Thompson went after some friends ana returned with three others, Ira Greet, John Laure and myself. Tolbert kad In  in ambush for the white men. When they approached the two negroes opened fire on them from behind an earth breast work. Thompson fell at the first shot and the other men saught cover. Creel ran uB hollow and the negroes fired at him dozen times"
 Greet has not been seen since the shoot ing and as there has been sufficient time for him to return he is supposed to be dead or badly wounded and lying in tho woods unable to move. The white men fired on the negroes until their ammuni- tion gave out and then left the scene. Tolbert was shot in the shoulder but the extent of the wound is not known. All the white men near here armed them- selves and have been guarding the de- pot waiting on the deputies to come
 Another Negro Shot.
 After the shooting John Bear was seen carrying a Winchester to the negro quarters and was fired on by a party of white men. He was hit in the thigh and heel and Is worse hurt than was first thought.
 Several white men have been held up and searched by negro pickets, but they have always been allowed to proceed ur1- | hurt The negro quarters are about quarter of mile from the depot and l the deputy sheriffs are now searching | them to find negroes who are armed All l the negroes have taken to the hills and are hid out
 A collision between them and the depu- ties is imminent at any minute and the fight will be serious if they meet. Thomp- son Hes in the depot groaining, waiting for the train to Birmingham, which leaves here at o'clock in the morning. Bear, the negro, is lying on the depot steps under guard.
 The situation is unsettled and every one is awake and armed to the teeth. A party of armed men got on the train at Cardiff and are assisting the deputies. At 1:35 the deputies returned from search of all the negro houses looking for will Tolbert. They found every thing quiet but many negroes away from their houses. Parties have just left the dept to search for Creel, the missing man. They are well organized and have guides who are familiar with the sur rounding country. Just in the rear of the depot about fifty negroes are lying in one small house afraid to return to their houses. Creers father has come here from Flat Top mines and Is much dis tressed A magazine of the Pratt Coal company was broken open late this af- ternoon and a quantity of dynamite was stolen. There is fear that they may place short fuses in this and blow up some buildings of the white people. The deputies will return to Birmingham at 6 o'clock this morning, unless further out breaks occur