The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-03-20
NEGRO GAGS AND STRIKES MRS.
BOYD AFTER SHE SHOT AT HIM
HILLMAN HOSPITAL is
NOW NEARLY FINISHED

The Hillman hospital. with the exeep-
ton of some of the outside work will
probably be finished within two weeks
and be ready TO be turned over to the
lady board Of managers. The ladies hope
/ to be able to have the entire hospital
fitted up by the first OF May and ready
to receive patients. If this is done 1t Will
have been In course of construction Just
one year In that time one of the finest
and most complete hospitals In the south
will have been erected
| AT the office of Charles and H. B.
Wheelock, architects for the building. It
was stated yesterday that the entire
structure, with the exception of the rear
balcony, would be completed before the
hrst OF next month. but that 1t would
probably take month to get the ma
S~-S-~-e-~-$Ss-~~%S~-4-
injuring Mrs. Boyd he would have shot
her, or possibly beaten her severely over
the head with the pistol and fractured her
SKULL The more they work on the case
the less they believe the negro was aware
OF the plans and threats to burn the
mousse In opposition to this theory Mrs.
Boyd claims the negro. asked If that was
Mrs. Boyd when she first saw him.
| The negro is described by Mrs. Boyd as
being about six feet tall and weighing
about 200 pounds He was roughly dressed
IN yellow or dark brown suit of clothes,
which was ragged and showed much hard
usage. He wore a large black hat and
heavy shoes.
Suspects White Man.
In regard to the notes be has received
and their origin, Mr. Boyd said yesterday
afternoon that he thought they came from
a white man. He said he knew of no enc
mics he had in the city unless there are
some rivals in business who have become
sore at him. He said he hated to believe
that business matters would lead any one
to make such threats and attempt to
carry them out. He stated that he had
not seen or known of any kerosene
around his premises, and that Wednesday
night when he put out the fire under
his house he saw no traces of OIL The
first of the notes, according to Mr.. Boyd,
was received through the mail and handed
to him by his wife one afternoon when he
returned home. The second was brought
to the house by a little negro girl, but
he does not know who employed her or
anything about her. A third notice was
received over the telephone.
Mr.. Boyd stated that his wife was not
seriously hurt by the blow on the head.
He said she would easily recognize the
negro If he was caught and that she
/ ha 1hI 70 III
Mrs. Boyd answered the telephone yes
terday Afternoon but refused to make any
! statement In regard to the matter. She
said that Mr Boyd would make any state
ments aect ssary, and that she did not
wish to have any newspaper notoriety and
wished the matter could be kept out Of
the papers. She seemed to have nearly
recovered from the nervous shock of the
accident.
Last night a negro was brought to the
! city from Bessemer where he had been
arrested cr the description furnished by
the police. He was carried to Mrs. Boyd
residencs, but she Immediately stated that
he was not the right one. Another is I'M
der arrest at Pratt City and will be
brought in this morning and carried be-
fore Mrs Boyd.
| Chief Austin stated last night that the
matter was terribly mixed up, and that
seemingly here was another woman in
the case.
Police Views.
There is a theory among the police that
there is something wrong about the case.
They point to several peculiarities in the
statements and the actions of the negro.
They frsG state that 1t is nard to under
stand the object of the negro in going
to the house They say that il he went
to steal he had an opportunity after he
had bound and gagged Mrs. Boyd He did
not steal anything and even left the pistol
he had taken from her. Nothing else in
the room was disturbed. IL the negro
came through some previous arrangement
with enemies of Mr.. Boyd he would have
been prepared to defend himself, and
would have had a pistol.
The tone of some of the letters Is pc
culIar according to the theory of the po-
lice. Mr. Boyd stated positively over
the telephone yesterday afternoon that
there had been no traces Of Kerosene UNI
der the house. while the policemen who
were at the house state that he showed
them the traces and that It was easily to
be smeled
Mrs. Boyd made the following state
ment to Chief Austin last night at her
| house,
! II heard some one coming around the
front yard and went into my bedroom to
get the pistol. As | stepped back into the
dining room he opened a side door which
opens into the dining room and asked II
l was Mrs. Boyd. l commanded him to
throw up his hands, and at first he
| grabbed hold of the table CLOTH / again
told him to, throw up his hands or l
would shoot, and then he pulled the
! cloth with a large number of dishes
off the table. Some of them were broken
. "Then / backed the negro into the hall
| and telephoned. He sprang at me and l
shot He grabbed the pistol with one
hand and my left wrist with the other
He then struck me on the head with the
barrel Of the pistol, and / knew nothing
else of what happened. The towel with
which he gagged me was hanging on my
| shoulder"
She further stated that there was a
| young woman in the back yard of the
| house next door and another woman in