The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-03-20
House Of h. W. Boyd Set on
Fire Wednesday Night
WIFE ASSAULTED BY NEGRO
A Number of Anonymous Letters Lead
to Serious TroubIe-PoIice investi-
eating Curious Features to Pc
cuIiar case-Get Negroes.

Following an unusual and rather nnys-
terious chain of circumstances which lead
to the beles that some one had serious
intentions cf trying to extermlnate the
entire family of Henry W. Boyd, &C.
ment cont actor, a negro thief went TO
Mr.. Boyd's house. at 101l North Fifteenth
street, yesterday morning, and after Mrs.
Boyd had shot at him once, he took the
pistol away from her, struck her over
the head with 1t, gagged her and made mis-
escape The negro was not hit by the
bullet aimed at him.
This followed an attempt made Wednes-
| day night to set the house on fire. The
flames were easily extinsuished and no
damage was done. The fire department
was not even called out
The scurfie occurred about 10 o'clock
yesterday morning, and since that time
The city detectives and several patrol
men have been trying to trace the negro.
Blood hounds owned by Policeman Ell
| ledge were tried put they traced the ne
gro only a short distance.
The negro is not supposed to have be IN
connected in any way with the threats
against Mr.. Boyd, nor with the attempt
made Wednesday night to burn his house.
but 1t is believed he was only a sneak
thief
| Chain of Circumstances.
| The circumstances which preceded tho
| attack yesterday morning were exciting.
| Mr.. Boyd had received several anonymous
letters lat,iy threatening to burn his
| house If n did not leave that section OF
the city at once. Mr. Boyd gave the let
tiers to the police some time ago but thew
were unable to find out anything about
| their origin.
Wednesday night about 10 o'clock Mr..
Boyd discovered flames coming from I'M
der his house. He extinguished them and
found that they came from about ono
J half of a newspaper which had beea
thrust between the rafters Of the house
and set on fire with the evident intention
of burning the house. Mr.. Boyd tele-
phoned for the police. and Mounted Off
Ger Eagin responded. He stayed there
awhile and at midnight was relieved by
Policeman Stokes, who stayed until 6
o'clock yesterday morning. Nothing hap
pened during that time, and the police
supposed that no further attempt would
| be made.
Mrs. Boyd claims that at about 10
o'clock she heard some one come around
by the porch. She got a pistol from her
room, and as she stepped into the din
ing room saw very large negro man
standing there.
Ordered Hands Up.
She commanded him to throw up his
hands and sit in a chair. He obeyed, and
she backed to the telephone to call for
her husband With the pistol still point
ed at the negro she secured phone con-
nection and told her husband to hurry
home. Just as she finished talking the
negro sprang towards her and she fired
once at him. The bullet buried itself in
the door back of the negro.
She says the negro grappled with her
and easily overcame her. She claims he
struck her over the head with a pistol
which was lying near. and knocked her
unconscious. Then, In order to prevent
her from screaming for help and to al
low himself time to escape the negro
gagged her with towel and left her un-
| conscious on the floor. He ran out of the
house and has not been seen since.
Nelghbor Heard the Shot.
A woman from next door heard the
shot and ran into the house, where she
found Mrs. Boyd lying unconscious and
gagged on the floor. She revived her.
and In few minutes her husband ar
rived. Mr.. Boyd then notified the police,
/ D0f{o
ried to the scene on horses. They secured
the entire surrounding portion of the city
in an attempt to locate the negro. but
their efforts were Intellectual. Since that
time the detectives and several patrol
men have been working on the case.
At first it was supposed that the negro
had some connection with the letters
which had been written to Mr.. Boyd
threatening him, and with the attempt
to burn his house ON the previous night.
but yesterday afternoon Mr.. Boyd stated
that he did not believe the negro was
| anything more than a common thief who
had entered the house to grab what he
could and make his escape. He believes
that his wife's presence of mind and cour-
age disconnected the negro for several
minutes and that he obeyed her long
enough to collect himself and wait his
opportunity to make the attack and then
escape.
One of the peculiar features of the case
is that the negro left the pistol which he
took from Mrs. Boyd. The theory Oh the
police is that if the negro had gone to the
house with a premeditated intention OF