The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-08
NEGRO HIGHWAYMAN
 MEETS JUST FATE
TRIED TO HOLD UP NIGHT WATCH MAN HIGGINS AT BIRMINGHAM COMPRESS COMPANY AND IS SHOT DEAD.

It came to light yesterday morning that Watchman w. s. Higgins of the Birming- ham Compress company shot and killed a negro by the name of ]. P. Carmichael Saturday night about 10 o'clock It seems that the negro was attempting to hold up the watchman to rob him.
 The body of the negro was not found until Sunday morning, and Watehman Higgins did not know that he had hit the negro It seems that the negro had robbed the compress office and then started through the building. He discov- cred the night watchman. and ordered him to hold up his hands. Instead of doing this Watchman Higgins fired twice al the negro, who turned and ran. The negro did not get fifty feet before he fell and he was found dead the next morn ing.
 The negro had on a pair of watchman Higgins gloves when he was found. They had been stolen from the office of the company.
 Coroner Paris made an investigation and stated that the killing was justinable ------>----------------- -~------~-~~----~>-~-~-- accomplished only by people getting to- gether. and 1t Is better that many men should contribute a small amount toward this enterprise than that one man should do 1t all. If we all help to build 1t then we will all feel like it Is ours and that's the feeling we want"
 Mayor J. D. Burris.
 Mayor J. D. Burris of Woodlawn rep resented the suburban population in this matter and he was as enthusiastic about it as any of the others present He said that he came across Sand mountain along the old Huntsville ioad more than thirty years ago and he compared the ebaby Birmingham" of that day with the Magic City of today. He said there were men in the audience who had hunted rabbits and 'possums where the city stands today and that some of them were now worth hundreds of thousands of dollars that they had made since then.
 We have an opportunity to do some- thing that will rebound to our benefit in the building of this statue of Vulcan" he said. Tt is just such advertisements and such enterprise as this that are going to help make Birmingham the greatest city in all this whole southland"
 J. B. Babb.
 J. B. Babb was the last speaker and he made a stirring address in which he set forth the greatness of the Birmingham district In fervid terms
 "Cities are not made great by their re- sources and natural advantages alone" Ia important than these Is an industrious and unified citizenship. It is not the furn- aces and factories, not the coal and ore in It's mountains that have changed this | from 'possum hunting ground to the magic city of today but 1t is the cltizen- ship behind it.
 "The erection of this Vulcan at St. Louis will mean more to Birmingham than the building of another furnace. MT. Bowron says we do not manufac- ture locomotives here. I would like to have a locomotive of public sentiment manufactured right here tonight that will start out sixty miles an hour and whose speed will increase every minute until it has attracted the attention of the whole world.
 Alabama Will Be There. Next year the world will be on parade in St. Louis. Every nation will be there in her Sunday clothes. We are not q peo- pie to allow Alabama to stay out of the show She rightfully belongs there and we will see that she takes her place among the other nations and common wealths of the earth. a place to which she is entitled by heritage and by achieve ment."
 At the conclusion of MT. Babb's re- marks curtain was lowered and hand some stereopticon views of the world 8 fair buildings were shown on canvas Each view was explained by J. A. Me- Knight. who had charge of arranging for the moulding of the colossal statute of Vulcan and who made the trip to the ex- position grounds several weeks ago with the commercial club party.
 No attempt was made at the meeting last night to secure any subscriptions to the fund for an exhibit and the enter tainment was entirely without cost to those attending. The object in calling it was 10 create still greater interest in