The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-11-14
SUP'T LANG WAS
 SHOT FROM AMBUSH
Two Theories as to the Trou-
 bIe at BIoCton
GUARD WAS ALSO SHOT
Three Union Miners Encroaehed on the Property of the Tennessee Company and Two of Them
 Were Captured.

W. S. Lang, superintendent of the Ten nessee Coal Iron and Railroad company at Blocton. who was shot from ambush Saturday night about 8 o'clock, was brought to Birmingham yesterday morn ing about o'clock. and Is at St. Vim cents hospital.
 Ills condition last night at 9:3O o'clock was by no means as encouraging as 1t was yesterday morning His fever had in a marked degree. The change is not thought to be alarming, however, and Dr. Cunningham Wilson, his physi- clan. expects him to be able to leave the hospital in a short time. At midnight Mir Lang was reported better
 Further details of the shooting were re- eelved in Birmingham yesterday, and they indicate an attempt to assassinate the su- perlntendent, who has been threatened several times recently.
 Trespassing Miners.
 It seems that Saturday afternoon three union miners managed to encrouch on the property of the Tennessee company. Deputy Sheriff John F. Colson started out to arrest one of the three men, and MT. Lang accompanied him. Two of the three men were arrested. but the other escaped by a different route from that by which he came on the property.
 After MT. Lang and the deputy had gone some distance from where they had hoped to catch the third man they la. I In MF- Lang's residence. It was at this time that the shot was fired. The supposition was that the third miner did the shooting
 As the three were passing the dump near the track the shot was fired, and MT. Lang exclaimed that he was wound ed. The two men with him supported him to the office of the company, and the res ident physician was sent for.
 No one was able to see from what di rection the shot came, but from the di- reotion the bullet took after striking, the superintendent Is supposed to have been shot from the top of the dump and down. ward at an angle of frem i5 to 60 degrees. It Is said that three men were seen to leave the dump shortly after the shoot ing, but this was not confirmed by the officials of the company.
 Two Theories.
 There are two theories in connection with the shooting. On account of preVi- ous troubles with the union miners, and tho fact that other attempts had beer made on his life, and that threats had been heard, supposed to be from unior men, many think that certain miners arc responsible for the shooting. It is ever intlmated that the trouble Saturday af- ternoon was caused so as to attract the attention of the guards and officials to a different point in preparation for an at tempt to kill MT. Lang.
 The other side of the question is con tained in q special to The Age-Herald from Blocton, which states that the trouble early Saturday afternoon was be- tween MT. Lang and some non-union miners, and that the non-union miners did the shooting.
 Sheriff of BibL County.
 The sheriff of Blbb county and extra deputies and guards were at the mines yesterday, and every effort will be made by the company to catch the men or man who did the shooting. Active steps will be taken today, when several of the officials of the company will have a conference in regard to the matter.
 The Age-H Herald correspondent in Bloc ton states that the affair Is greatly re- gretted by every one at Blocton, and that the striking miners sincerely re- gret it.
 Dr. Cunningham Wilson. who went to Blocton on the special train Saturday night to. attend MT. Lang, stated last night:
 "According to the best information secured at Blocton MT. Lang and two other men were walking down the rail road track, either going to one of th' mines or returning from one. The bul let entered the hip and ranged downward coming out several inches lower and il the front portion of the leg, indicating that the shot was fired from behihd an, also from above, at about an angle O forty-fve degrees. I do not think tha the wound will be serious
 MT. McCrery's Statement.
 Charles McCrery, vice president an general manager of the Tennessee com pany, said last night:
 According to the information I hay MT. Lang end one of the deputy sheriff went down to aid in capturing one o three union miners who had entered tn property of the company. Two of tn miners were captured and the third on escaped going in a different direction from that taken by the others. "The officer and MT. Lang were un | able to find the third man and had start | ed back when the shot was fired from | tall pile of refuse which is always to be | found around a mine. We do not know yet who did the shootlng but the mat ter will be thoroughly investigated.
 "The report that it was done by non- union miners seems to be rather out of nlaoe for MT. Lang Is on the very best of terms with all the men working in the mines now. and not a single disturbance had occurred until yesterday when these outsiders got into the place. Many of the non-unlon men came from Virginia where MT. Lang came from and they know him 1 and like him.
 eve are inclined to believe from what ... t,uo,,, tha shot was fired bv fhe