The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-04-19
MAN WHO KILLED
 M'lONALD DIES Alexander R. Lawson Passed Away al the Hospital GANGRENE CAUSES DEATH In Last Weeks Tragedy Mcdonald Shot Lawson In Thlgh--Was Not
 Thought Wound Would
 Prove Fatal.

Alexander R. Lawson, the Alabama Great Southern engineer who shot ana killed D. P. Mcdonald Monday evening of last week, in the rear of the Stag sa- loon, on Third avenue and Twentieth street died yesterday afternoon at 2:2O o'clock at Copeland x Berry's hospital.
 Death was the result of the wound h. hicted by Mcdonald in the fight. The bullet which was a A calibre, struck Lawson in the right thigh and Drs. Copeland and Shropshire had to remove five inches of the bone which had been shattered by the bullet. It was not thought that Lawson was in dangerous condition until gangrene set in.
 I,awson's funeral will take place to- morrow but the arrangements had not been completed last night.
 The Tragedy.
 II will be remembered that Mcdonald and Lawson had a quarrel over 50 cents. It seems that they were together in the Stag saloon taking a drink on election day. Lawson and a friend walked out of the rear door, where Mcdonald was standing. As they passed, Lawson re- marked that he had been short changed' 50 cents in the bar, and Mcdonald took 1t up, saying that any one who claimed they were short changed in the Stag was "a liar" Hot words followed. Me- Donald and Lawson went to the center of third avenue, where Mcdonald reached for his pistol and threatened to shoot Lawson, who threw up his hands and said he was not armed.
 Mcdonald said that he would not hurt him if he was not armed, and told him to go down the street and get away, or he would kill him. Lawson and his friend walked down the street, but Lawson told Mcdonald he would be back when he got a pistol.
 Lawson went to Wald's pawn shop and pawned his watch to get pistol. He re- turned to the Stag saloon about half an hour afterwards and found Mcdonald standing in the little alleyway which leads to the rear door of the saloon. The eV- dence was that he walked up and com menced shooting at Mcdonald, who pulled his pistol and also commenced shooting. Lawson fired several times and struck Mcdonald twice. One bullet entered over
 
 other struck on the top of the left shoul- der and ranged downwards. Mcdonald died in two or three minutes. f No official statement was ever obtained from Lawson, as 1t was generally thought that he would live. Coroner Paris made an investigation of McDon- aids death and rendered a verdict that he was unlawfully killed He delivered the evidence from about twenty-five wit nesses over to the grand jury. On last Tuesday Lawson made state ment, 1t Is said, to several of his friends at Copeland x Berrys, in which he de- clared that Mcdonald shot him before he shot at all. He said that the trouble came up about 50 cents short change in the bar. and that Mcdonald backed him out in the street and made him throw up his hands. He then went and procured a pistol and returned. When he saw Me- Donald, the latter pulled his pistol and shot him in the leg. He fell to the ground and then emptied his pistol at McDor- ald
 The funeral of Mcdonald last Wednes- day was one of the largest ever held in Birmingham. He was a brother of ex- Chief of Police Tom Mcdonald, and also related to many people in the city
 Lawson was a very popular man and was highly esteemed by the Locomotive Brotherhood He had been running loco motive out of Birmingham for a num- Der of years. At one time when McDon- aid was a fireman, he fired the engine which Lawson ran. The two had always been considered friends.