The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-07-17
THE NEWS OF SELMA
JUSTICE of PEACE WOODS SHOT BIZ
A NEGRO,
Rumor Had 1t That He was DANGER
ousIy Wounded. But His Injuries
Are Trivial-The negro
surrenders.
Advertiser Bureau,
eima, July is.

The sensation OF the DAY In selma
was the. QUICKLY spread report that T.
r. Woods, a well Known young man
ana Justice of the peace of valley
creek precinct, had been shot by
negro. and was at that moment en-
route to the CITY, dangerously WOUNDED.
In few minutes after the report
reached the city some thirty citizens,
Including Sheriff Blackwell, Chief OF
Police walters, deputies and police Of
ficers, were en- route to the scene OF
the shooting which had occurred on
the Huntsville road, about mile and
a half from the city.
Arriving at the place where Justice
Woods has his Office, they found him
walking about the place, a physician
having Just examined him and remov-
ed a single bird shot that had entered
his shoulder
William Mealy was the name OF the
negro who did the shooting and the
story is told as follows by Mr.. Woods:
II was in my Office this morning
when my constable, Albert Suttle, came
in and asked for & warrant for two ne
gro women, Ida Mealy and another wo-
man by the name of Mat, whom he had
heard cursing, and about which COM
plant had been made. ] gave him the
warrant. but when he went to serve
Il the women vowed they were not
coming to court. Having cautioned
Mr.. Suttles to always. use care in serv-
Ing warrants, he came back to me and
reported what the women had said. and
I went to deputize some one else to as
sist him. When returned / found my
constable and William Mealy, husband
Of Ida Mealy, engaged in a, warfare OF
words and Suttles had his pistol out. /
called to him that there was no use of
killing anybody and then made Mealy
leave the place.
Some time after he went away, l
saw vinie Brantley riding by the door
and heard her say Let me hurry; i
don't want to see them kill Mr.. Woods
i called to Suttles and went to the door
and looking up the road saw about
forty negroes who were in the cotton
patch and just then I saw William
Mealy rise among the cotton and aim
his gun towards me. threw my
hands to my eyes to keep the shot
from destroying my sight, and before
could step back, felt the sting of shot
ali over my breast. 1 didn't know how
badly / was shot and called to Suttles
to shoot. AS turned to go back in the
ONCE the second shot peppered me in
the back. Without stopping 1 went to
the telephone, and called up the sheriff,
thinking I was shot badly. I found af-
forwards that only one shot had pene-
trated my clothing and that had gone
In my shoulder. / do not think the ne
gro was shooting at me. but at Mr..
Suttles, but l was standing on the
platform of the office and the load
struck me-"
While the heavily armed posse was
looking for clews to the whereabouts
of the negro who had done the shoot
Ing he had left his gun at his home
and quickly walked to the sheriff's Of
fee in the Court House. Not finding
that official there he was escorted by
the negro janitor to the jail when he
said he wanted to be locked up. The
negro states that Constable Suttles
cursed him and that he went off for
his gun and returning fired as soon az
he saw him. He declares he did not
shoot at Mr. Woods.