The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-06-27
MURDER COMMITTED
OVER CIGARETTE
Mack Grattan, a Negro, VIII
Give Himself Up
JUMPS THROUGH WINDOW
Negro Charged With Robbine Railroad
Car Plunges from Fast Moving
Train and Makes His
Escape.
JUMPS THROUGH WINDOW

oelild' June zO.-NSpeclal. )-Intormatlon
reached the city this morning of a kill
ing that occurred about $50 o'clock last
night on the Vassar place near Clematis
this county Horace Peterson, a negro
was the victim of the fatal shot fired
by Mack Grattan, another negro. 1t
seems that Grattan, who had been down
the Louisville & Nashville railroad spend
ing the day and had just returned on
the night train, pulled a cigarette paper
out of his pocket and scraping up some
tobacco, made a cigarette. Peterson-asked
Grattan for paper and tobacco to make
a cigarette and was told that he had
only but that as soon as he smoked a few
times on the cigarette he had just made
he would give it to him.
As Grattan lit the cigarette Peterson
grabbed 1t out of his mouth and after
taking two or three draws deliberately
crushed it against a wagon tire nearby.
This angered Grattan and he remon-
strated with Peterson. who struck Graf
tan knocking him down and then picked
up piece of scantling and threatened
to brain him with 1t. Grattan retreated
for a short distance, Peterson following
him, aLd then Grattan pulled a pistol
and fired, the ball speeding true to his
mark Peterson dropped dead in his
tracks and Grattan ran off, but it is
stated will give himself up tonight.
House Burned.
On the Buck place near Clematis sun
day morning about o'clock Ben Walden
and his wife, negroes, had a narrow es-
cape from being burned to death. The
negroes were awakened to find the house
burning down over their heads. They
managed to get out, but were unable
to save a solitary piece of property or
clothing How the fire originated is not
known.
Dropped Dead.
Sunday morning while the inquest was
being held over the body of William
Bush found dead along the track of
the Southern railway, Wilkes LeCroix
who lived in a house near where the cor
oner's jury was examining witnesses sud
denly fell over and died In a short while.
Mr. LeCroix had not been well for some
time but had dressed himself and was
able to walk about the house Sunday
His death resulted from a stroke OF
apoplexy.
Jumped Through Window.
Saturday morning at Stanton, on the
Southern railway, negro was captured
that had broken open and robbed box
car. Yesterday morning when the South
ern's passenger train from Birmingham
passed Stanton the negro was turned
over to Conductor Farmer Seals to be
brought to Selma and the latter locked
him in the water closet of the second
class car Near huntsville Mr. Seals
started to open the door of the closet
to see about his prisoner and was greet
ed by a clash of glass and saw the form
of the man disappearing through the win.
dow, the train moving along about
twenty-five miles an hour. search
was instituted for the fellow but he
seemed to have made good his escape.
Local and Personal.
J. w. Johnson and Chambiss Keith
will leave tomorrow for Perido to spend
about ten days.
Miss Bessie Strudwick, a very charm
ing woman of Demopolis, is the guest OF
Miss Mary Gait.
Rev. A. L. Andrews leaves tomorrow
for Ashevllle. n. c., to attend the meet
ing of the Kappa Alpha fraternity, OF
which he is an enthusiastic member, Mrs
Andrews and children will leave at the
same time for Tuscaloosa to visit her
sister, Mrs. W. w. Brandon.