The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-03-22
TRAGIC END
 OF HOWELL Killed by Members of HIS
 Own Posse. A CALAMIT0US ACCIDENT Mistaken for Negro Ptomie,
 the Fugitive. slayers of Pspular Citise., Al.asst nss. tr.cted, In siIence Bear His nsxy <; Home--searcA Temperaraly
 Abandoned.
\ CALAMIT0Us ACCIDENT
BY WILL HAMnror.


 Advertiser Bureau,
 Selma, March 21. second and greater calamity haa befallen the vicinity of Pine Apple and Schuster.
 Late last night members of the posssI which mas for more than one woe1d been on the trail of Will Ptomie, the} negro would be murderer of Profassor| Claud Hardy of Pine Apple, by min-1 take shot Robert Rowell. promfncnt| planter of Schuster. and member ofI their own party. killing him fnstantly~i tragedy occurred near McWiniamG1 when the posse had finally located thel negro fugitive. Approaching tho3 posse in the dark and falling to an-{ swer their summons to halt. Rcwell{ was mistaken for Ptomie and shotl down by George Kyser and Geor1o1 Brantiey. both prominent young menl of McWilliams.
 The posse gave up its weellougi chase of Ptomie and turned to their3 fallen comrade. Today e mantle o6 gloom has hung over that entire sec-} ton of Alabama. The young men ara} nearly distracted over their grave er-j TOT. The, excitement of the man huntl has died. The whole community Isl mourning the loss of one of theiri most valuable citizens. The citizens of Mcwilliamsl and Pina Apple who formed the posse were{ close behind the negro, who with hiaI lessor Hardy at Pine Apple one week ago. They were sure that they had him located, He was located by none other than Robert Rowell and 1t is said that Powell told the posse that one or two other negroes were with Ptomie.
 Blade Crowd Good Niwht.
 "Tll leave 1t with you boys" he is said to have told the posse. They are in that strip of woods. go in and cap- ture them" and he pointed his fin- ger in the direction of the swamp in. Tin going home now" said Row ell as he turned from them. II hays done all I can and won't return Good night" V But Roweli returned late in the night. Tho posse heard rustic in the bushes near them. They saw q dark figure approaching.
 Halt! Halt! Halt!'
 They gave the command three times.
 There was no answer.
 Tn the dead of the night emanated from cluster of bushes the reports or guns and like Stonewan Jackson, Rob- ert Powell had received his death wound from the men who supposed him to be their enemy
 The posse soon learned their mis- take. They thought no more of the desperado who just a few days ago shot and seriously wounded the citt- zen of Pine Apple. Silently and sadly they took up the body of Robert Row ell and carried 1t to Schuster. Roweifz home was near there.
 It is not known whether the two, members of the posse who are said to have admitted that they fired thel aFrRlt0n. aE0@ too we'll known to be condemned byt the community in which they and thei many they accidentally killed stoodi high. 1t is not known where the funeral arrangements have been made.
 Selma did not get the news todayS It was first conveyed in a private mes-d saRt to the news bureau of The Mont-4 gomery Advertiser. Inquiries by the correspondent throughout the day and tonight verified the information given to the correspondent by J. H. Hoh'dyd telegraph operator at Pine Apple.
 Are Almost Distracted.
 Further information came from ,vart~ ous sources. One telegram today cons firmine the first report said: The members of the posse that killed Row. ell are this morning driven nearly to4 distraction over their mistakes which, resulted in the death of one of theiE members"
 The posse, 1t Is believed. has onlyA temporarily disbanded and will proD- ably renew the hunt tomorrow morn- ing. It is reported that the huntersi have positive information which came from Robert Powell that both Wiik Petomie and Ed Petomie are still in that immediate vicinity. Indications point to their capture which Is ex-1 pected tomorrow.
 A late report says that the posse had not been heard from this afternoon and if Is believed that scouts have been left in the woods that RoweN pointed out, to be joined in the morning by the full party. |
 The report that reached Selma last night to the effect that VIII Petomie had been captured and soon afterwards died in the Camden jail seems to have been incorrect. 4 telegram to The Ad- vertiser bureau from Camden tonight says: Tt Is not known here where the negro is and any news is now regard- ed as uncertain"
 The condition of Professor Hardy tonight is the same. He was joined tonight by his wife. who came up from Pine Apple. Late tonight Mrs Hardy told The Advertiser that no arrests had been made. Mrs. Hardy VIII re- turn to Pine Apple tomorrow