The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-04-11
WILL INVESTIGATE
BLOODWORTH CASE
Grand Jury in Decatur 10 Hear
the Evidence
WAS A DIAB0LICAL CRIME
Two Negroes Are Held In the Jeffer-
son County Jail Charged With
Murder of the Young
Woman.
WAS A DIAB0LICAL CRIME

Decatur, April 10.-(Special.) 1.-The spring
term of the circuit court will convene in
this city on next Monday April H. with
Judge ID. w. Speake presiding.
The grand jury will meet on Monday
morning and the most important case to
come before that body will be the inVes-
tigation of the alleged crime against the
negroes. Collier and Smith. who are now
confined in the Jefferson county jail
charged with having murdered and as
saulted Miss Belle Bloodworth, OF New
Decatur, ON the night of January q, OF
this year There is no doubt but what
the grand jury will return true bills
against these negroes. as the authorities
say they have sufficient evidence against
them to convict them.
The crime for which these two negroes
are held IS one of the most diabolical
deeds ever committed in the history of
the criminal records of the state of
Alabama.
Miss Belle Boodworth one of the most
refined and popular young ladies Of New
Decatur. carried her fathers supper to
him at his store on Second avenue, about
u-oO y tiOtNs us WIS iltl usual Nh'Apfi'
and then crossing over the street to T. d.
Willdnson's grocery store, telephoned her
mother that she was coming home at
once She then left going in the direction
of home, and was passed ON the sidewalk
within two blocks of her home by Mr.
Aylor. a Second avenue clerk. Mr.. Aylor
was the last person to see her alive. She
failed to arrive at home at the proper
time and her people becoming uneasy
about her. and a search was commenced
with the result that her dead and badly
mutilated body was found lying in the
alley back of Colonel Dick Adams res
dence about 10 p. M, where she had
been foully murdered, Her skull was
crushed in two places and a bloody stick
of stovewood lying near by told the
awful story. Her clothing was torn and
saturated with blood and mud and her
body had also been mutilated with "A
knife.
Search Made at Once.
A search was made at once for the
guilty party or parties and after weeks
of search and investigation, in which
some of the best known Pinkerton men
and other detectives in the south and
north took a hand it looked as If the
guilty parties would never be run down.
At last. her first cousin, Charles Helm
detective of Birmingham, took up the
case after all others had failed, and
caused the arrest of a negro named Col
lier who worked in the cotton seed oil
mill in New Decatur, and accused him
of the crime. Collier said he was innocent
of the crime, but that a negro named
Smith, who also worked at the oil mill
was the man who did it, as he (Smith)
had told him that he did it. Smith was
then arrested, but would not talk The
txsrn toll IN u ~
for fear of a MOI. They have been in
the Jefferson county jail ever since
The chances are that these negroes
will not be brought back here when
the grand jury meets but will be brought
here for trial If the grand jury indicts
them. and there is no question but they
will be indicted Their trial will take
place about the first of May in the event
they are indicted for the crime. The evil
dence against them so far as the public
knows is about this:
Bloody Overals Found.
A bloody pair of overalls were found
in a sink hole near the scene of the
crime. In one of the overall pockets was
found a note book with Golfers name
written in it. Collier acknowledged that
the note book was his. that the overalls
had been worn by him on the day of
the murder and that he had discarded
them that evening because they were
worn out. He denied the crime but laid
1t on Smith Smith would not talk. Col
lier was verw nervous and excited when
he was arrested. & is said that there
Is other and stronger evidence than this
in the possession of the officers and that
additional evidence has been secured since
the arrest of the negroes.
While the people here are determined
on revenge yet they are cool in the mat
ter and there is no danger of the negroes
being lynched. at this time if they are
brought here for trial The people gen
orally are willing to let the law take
it's course. as they believe that speedy
justice will be had.
Another case of interest to come before
the court is that OF a young white man,
charged with highway robbery Several