The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-11-23
WELL KNOWN CHARACTER
Believed to Have Been Killed
 by NegresS.
J. c. Humphries of Fillmore County And Alice Williams, Negress, Ar rested But Supposedly
 Guilty One Escapes.

killed about 10:30 o'clock last night in a grove about fifty yards off Goode street and about 300 yards south of the grounds where the Ringing Shows gave their performances.
 The shooting occurred while the circus was in progress and at time when the immense crowd was intent upon watching what was taking place under the tents. Brown received one shot which entered the left temple of his head and is supposed to have lodged in the brain. Death is thought to have been almost instantaneous.
 A veil of mystery surrounds the death of Brown. The first intimation that the police had of the shooting known young man. He was standing near the corner of Columbia avenue and Goode street when two negro wo- men and white man came rushing toward him. each eager to inform him of the shooting MT. Payne at once directed his informers to the circus grounds and went with them in the vicinity of the main entrance of the shows where Patrolman Fucker, who was stationed at that point. swas told of the shooting and the twS fwomen and the man were turned ovefSto the officer. Patrolman Fucker immediate Iy placed the three persons under ar rest and sought assistance from other patrolmen who were thtn on the in- terior of the tent. MT. Payne volun- teered to go inside the circus and se- cure additional patrolmen.
 The Woman Escaped.
 While Mir. Payne was gone. one of the negro women, supposed to have fired the fatal shot. made her escape. A negro man had come up and succeed ed in getting. .I her .snVsI,.v away without the
 Patrolmen Canty and Thorn came quickly from the tent and together with Patrolman Fucker they carried where charges of suspicion were dock eted against them. The woman, who gave her name as Alice Williams. Is or a gingercake color. while the white man is J. c. Humphries, well-known citizen of Fillmore County.
 On approaching Thomas Payne at Co., lumbia Avenue, the Williams woman at first said that it was Humphries who d10 the SnOOIlnB, put WHICH bdhCA tO police headquarters she contended that she did not know who fired the shot.
 Humphries told Mir Payne that he was with the Williams woman when he saw a flash and heard a shot from the point where Brown, the dead man. was conversing with the woman who made her escape. From this 1t was in ferred that Humphries. although he did not see the missing woman do the shooting. believes that she fired the fatal shot.
 The name of the missing woman is said to be Mary Perkins. The infor- nation comes through the woman who Is locked up that the women are cous- ins. They are from Tuscaloosa and are believed to be following the Ringing circus.
 At a late hour last night the police were securing the city in an effort to apprehend the escaped negress who Is described as being of a very bright yellow color. It was then thought that she would be found before morning.
 Just why the white men and the ne- greses were in the secluded spot at the time the alleged murder occurred is an unsolved problem. The theory is that Humphries and Brown were drinking and that they got into the company of the women. Still more mystery is add ed to the situation by the fact that no pistol has ever been found where, the SHOOlIuS OCCuiiCu UT Oli CtthCi NhO VI the persons arrested or on the dead man.
 Coroner Called to Scene.
 The lifeless body of Grover Brown lay cold on the ground until the remains were removed by Coroner Tice to his establishment at Il o'clock.
 Mir. Tice received his first knowledge of the shooting about 10:30 o'clock from some one who had just returned to the city from the circus. The Cor oner at once secured a team and drove to the spot where the murder was committed. He could hardly have found the place of the gruesome trag- edy If he had not been met on Goode Street, near the circus grounds. by sew eral patrolmen and a number of citi- zens. He inquired where the body was lying and was told that he would find 1t a difficult task to get the remains without assistance. Three of the pat rolmen volunteered 10 direct him to the grove and MT. Tice ordered his driver to proceed in a southward di- rection on Goode Street, accompanied by the officers who occasionally flashed their electric lanterns in the black darkness of the night. Columbia Ave- nue was passed as was also Hannon Street and there was still no sign from the officers that the place had been reached. A few hundred feet beyond Hannon Street, the undertaker's wag- on reached bridge to the fiBnL or lhO road which led into another road or street and here it was that the voices of the officers were heard directing the team to cross This road was traversed for a few paces when the order came for a halt and 1t was known that the spot of the tragedy had ct last been reached. The officers pressed the but ton on one of their electric lanterns and in flashing, brought to view the body of Grover Brown. The body was stretched out on the ground, face to the sky, under an oak tree. With the assistance of the officers, the body was lifted into the ambulance and was ta- ken to the Coroner's establishment on South Court Street.
 MT. Tice decided that he would not hold an investigation until 10 o'clock this morning in order to have ample time to secure witnesses.
 Circus Crowd Hears News.
 Soon after the circus performance was concluded last night, the large crowd learned of the tragedy, but only a few of them knew that a murder had been committed during the time they were interested in what was taking place In the tent. The news of the hor- rtble manner in which Grover Brown met his death sent a shudder through until long after midnight the shooting was the sole topic on the streets.
 Grover Brown was 21 years old. He was born and reared in Montgomery. He was the son of c. S. c. Brown or this city who. with his mother. sur wives him He is also survived by one sister, Mrs. J. B. Grant of Montgomery.
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