The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-11-20
.F|REMEN CALLED
 TO RESCUE MAN w. C. Smith Found in a Blind
 Alley MYSTERY SURROUNDS CASE Man Claims That He Was Thrown From a Window In a Booming
 House-Wss imprisoned
 About Nine Hours.
MYSTERY SURROUNDS CASE

The fire department was summoned at 8 o'clock yesterday morning to rescue William c. Smith, miner at woodward from a blind alley, or court, between buildings fronting on Twentieth street and structures facing First avenue. There Is considerable mystery as to how Smith managed to find himself between four brick walls, with hardly enough room to move about.
 He claims he was thrown out Of the second-story window of rooming house. His hat and a number of papers were found on the second floor of an office building on First avenue, and the police are inclined to believe the man wandered up the steps and accldently fell out Of a rear window When taken to the Hill- man hospital Smith reiterated his story of being thrown out of a room of board ing house. He told the nurse he made a mistake and entered the room of anoth- CT man. who dealt with him in violent manner.
 Walled in for Hours.
 The walls held him a prisoner for nine hours There Is only one rooming house with windows leading to the court, and the proprietor said Smith engaged no room there Saturday night. The entrance to this house is at 1lNa Twentieth street. The building in which Smiths hat and number of letters were found, fronting on First avenue, is used exclusively as an office building. No one recalls having seen such man in the building, but the police say it was very easy matter for Smith to go up the steps, at Il o'clock Saturday night, without any one seeing him.
 The hat and letters indicate, according to the police, that Smith was in the off, flee building instead of the>rooming house, and If he was thrown out of window they believe he was induced to go up the steps by an outside man. Papers on the floor are the only indication, they say. that any one was with him, and they are in- clined to believe Smith took the papers out of his own pocket
 Heard Groans.
 One man has been found who heard grpdnS I1ufn l U tioth StS'Ni'es| until after daylight This man is Edward Hosklns of Piper, Ala, who had room in the house leading from Twentieth street. MT. Hoskins did not get up to make an Investigation believing some one was i'll in the room adjoining him. When he arose yesterday morning he looked out of the window and discovered Smith .4.a,aboa ont an tba upcovered space of ground shut in by the walls of surround ing buildings. By the time Mr. Hoskins notified others In the rooming house, the cries of the man had been heard by Po- liceman yeitch, who made an investiga- ton.
 After a number of plans to rescue the man from the enclosure, 1t was decided to call on the fire department for lad der When number of firemen from the central station reached the scene 1t was discovered that Smith was so badly bruis- ed he could not get up. Entranee to the old Postal telegraph building was gained and in a short while the firemen reached the man. An ambulance was called and Lige Loy responded with vehicle as soon as possible.
 At the hospital an examination showed that Smith had been bruised all over the body. His shoulder had the appearance of being dislocated, and his left arm was badly sprained.
 Smith says he was knocked out of the window at Il o'clock Saturday night and 1t was clock yesterday morning before he was rescued