The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-04-28

a small rail fence. 1t was against this
lection that benson was standing when
he fired the first three times, Leather
wood was largely protected by the brick
building
The shack faces the street and is about
three feet back from the pavement 1t
runs back about IL or IS feet and is about
IL feet wide The distance between Den
son and Leatherwood was not more than
20 feet during the duel, and witnesses
state that they were even closer when
the first shot was fired, at which time
both We're standing on the pavement.
Accounts of Shooting.
w. +. Carter, deputy constable in beat
No. 81 made this statement:
II was walking north on Twentieth
street little after o'clock when /
heard pistol shots a half block ahead OF
me. L FASTENED to the point where the
firing was going on. There 1 met Mr..
benson going south. He pointed to a man
going north on Twentieth street and said:
That man tried to assassinate me. |
was walking UP the street, oblivious of
danger, when suddenly that man came
fire at me with pistol. He fired three
shots before l could get my pistol out.
The first shot hit me in the neck
Mr.. Denson," continued Carter, was
very cool. Together we started back up
Twentieth street to overtake Mr.. Leath-
erwood. We walked fast. and SO did Mr..
Leatherwood. Policeman Richardson
came down Twentieth street, met Mr..
Leatherwood and placed him under arrest.
had already arrested Mr.. benson. When
we came up to where Policeman Richard
son and Mr.. Leatherwood were, Mr.. Dem
son and Mr.. Leatherwood looked at one
another but neither spoke. AS we turned
away, Mr.. benson said to me:
Asked for Ambulance.
I'm wounded; get me an ambulance
81 took him into the freight office of
the Louisville and Nashville railroad,
called for Gaudin's ambulance and rode
with him to the Hillman hospital. His
brother came there and requested me to
go down and swear out a warrant against
Mr.. Leatherwood, and at the brothers re-
quest I did so. 1 did not swear out a
warrant against Mr.. benson because he
was in the hospital.
&C. C. Caswell, negro who saw the
shooting. told me that the big man fired
three shots before the little man could
get his gun out
Flagman Brady, on the railroad cross
ing, made this statement: II saw the
two men when they met The taller man
OF the two going southwark began shoot
ing first. He fired three shots, It seemed
to me, before the man going northward
began shooting. There were about ten
shots fired saw Leatherwood withdraw
toward the north end of the building and
he seemed to be reloading his revolver"
C. c. CaswelI, a negro drayman for
Crane & Co., states that he was with his
team right in front of the old Moore &
Handley building when the two men were
within fifteen feet OF him.
1.-THE man going toward the southside
pulled his pistol first and began firing
Then the other man got out his pistol and
began shooting l felt singing on the
side of my head and became excited.
tried to run out of the way. but was just
simply afraid to move. almost. The man
going southwark fired first
Cause Of the Difficulty.
The shooting is the third chapter in a
quarrel begun between the two men some
months ago. Charges, 1t is understood
had been preferred by each against the
other before the state bar association. Re
sentiment followed these charges. and at a
meeting between the two last summer
Leatherwood was struck over the head
with an instrument said to have been q
piece of lead pipe and was badly wounded
by benson. Leatherwood recovered from
the wound, but his friends say he still
suffers from the effects of the blow.
Leatherwood made bond later yesterday
afternoon and was released from the
county Jail. 1t was signed by George
Huddleston, Mrs. A. r. Leatherwooc and