The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-04-22
Killing Grew Out Of Trouble
Between The Two Men
Friday Morning
NEGRO PRISONER WAS
CAUSE OF DISAGREEMENT
Statements About the Shooting Dis
agree to Some Extent-Many
Eye-Witnesses to the
Affair.

Policeman William ]. Thomson was
shot and fatally wounded yesterday morn
ing at Gas o'clock by H. S. Robinson
street guard. The shooting occurred on
| Nineteenth street between Avenue c and
| Avenue d. at the entrance of the South
side prison.
The policeman died at the Hillman hos
| pital at 2:1S O'clock yesterday afternoon,
and Robinson is in the county Jail on a
warrant charging him with murder.
The shooting was the result of some
trouble that Thomson and Robinson had
Friday morning because the latter was
beating a negro prisoner over the head
with a pistol Thomson who was acting
as sanitary officer, under Street Com
missioner McCartin, protested against
Robinson striking the negro and words
ensued The matter was seemingly set
tied at the time. but a few minutes
later It came up again, and resulted In
Thomson pulling Robinson off wagon
throwing him to the ground and taking
his pistol from him.
/
newed According to Robinson's own
| statement he went to Thomson with the
intention of making him apologize for
what he had done Friday morning. He
approached the officer and told him;
Now, If you want to start that gun
play you were talking about you had
better get ready"
Statements Conflict.
Exactly what happened after that no
one seems to know definitely and state
ment conflict. However, some words en-
| sued and Robinson pulled his pistol and
! shot Thomson twice before the officer
could use his pistol The powder stains
on Thomson's face show at what close
range the shooting was done.
Two bullets were fred by Robinson
and. both took effect. One struck Thorn
sons right breast and severed one of the
large arteries leading away from the
heart, and The other entered the right
side of the abdomen and came out IN
the back of the right side. The former
bullet caused death.
AS soon as possible after the shoot
ing Thomson was taken to the Hillman
hospital where an operation was per-
formed. but it was regarded as almost
hopeless case and the physicians mad
little expectation of success. thomson
died at 21s o'clock after being in a
partially conscious condition for several
hours. No statement was obtained from
him. according to Chief of Police Wier,
Ii,
day.
Robinson Surrenders.
After shooting Thomson, Robinson re-
ouested one of the firemen at Engine
House No. p to call for Chief Wier and
I-say that he wished to surrender Police
man La Rue, who lived near. however,
placed Robinson under arrest and car
ried him to the city Jail He was later
removed to the county Jail.
The remains of Thomson will be car
rled to Tuscaloosa this morning at 1925
o. clock on the Alabama Great southern
train. and they will be accompanied by
six of the policemen, all of whom were
members of the same lodge of Red Men
Of which the dead officer was a member
chief Wier has requested all the patrol
men who are off duty this morning to
meet at the residence of the late officer
at 2426 Avenue and accompany the re-
mains to the train.
Several Eye-Witnesses.
A number of people were eye witnesses
to the shooting among them being Street
| Guards Caldwell, Abner P. Turney. War
rem Milton. C. e. Phillips, Buck Wetzel
and Love Ellis.
Wetzel stated yesterday afternoon that
| he was standing within a foot or two OF
| Robinson when the shooting occurred. lie
| said that he had just spoken to Robinson
| and asked him how he was, as the lat
| ter had been i'll.
1T did not hear what Robinson said
to Thomson or the reply of Thomson, for
am hard of hearing Wetzel said. But
| | do know that Robinson pulled his pis-
| toll first and shot. do not know anything
/ else about 1t, for ] got out of the way
| 1t was reported yesterday that Street
! Guard Phillips jumped between Thomson
and Robinson when he saw that they
| we're going to have trouble and that Rob-
inson shot over Phillips shoulder. Mr..
| Phillips denied this yesterday afternoon,
| and made the following statement:
Statements Made.
81 was coming out of the office of the
Jail with a prisoner 1 was working. l
stepped out of the door and walked be-
| tween the two men, but did not know
| that anything was wrong. l had not taken
but one step when the first shot was fired,
and so 1T barely missed me. But did not
step between the two. / was unconscious
of the trouble until the shot was fired
do not know who pulled the pistol first or
| what caused the shooting"
Street Guard Turney. who was formerly
night warden at the city jail, made the
! following statement:
II did not hear the words that passed
between the men. had been inside talk
+. ing 10 Thomson, who was friend or
! mine. and we walked out of the office.
| Some words arose and Robinson shot
| Thomson | did not see Thomsons pistol
! until afterwards when he was trying to
| -.-t. .s,,+ nf tho hands Of Love Ellis an