The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-07-17
DTAF-MUTE KILLED
NEGRO IS TAKEN TOR
 A BURGLAR.
Alfred ssmmons shot to Death m starrss A1ley by Fred FaIkneryn Nerro Bnrber, Who fs
 fu Jai1


 Because he was deaf and dumb. Al fred simmons lost hts fife at f:so o'clock yesterday morning. being shot to death as a supposed burglar py Fred Falkner. negro. near thS inter. section of Jefferson Davis Avenue anu Oak Street.
 Faikner was arrested at o'clock yesterday morning by Patroimen ray Tor anl Partin on a charge of muraer; and was transferred to the county Jaii a few hours later where warrant, sc- cusin9 him of murder, was sworn out The circumstances surroundins the killing of simmons were most unuSual. and, if the slain negro shot had not been a mute, in all probability, he would be alive today. simmons. una bie to talk or hear, Is known in Mont gomery as Dummy and. at the time of his death was employed as laborer by the Atlantic Coast Line. He was regarded by his employers as faithful and hard working, and tney .nougn1 well of him. He was about 35 wears old and resided with his mother on Davis street. a.short distance from the scene of the killing.
 Mary williams, a negress, In front of whose door in Starr's alley. the shoot ing occurred, was the only eye wit ness and, from her statement the facts aDQE8Ts tO sDt ltkt tHtss OHoFtiy 0ttCi 1 o'clock yesterday morning. the Wil- Hams woman had retired and Falkner was seated in her room writing a let ter Some one knocked at the door of an adjoining room occupied by a negroes known as "Callie." A few minutes elapsed when a knock was heard at the front door Of the room oc- cupied by the woman and Falkner. Falkner called and asked who was there. No reply was received. Again the knock was heard. Falkner again inquired who 1t was and what was wanted. Still there was no reply. and the Williams woman. becoming fright ened. said to Falkner that she thought 1t was someone trying to get into the house. The third knock was heard and Fa1kner then warned the outsider to answer or else he would shoot. Re- ceiving no reply. Falkner opened the front door and, as he did so, he began firing into the figure that stood before him. hree shots from a 3s-calibre revolver were discharged and entered the left side Of Dummy" one of them taking effect near the heart and causing dath.
 As soon as Falkner realized what he had done. he fed. In the meantime the Williams woman reached the door and found that the mute had crawled under the house She succeeded in pulling him from there. but q few seconds after she got him out he was dead.
 The police were notified of the kill ing at AIS o'clock by Eugene Heii- perm, who conducts a store near the scene. Owing to defective telephone service, 1t took Mir. ffeilpern an hour to communicate with the department. Police Captain Miles Smith and several patrolmen hastened to the house, flnd- ing that the slayer had fled. When questioned the Williams woman at first said she knew nothing of the killing but when threatened with arr rest she informed the police of the tragedy and gave the name of the slayer.
 Patro1men Lon Taylor and Joe Par tin were at the residence of Falkner. 22 Brassell street, when he reached his house about o'clock They immedi- ately placed him under arrest When taken to the station. Falkner declined to give statement and asked for law yers
 Falkner is about 2s years old. He Is a negro barber employed at the shrp fin the union railway station. He came to Montgomery from Pfattville.
 George W. Bolger. Deputy Coroner, N-as called to the place of the ehootinE but found no extensive investigation necessary. His verdict was that Sim mons was killed with pistol in the