The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-03-04
NEGRO ON CAR IS
SHOT BY COURSON
Deputy Has Desperate Fight
With Passenger
SHOOTS IN SELF DEFENCE
The Negro Is Shot Twice In the Aldo
men While On Top of the Deputy
and Falls From the
Car.
SHOOTS IN SELF DEFENCE

Deputy Sheriff George W. Courson last
night shot and perhaps fatally wounded
Charley Holmes, a negro, on an East
Lake car near Mary Pratts station, about
11:3O O'Clock. The negro fell out of the
open door of the car onto the ground, and
was not found by the deputy sheriff wher
he went back to look for him. Later the
negro was brought to st. Vincent's hos
pital by relatives.
II shot the negro twice." said Deputy
Sheriff Courson, land both bullets enter
ed the abdomen. l am of the opinion that
the negro is dead or will die from the
wounds, because of the conditions sur
rounding the shooting. The negro was on
top of me- and l was lying on the floor
of the car when 1 shot him. The con-
ductor of the ear pulled the negro off me-
and he staggered and fell backward out
of the car to the ground"
Occurring as it did. late in the night,
and several miles from the city, It was
not until after l o'clock this morning that
news of the shooting was received in Biz
mingham. Deputy Sheriff Courson lives
at East Lake, but had not gone home IN
til two hours or more after the shooting,
being engaged in searching for the negro.
Passengers on the car. which was crowd
ed with persons going home from the
theatre and other places in Birmingham,
circulated the first reports of the shoot
ing.
Agree as to Facts.
All the stories agree as to facts. Depu-
ty Sheriff Courson was on the 'front.' plat-
form of the car near the motorman Inc
car was crowded, in both sections. There
nf that section,
many being compelled to stand up. After
leaving Birmingham, Charley Holmes,
black of face and burly of form, and who
was partly under the influence OF Aquor'
began cursing and abusing the other pas
sengerS.
Courson told him to stop. Holmes asked
what right Courson had to interfere. lie
was told that Courson had enough right
to tell him to stop. Holmes then called
Courson a liar, using an epithet, and
struck Courson in the face, knocking him
down. Before Courson could regain his
feet the negro jumped upon him and
heat him severely about the head.
Courson called for help, but nobody re-
sponded and as soon as he could draw
his pistol, which was under him, Cour-
son placed it against the negroes abdo-
men and fred twice. At that time the
conductor pulled the negro off Courson'
and as he regained his feet Holmes stag
gered and fell off the car
Covered With Blood.
Il have nothing to say about the mat
ter that could not be said by many pas
sengers on the car" said Courson early
this morning. Il told the negro to stop
cursing, he called me a liar and Knocked
me down and he was beating me about
the head and face when l shot him.
Il was literally covered with his blood
my clothing being ruined. Just as soon
as [ could regain my feet l stopped the
car and went back to find the negro or
his body, but was unable to locate either.
| met a negro who told me he had seen
Holmes. He said he had gone into the
woods near the Woodlawn cotton mills,
that the man had been shot and was
bleeding profusely, and he expected him
to die
Passengers on the car who reside in
East Lake and who saw all or a part
of the affair, were as unit in saying
that Courson acted in self-defense in
killing the negro.
The shooting created much excitement
ON the car, particularly among the wo-
men and children in the white section,
of which there were a great many re-
turning home from the performance at
the Jefferson theatre.
Holmes was brought to st. Vincent s
hospital shortly before o'clock by rela-
tives. Nothing was told about the shoot
ing except that 1t had occurred on a
car The negroes wounds We're said to
be of a fatal character. and 1t was stated
by the physicians who operated upon
him that while he might live two or three
days. the injuries would eventually cause
his death.