The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-06-03
DESPERADO KILLED
HOOK MIDLAND KILLED BY sHER-
 IFFsS POSSE.
Noted Dallns County Cur Robbtr Who Had For Months Defied Law ofil- cers Brought Down by
 Bullets.

Selma. June 2.-(Special. )--After defying the sheriff's office, the roi4ce force of the city and railroad detec- tives for over six months, HOOK MO land, negro despcrado, was killed by a sherifrs posse this afternoon ab"u- 4 o'clock near little house an the Burnsville road, two miles east or Selma.
 Mo1ands life has been a life of crime during the past six monshs, ana nearly every officer in the county nas tried to arrest him but he always managed to escape.
 The sheriff's office has several in- dictments against him, while the po- lice force had numerous warran's which they were unable to exe:ute. Repeatedly during this six months Moland has sent the officers word that when they came to arrest him that they had better come prepared as he would not be taken alive and that he would get some of them while they were killing him.
 About o'clock this afternoon, Saer- if Blackwell and seven or esght dcpu- ties left the city in search of the ne- gro and went to the place where he often stayed This was just across the creek little over two miles from the city.
 When the house was reached, Sheriff bi2CkWel ndStlly CllnDeu 1n hIiS porch and called for admittanca while the deputies scattered around the shanty, but they were not quick enough, and before the house was sur rounded, the negro got out the back entrance and began rapidly to run to- wards the woods
 Sheriff Blackwell called to him number of times to halt and finally seeing that the desperado would get hn fn r1a All of the deputies fired at him.
 One of the shots took effect in the negros side and he fell over dead Only last night near Burnsville. Moland robbed a freight car on the Southern Railway. and stole therefrom large quantity of merchandise. He disposed of the goods in some manner, and thinking that no attempt would be made to capture him today he went to the little house near the creek where he was sleeping when the sher- in's posse came up and was at the door before he got a chance to use some of the many arms which were found later
 For some time past, Moland has been living in the swamp east of the city, and although many attempts have been made to capture him he always eluded the officers by hiding in this swamp and coming out at night and robbing cars.
 4 few weeks ago near the place where he was killed today two rail road detectives ran upon him and Mo land opened fire upon them Several shots were exchanged be-ween the detectives and the negro, but none of them took effect.
 For some years past he has been the leader of a band of car robbers around Selma and they have stolen many thousand dollars worth Of goods from the railroads. Seven of the gang are at present in the county jail await. ing trial and with the death of Mo- land today 1t Is thought that he gang will be broken up for good.
 Some nights ago 1t is said that Mo land placed a number of cross ties across tracks of the Southern. a few miles north of here, 1t being thought that his intentions were to wreck one of the midn .,ht passenger trains and rob the pastsengers
 A freight train came along and mar rowly avoided being wrecked. In the house from which he escaped today there was found everything from the cheapest white canvass shoe to the richest of silks.