The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-25
W. R. Griffath Was Talking to Lady Oyer the Phone and
 Ayers Objected
LITTLE BOY KILLED WHILE
 PLAYING WITH BIG PISTOL
Mother Was Trying To Get It from Him When Weapon Was Acci- dentaIly Dischareed-Ne-
 gro Shot in Back.

Bessemer. November A-(Special)- John Ayers, the proprietor of the Glen Springs dairy, about one and one-half miles from this city, was shot and in stantly Killed this evening about S:SO o'clock at his home by w. R. Griffeth, a young man who was employed by him in the dairy business. After the shooting Griffith came up to the city and gave himself up to officer Bob Carlton, of the city police force.
 He was taken to the city jail and when interviewed stated that he felt that he was Justifable in doing just what he did, and he did not object to telling how 1t happened.
 He stated that he was talking over the phone about s o'clock to a young lady, and had been there for several minutes Ayers, who was in the room that they both occupy, walked out and told him to put up the'phone at once. He dld not reply 10 the remarks of Ayers. and with out warning Ayers hit him several times in the face and walked back in the room.
 The young lady to whom he was talking heard the racket and asked him what the trouble was. lie lOlu itl littt ii' N'NiN call her up tomorrow evening and tell her about it. He then walked back in the room, and Ayers remarked to him that the phone was not to be used after o'clock in the evening, and that he would not allow it in future. Griffeth states that he then told him that 1t was useless Tor him (Ayers) to make any kind of remark like that, as he was going to quit and there would be no more to it.
 Ayers then made the remark that 1t looked as If Griffeth was trying to run the house. Grffeth says that he told him he was not trying to run the house and did not care anything about it. He states that Ayers then cursed him and got up out of the bed and started after him. lie (Griffeth) was just beginning to undress and had his top shirt half over his head when Ayers came after him. Ayers struck him and knocked him down on the bed and when he fell he glabbed one of the pistols that Ayers had on the bed He states that there were three pistols on the bed. When he fell on the bed he had his back to Ayers. He fired on him and then Ayers came around the bed and l grabbed the pistol that he had and al tempted to grab one that was on the bed. l Griffeth reached the other pistol first and shot Ayers before he could use the pistol 1 that he had taken away rom nm. He says that he does not remember how many times he shot him, but from what he says he must have shot him five or six times. He states that Ayers then fell to the floor and only uttered the words 70 Lordy." Griffeth did not wait to see whether his victim was dead or not, but rushed out of the house and came up to the city. When he got here he gave him. self up.
 At the time of the shooting there were four people in the house, Ayers mother, his sister and Griffeth.
 Ayers died almost instantly. Grifeth states that the fuss of this evening was not the first one that he and the dead man had had. He states that they had some trouble some time ago, when the dead man jumped on him and beat him while he was in the act of milking.
 The young man was very much wrought up over the shooting, but he says that he did 1t to save himself.
 Ayers is well known in the city, where i.e has conducted a dairy for some time. Young Griffeth has been working for him some time. He is 9 years old clean shaven and has a very good appearance. He is the brother of a Methodist min ister, and several of his family are in the ministry. His father lives in Colum- bus, Miss
 The coroner was telephoned for and an inquest will be ordered held. The shooting created a great deal of excite ment in the city, as Ayers was known to most of the citizens. Grifeth was taken to Birmingham the Il o'clock car, in charge of Deputy Sheriffs Smith son and Jones.