The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-06-10
HOUSTON MURDERED AT RAILROAD CAMP Shot in Neck and Instantly
 Killed By Negro DIFFICULTY OVER DICE The Men Had Been Drinking Heav- iIy-BIoodhounds Track the Negro
 to Bessemer, But Lose Trail.
OVER DICE

Another deliberate murder was the out come of Sunday liquor. There was a row over crap game, about F o'clock at McDonald's camp, near Hardwood, just below oxmoor. and about twelve miles south of Birmingham on the Louisville ana Nashville railroad, in which John Holston of Chattanooga, a white man, was shot and instantly killed by a negro, with whom he was gamblingI The name of the slayer could not be ascertained last night.
 Holston, with a companion, went to Parkwood yesterday morning and accord ing to statement of the companion. both had been drinking heavily. The Atlanta, Birmingham and Atlantic rail- road is laying a double track at Me- Donald's camp, and a large number of negro workmen are employed there. They all had their pistols out practicing tar get shooting. The foreman of the camp put a stop to the shooting, warning the men that they were liable to arrest for discharging their weapons on Sunday. some Of the men were seen to go off into the woods, and a short time afterwards Holstcn was dying. with a bullet hole through his neck. He was dead when assistance came. The negro escaped after being tracked into Bessemer by deputies. who arrived few hours later
 Holston and another white man. it seems, were having a quiet game, rolling dice with the negro, when a row started over a small amount of money involved in the shot. After hot words had passed between the two men, the negro whipped out his pistol and sent a bullet through Holstons neck.
 The shooting was reported to the sher- frs office and Deputies Parker and Tum- Tn were sent with hounds to the scene. They reached McDonald's camp shortly before o'clock and found large crowd assembled. There was apparently much feeling over the murder, and when the deputies set off with the dogs on the trail about 100 men followed. {,
 Ahe day was extremely warm, and the deputies having no horses naturally made slow progress. L--e trail was about six hours old, and the road being very dry and dusty rendered the work of the dogs difficult. The trail left by the fuei- tive showed plainly that he was badly intoxicated, as it wound about in various directions. After going about five miles he struck the public road leading to Bessemer. From this point on until the trail was lost among the numerous tracks around Bessemer, the footprints of the fleeing negro were plainly discrenable in the dust
 The distance from McDonald's camp to BesseEler is about fifteen miles. Deputies Parker and Tumlin took up the trail at about o'clock and followed it until 5 o'clock When Bessemer was reached the trail was no longer clear. and among hundreds of other tracks made by peo- pie going to and fro, it was lost An other murderer is consequently at large in Jefferson county.
 The work of old Dave and "Jollv' tho two hounds, is said to have been excellent, considering the fact that the trail was soi old, and that the weather was sc hot and dry Had the deputies been able to have gotten horses at Park wood the negro would in all probability have been overtaken and brought to jus tice. As 1t is, however, all the deputies have to work upon is a somewhat incom- plete description of the murderer. Holston had been employed with the construction crew which has been work inS on the Atlanta, Birmingham and Atlantic road. near Hardwood, since they pitched camp there about five months ago. The remains will be sent to Chatta- nooga today for interment.