The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-01-05
FATAL SHOOTING IN
A SELMA SALOON
PHILLIPS STRIKES BURCH AND is
SHOT SIX TIMES, EXPIRING IN
sTANTLY-TWo BY-STANDERS
SLIGHTLY WOUNDED.

Selma, January 4.-(Special.)-At 6
o'clock this evening, in the Plaza saloon,
L. s. Burch shot and instantly killed
Marion Phillips. Both are white and are
telephone linemen by profession.
Phillips was city foreman of the Bell
company in Selma until last April, when
the strike occurred. Burch came to Selma
from Jackson, Miss. during the strike
and went TO work. Since that time there
have been repeated passage of words be-
tween Phillips and Burch. When the
strike was settled Phillips was not put
back to work, it being the rule of the
company not to replace strikers, although
linemen are taken back. Burch was not
a union man but had been steadily at
work
About half an hour before the shooting
this afternoon Bureh was at work on a
pole near the saloon in which the shoot
ing occurred. Phillips is said to have
passed along and stopped and looked up
at Burch. Burch is alleged to have cursed
Phillips. Anyway Phillips told more than
one person that Burch had cursed him
and that he had to retract it.
Phillips went to friend at a saloon
in the next block and tried to borrow
revolver but did not get the weapon. He
came back and went into the Plaza sa-
loon, where he met Will Hrabowski. II.
Childers and j. D. Harrison. While they
were talking Burch came in and going
to the end of the counter asked for
bottle of beer
Phillips secured a pistol from Hrabow
ski, which he put in his pocket and walk
ing up to Bureh struck him full in the
face knocking Burch backward to the
floor. As Burch rose he came up shoot
ing and emptied his pistol, which was a
six-shooter, 32-calibre.
Phillips got his pistol out, but did not
use it, and after staggering around a post
in the center of the saloon fell to the
floor and expired without saying word.
Fred Young, a brother of " d. Young,
proprietor of the Plaza saloon, and l.. P.
Cook We're standing at the bar talking.
One of the bullets struck Mr.. Cook in
the foot, and it is thought the same bull
let, after passing through Cooks foot,
struck Fred Young on the. ankle. Both
men rushed from the saloon into the bar
bershop next door. where it so happened
two physicians were being shaved.
1t was then found that their injuries
were comparatively slight and they were
sent home in carriages. Phillips has nine
wounds on his body. Three of which, and
perhaps four. were made by the same
bullets. Any one of three of the wounds
would have likely caused death.
Burch Is about 2s years of age and
single Phillips Is married and his wife
is thought to be in Savannah. He has
a mother and a son In Augusta, Ga. Sym
pathy seems to be with Burch, as 1t is
stated that several times he has been
known to take a cursing from Phillips.
AS soon as he had emptied his pistol
Burch ran through the colored bar of
the saloon and to the telephone exchange,
which is in the same block. There he
told the manager what had occurred and
asked that an officer be telephoned to
come for him. Captain Miller and Sheriff
Blackwell went to the exchange and after
arresting Burch had him sent to Jail.
Chief Walters reached the scene of the
shooting a few minutes after 1t had oc-
Cured and took the pistol out of the
hands of the dead man. Two of the shells
were missing, but Mr.. Hrabowslki, to
whom the weapon belonged states that
there were only three cartridges in the
pistol when he gave 1t to Mr.. Phillips.
The shooting created intense excitement.
happening as 1t did just about the time
the streets were full OF people going to
their homes from their places of business.