The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-10-13
DESPERADol IS KILLED
sHERTFrs POSSE SHOOTS CHARLEY
 NELSON, 4 NEGRO.
He Had Murdered Several Persons And Was TerrerfnIng People in Southern Part of Dallas
 County.
Advertiser Bureau.

A0NtEJfsGE buTeAus Selma Oet, 12. Charley Nelson, Dallas County's most famous negro desperado was shot to death by a sheriff's posse this morning about o'clock near Portland, in the Southern part of the county. The negro was resisting arrest when he was kill ed.
 The body was brought to Selma this afternoon about 2:30 o'clock and was viewed by hundreds.
 Nelson killed several persons during his life of crime. Of late he has held up several negroes in the Southern, part of the county. The negro was serving a life sentence for murder on the McCdrdy plantation near Lowndes- boro when he escaped some months ago. Since his escape he has been liv- ing in the Southern part of the county and to citizens in that section he has often bragged that he would never be taken alive. He has gone about the country at will and was never molest- ed. When an officer went across the river for the purpose of arresting him he always found it out and got out of the way. Lately he has grown bold CT and has been peddling whiskey to the negroes. A few days ago near store and has been doing a good busi- ness.
 Late yesterday Sheriff Doherty re- ceived word that Nelson would go from his store to Portland this morning to purchase more goods. Learning of this he left for the locality where Nelson had openedf his store and was accom- panied by Deputy Sheriffs Arthur Will Hams and B. r. Cherry. Tn the Southern part of the sounty Sheriff Doherty was joined by five citizens of that section and together they went to
 the house in which 1t was reported that Nelson was sleeping and arrived there, about daylight They hid in the woods which surrounded the house and scat tered out so that If the negro went In any direction he would meet and be seen by one of the officers.
 The officers had just taken their stations when the negro was seen com ing out of the house. He started to saddle a mule for the purpose of riding to Portland to buy goods He got on the mule and started down the' road towards Portland. The negro had rid den only few feet when the officers called to him to halt and throw up his hands. With the call from the officers Nelson reached for his rifle and as he made the move the officers fired. With cry the desperado fell from the mule dead. The shot which killed him pierced his heart. : Beside the shot Whicn klllSd nim Lnere were several buckshots in his left leg and a few shots hit him in other parts of the body.
 After the negro had been killed the five citizens in the rosse went to their homes and Sheriff Doherty put the body of Nelson in a wagon and brought it to this city The bringing of the body here caused considerable excite ment among the hundreds of country ~.rl.~ ~ fe. fIta alt lt.ra al of them wanted to get look at the bad negro.
 During his career Nelson was arrest ed several times. On two occasions he escaped from the county jail and one time while !. H. Lumpkin was sheriff he escaped and shot that officer in a desperate battle with a sheriffs posse a few hundred yards across the river from here. Later Nelson was Captured near Stafford by Len Davis and Jesse fSeay who at that time were members of the sheriffs force.
 He wass tried for murder. and was given a life sentence and sent to the MeCurdy farm near Lowndesboro. There he served several years and was made "trusty" but about six months ago he made his escape and returned to Dallas county. At the time he escaped from the McCirdy farm a re- ward was offered for him dead or alive.
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