The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-05-10
WOMAN USES
HER PISTOL
Birs ingham Detective IS
| s. Fatally Shot.
T .AMILY TROUBLES THE CAUSE
Former Husband and Officers
Sought to Recover Children.
Nashville Druggist Had Decree Entit-
ling Him To Young Ones But
Former spouse Resisted At
tempt with Revolver.
..AMILY TROUBLES THE CAUSE

Birmingham, May 9.-(Special.)-
Detective Samuel Hamilton was shot
and fatally wounded at $3.50 o'clock
this afternoon by Mrs. Annie Magness.
who was shot twice in the right leg.
The shooting occurred at the wo-
mans home in Smithfeld. The detec-
tive had gone to the house as a pilot
and uninterested party with w. r.
White, the first husband of Mrs. Mag
ness; j. T. Stout, a Nashville detec-
tive, and A. B. Anderson, a lawyer of
that place, to get possession of two
little flaxen haired children which had
been awarded to their father, W. r.
White.
The woman was placed under arrest
Immediately after the shooting and
brought to the city Jail.
News of the shooting, which was of
a sensational nature, spread rapidly
over the city and crowds flocked to
the police station to learn of the de-
tails.
All persons concerned in the affair
were placed in private room of Chief
of Police Wter and questioned. They
all told the same story concerning the
manner in which Detective Hamilton
received a bullet wound in the abdo-
men.
Here is the story as told the police:
w. r. White, OF Nashville, who OBJ
tanned a decree of divorce from his
wife year ago on the ground of in
fidelity, Detective ]. T. Stout, of Nash
vile, and A. B. Anderson, an attorney
employed by Mr.. White, came to Bir-
mingham today for the purpose of get
ting possession of two children award
ed him by the court.
Armed With Decree.
The father was armed with the decree
and said he hau Investigated his wife's
whereabouts and found that she was
living in house at Smtthfield on
Johns street Detective Hamilton and
Detective Stout, the Nashville sleuth,
went to Smithfeld this morning and
located the children. They returned
and told the father where they were.
This afternoon large hack was Sc
cured and the two officers, the attor-
ney ard tho father drove to Smithfield.
When the house was reached the IA
Their and Detective Stout saw the chill
dren playing in the back yard and
jumped out of the hack and got them.
Detective Hamilton remained in the
hack. Just as they returned to the
hack and got on the inside the woman
appeared at a window with 80 caliber
Smith and Wesson pistol and opened
fire.
1t is said she emptied her revolver.
Cne of the bullets struck Detective
Hamilton in the abdomen. The hack
was in charge of Jack Hunt, negro,
and he was told to drive to the city
as soon as possible. After the police
were notified about the shooting Po-
liceman Devine was rushed to Smith
field and he took charge of the woman.
Detective Hamilton was taken TO
Browns infirmary, on Nineteenth
street, where an operation was per-
formed.
was Shot In Leg.
When the woman was arrested she
admitted that she did the shooting and
she declared that she was shot in the
leg by her former husband. She said
she did not feel like standing by and
seeing her children torn from her. She
| said that she was married to her pres
emit husband, Robert G. Magness, and
| that he was not at home when the Of
ficers came for her children.
She told the story of the shooting in
the following manner: They tell me
/ shot an officer, for which l am deep
ly sorrowful. 1 did not know he was
in the hack when l fired. But 1 was
desperate when 1 saw my children be-
| ing taken away.
II was in my home with two lady
| friends when by little boy, Willie. cried
are stealing sister, ] then looked out
the window and saw man passing
| my little girl over the fence to another
man. l Immediately run for a pistol
whichSwas under the pillow.
Il went to the window and fred. !
| was shooting at my former husband.
| When | shot Mr.. White drew his pis-
toll and exclaimed, I will kill her. He
! then shot
II regret the whole AFFAIR and was
| happy until this trouble came upon me.
| am married to Mr.. Magness and the
! two children are my life
When seen at the police station
shortly after the shooting, Mr.. White
| said Il have not lived with my wife
for" nearly two years. She left Nash
VILE in April one year ago, after she
found out that 1 had applied for di-
vorce. The divorce was granted on the
ground of infidelity. Magness being the
man mentioned in my petition.
Il wanted my children, Willie, aged
six. and Ethel, aged four and they
were granted TO me in the decree of
divorce.
las my wife had left Nashville, l
made a tour of the South coming to
Birmingham. While here 1 got a clue
whics 1 followed up with today's re-
sult# 1 certainly regret that the Off
Ger. was shot.
Mrs. Magness RegretfuL
When l got the children and entered
| the hack my wife began to fire. |
jumped out and told her to stop"
Mrs. Magness says she regrets very
much that the officer was shot, and
/ that she was shooting at her former
| husband. She was very cool and ap-
pears to be very intelligent woman
She is large. tall woman, weighing
about l75 pounds and a decided blonde
Just before Detective Hamilton was
| placed on the operating table at the
Browns infirmary he made the follow
| ing statement: The woman shot me
for nothing; Mr.. White shot the wo-
man. think l am very badly wound
| ed"
| W. r. White is a pharmacist OF
| Nashville, in the employ of the Drasco
| Drug Company and is said to be faV-
| orably known. A. b. Anderson is an
| attorney of the same city, and at one
time is said to have been a city Official
]. T. Stout is private detective of
Nashville. White is prominent in sew
| araI eacrat Orders