The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-17
CRAWFORD KILLED AND PUT ON TRACK AFTER FIERCE FIGHT Dead Body of Negro Found Near Scene of a Bloody
 Struggle Last Night
DETECTIVE CUT IN TWO
 BY WHEELS OF ENGINE
BIood-Spattered Car Indicates That the Southern Special Agent Had Des- perate Encounter Before
 His Life Was Taken.

The body of Detective J. H. Crawford, cut in two pieces, was picked up about midnight on the tracks of the Southern railway near Ninth avenue and Twenty seventh street. MT. Crawford was special agent of the Southern, and it is believed that he was first shot or clubbed and then placed on the tracks.
 Police who went to investigate the case also found the body of a dead negro about 200 feet from the point where MT. Crawford was placed on the tracks. This discovery was made about 1 o'clock this morning.
 It is surmised that MT. Crawford was walking along the Belt Line and discoy- cred car of merchandise with the door standing open. Officers examined this car and found the interior spattered with blood, with every indication that there had been a fierce struggle on the inside of the car. The body of the negro was dDOul 1OU lG6l llOlll llllo NeliJ dA0 IL W eto almost cold when found. The negro had attempted to climb a steep embankment, and it was upon this slope that the dis covery was made. The negro had been shot through the hand and body.
 Crawford's body when found on the tracks was cold, indicating that life had been extinct for some time. It was about 50 feet from the blood-spattered car.
 Unable To Stop Train.
 Just before midnight A. T. M. Riser en- gineer on No. 20, was pulling his train in from Selma. He states that just as he crossed Ninth avenue 'at Twenty-seventh street, he noticed a body lying across the rails. He reversed his engine, but not before the wheels had severed the body of the special agent in half.
 The officials last night were of the opinion that Crawford had found the door open and climbed in, only to discover that the negroes who had broken it open were on the inside. It is believed that the struggle then ensued in which the de- tective was killed and the unknown negro fatally shot Others who were not in- jured are believed to have placed Craw- fords body on the track in order to di- vert suspicion as to the cause of his death.
 The remains of Crawford were taken in charge by Lige Loy, and are being held until the coroner makes an examination.
 The lives of these railroad detectives are always in great danger. Quite a number have been killed in recent years. MT. Crawford had been in the employ of the company for a year, working under Special Agent A. S. Webster, and was quite popular. having rendered great ser- vice. He leaves a family, a wife and two children, at Avondale. There is deep re- gret among railroad men at the loss.
 Coal Thieves Grow Desperate.
 In this connection it might be noted that A. D. Lightner has written to Chief Bode- ker asking that aid be given in quelling the coal thieves on the Belt tracks along enth street, as if looking for the dead ne- groes board the trains and throw off coal while the cars are in motion, and that they threaten the railroad employees with death if they are disturbed.
 About ? o'clock this morning a negro named Ed Diamond was caught by Po- liceman Jones. He was leaning over the cut near Ninth avenue and Twenty-sey- enth street, as if Joking for the dead ne- gro's body. He was arrested. and on his swearing he had just left a negro wom- ans house the. officer inquired of the