The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1908-04-02
CONGRESSMAN IN A FIGHT

CONGRESSMAN IN A FIGHT
nEmBER OF CONGRESS WOUNDS A
NEGRO AND WHITE MAN.
Negro Wanted to Drink Whiskey on
Street Car-Result of No Jim
Crow Car Law.
WASHINGTON, March 27.--In a des-
perate affray on Pennsylvania av-
enue car tonight negro and white
man were shot by Congressman
ThomasJ Hehin Of Alabama. Thomas
Lumby,. the negro, was shot in the
head and is in critical condition and
Thomas McCreary, anew York horse
trainer, is suffering from wound in
the leg. The shooting of McCreary
was accidental. Mr.. Heflin was ar
rested and taken to the Sixth police
precinct station, where the charge OF
assault with intent to kill was placed
against him. Later he was released
on $1,000 bail.
The shooting occurred shortly after
Z o'clock as the car reached the corn
er of Pennsylvania avenue and Sixth
street, bound for Capitol hill.
Congressman Heflin, accompanied
by Congressman Edwin j. Ellerbe OF
South Carolina, had boarded the car
at Twelfth street and Pennsylvania
avenue, Mr.. Hef1in being on his way
to a temperance lecture at the Metro
politan Methodist Episcopal church:
Upon boarding the car he observed
two negro passengers, one OF whom
was Thomas Lumby, and who was in
the act of taking a drink from bottla
of whiskey. There was q number OF
other passengers, including several
ladies. Mr.. Heflins says he remonstrat-
ed with Lumby and asked him to stop
drinking, saying: Don't take that
drink, there are ladies here and it is
not right. It is against the law for
you to do this thing in street car
and hope you will put that bottle
away"
The other negro, who was sober, at
tempted to take the bottle away from
his friend, but failed. It is said that
Lumby became offended at Mr.. Hef-
Inns remonstrances and applied vile
epithets. AS the car reached Sixth
street and Pennsylvania avenue Mr..
Heflin and Lumby were engaged in a
! desperate struggle Mr.. Hefin, who
is a large, powerful man, succeeded
in throwing Lumby off the car as it
came to stop. Most of the oc-
cupants of the car hastily alighted,
including MIR. and Mrs. McCreary.
The negro fell to the ground on being
pushed off the car.
He rose, it is said, began cursing
Mr.. Heflin again, and made a motion
for his hip pocket as if to draw q
weapon, whereupon Mr.. Heflin fired
at him through the car window, miss
ing the negro and hitting Thomas
cCreary, who was about 20 feet
from the car. Mr.. Heflin fired once
or twice again, one of the shots
striking Lumby in the head above the
ear. Lumby ran short distance and
fell. An ambulance was called and
he was taken to the Emergency hos
pital. The conductor of the car dis
appeared and Officer George N.
Scriven took charge of the car and
ran it to Third street and Pennsyl-
vania avenue. There Mr.. Heflin was
escorted by Officer Scriven to the
Capitol hotel and later was taken to
the police station in a cab. He was
not locked up. Mr.. sMcCreary' s
wound is not serious and after treat
ment at a hospital he returned to his
apartments. At the Emergency hos
pital it was said Lumby, though bad
| " wounded and unconscious. has a
chance to recover. His skull was
fractured but the surgeons were un-
able to ascertain tonight whether the
bullet had entered the head.
Mr.. Hefin explained at the station
his reason for going armed. He is
the author of a "Jim Crow" law in
the District of Columbia and says
that since he introduced the measure
he has received many letters OF
threatening character and secured
permission from the authorities to 60
armed. ~
Mr.. Heain represents the Fifth
Alabama district, in which the Tus-
kegee institute, of which Booker I.
Washington is the head, is located.
Man Was Starving.
NEW YORK, March PA gray: