Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1908-04-02
SHOOTS A NEGRO.
Congressman HefIin of Alabama
In a Serious ARRAY.
WAS.ON A STREET CAR

In Washington With Congressman
Ellcrbcc, on his Way to Deliver
Temperance Talk-Renonstra
With Negro for Drinking on Car
Threw Him or and Then Shop
Him i'm the Head.
In a desperate affray on a Penn
sylvania Avenue car in Washington
Friday negro was shot by Congress-
man Thomas J. Heflin of Alabama.
Thomas Lumby, the negro. was
shot in the head and is In critical
condition. and Thomas McCreary. n
New York horse trainer is suffering
from wound in the leg. The shoot
ing of McCreary was accidental.
Mr.. Heflin was arrested and taken
to the 9th police precinct station,
where the charge of assault with in
tent TO kill was placed against him.
Later he was released on $1,000 bail.
The shooting occurred shortly after
7o'clock as the car reached the corner
OF Pennsylvania avenue and 9th street
bound for Capitol Hill.
Congressman Heflin, accompanied
by Congressman Edwin j. Ellerbee.
of South Carolina. had boarded the
car at 18th street and Pennsylvania
avenue. Mr.. Heflin being on his way
to deliver temperance lecture at the
Metropolitan Methodist Episcopal
Church, { l-2 street and ohm Marshall
Place. Upon boarding the car. he
observed two negro passengers, one
of whom was Thomas Lumby, and
who WIS in the act of taking a drink
from a bottle of whiskey. There were
number of passengers. including
several ladies' Mr.. Heflin says he re-
monstrated with Lumby and asked
him to stop drinking saying: Don't
take that drink there are ladies here
and it is not right. 1t is against the
law for you to do such thing in
street car and hope you will put that
bottle away"
The other negro. who was sober.
attempted to take the bottle away
from his friend. but failed 1t is
said that Lumby became offended at
Mr.. Helms remonstrances and ap-
piled vile epithets. AS the car reach
ed 9th street and Pennsylvania ave-
nue. Helm and Lumby were engaged
in a desperate struggle. MIR. Hefiin
who is large powerful man, succeed
ed in throwing Lumby off the car as
1t came to a stop.
Most of the occupants OF the car
hastily allighted. including MIR. and
Mrs. McCreary. The negro fell to the
ground on bing pushed off the car
He rose. and. il is said, began cursing
Mr.. Hleflin again and made motion
for his hip pocket as if to dray a wea-
pom, whereupon MIR Hefiin fired at
him through the car window, missing
the negro and hitting Thomas Nc
Creary, who was about 20 feet from
the car. Mr.. Hefin fired once or
twice more, 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 Hospital. The
conductor of the car disappeared and
Officer George ~ Scriven took charge
of the car and ran il to Sd street and
Pennsylvania avenue.
There Representative Hefiin was
escorted by officer Scriven to the Cap
itol Hotel. and later was TAX ell to the
police station in Il cab He was not
locked up. MIR. McCreary's wound
is not serious. and after treatment q,
a hospital he returned To his apart
ments. AZ the Emergency Hospital
il was said Lumby though badly
wounded and unconscious. has :
chance TO recover His skull was
fractured. but the surgeons We're un-
able TO ascertain at that time. whether
the bullet had entered the head.
Mr. Flelin explained at the station
his reason for going armed.
lie is the author of a Jim crow
car law in the District of Columbia
and said that since he introduced the
measure he has received many letter:
OF threatening character and secur
ed permission from the authorities tC
go armed Mr.. Hefiin represents th'
5th Alabama district. in which the
Tuskegee Institute, of which Broker
T. Washington. is the head, is 10
Gated.