The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1908-03-31
CONGRESSMAN SHOOTS
NEGRO IN WASHINGTON
AFFRAY IN PENNSYLVANIA
I AVENUE CAR.
Negro Resented Request Of Alabama
congressman Not to Drink in
& Presence Of Ladies.

s$Friday night a negro and a white man
Were shot by Congressman Thomas J.
adeflln, of Alabama. Thomas Lumby,
"a q negro, was shot in the head and
seriously wounded and Thomas Nc
GGreary, a New York horse trainer. is
suffering from a wound in the leg.
The shooting Of McCreary was acct
GENITAL. MIR Heflin was arrested and
taken to the sixth police precinct sta
tlon, where the charge Of assault with
3%1ntent to kill was placed against him.
Later he was released on $4,000 bail.
SSS The shooting occurred shortly after
s7 O'Clock as the car reached the cor
fs.nrer OF Pennsylvania avenue and Sixth
street, bound for Capitol Hill.
8 Congressman Heflin, accompanied
&aby Congressman Edwin j. Ellcrbc, of
South Carolina, had boarded the q
at Twelfth street and Pennsylvania
avenue, Mr.. Heflin being on his way
1 to deliver a temperance lecture at the
metropolitan Methodist Episcopal
church, Four-and-a-half street and
John Marshall Place. Upon board
ing the car he observed two negro
passengers, one Of whom was Thomas
Lumby, and VINO was in the act Of
taking a drink from a bottle of whis-
key. There was a number Of other
passengers, including several ladies.
Mr.. Heflin says he demonstrated with
Lumby and asked him to stop drink
ing, saying: "Don't take that drink,
there are ladies here and it is not
right. 1t IS against the law for 0
to do this thing in a street car ard
L hope you will put that bottle
away.' The other negro, who was
sober, attempted to take the bottle
away from his friend, but failed. Tt is
said that Lumby became offended at
Mr.. Hcflin's remonstranccs and ap-
piled vile epithets. AS the car reach
ed Sixth street and Pennsylvania ave-
nue. Mr.. HelfiNn and Lumby were en-
gagged in a desperate struggle. MI.
Heflin, who is a large, powerful man,
succeeded in throwing lumby off The
car rs it came to a stop. Most Of the
occupants of the car hastily alightcd,
including Mr.. and Mrs. McCrcary.
The negro fell to the ground on being
pushed off the car. lie rose and it
is said began cursing Mr.. Heflin
again and made a motion for his hip
pocket as if to draw a weapon, where
upon Mr.. Hcflin fired at him through
the car window, missing the negro
and hitting Thomas McCreary, who
was about 20 feet from the ear. Mr..
Ilcflin fired one or twice again, one
of the shots striking IMmby in the
head above the ear. Lumby ran a
short distance and fell. An ambul-
ance was called and he was taken to
the Emergency Hospital. The conduc-
tor of the a disappeared and Officer
George N. Scriven took charge Of the
car and ran it to Third and Pennsyl-
vania avenue.
There Representative Heflin was
escorted by Officer fScriven to tn.
Capitol Hotel and later was taken to
the police station in a cab.
He was not locked up. Mr.. Nc
Crcary's wound is not serious and af-
ter treatment at a hospital he re-
turned to mis- apartments. At the
Emergency Hospital it was said Lum-
by, though badly wounded and I'M
conscious, had n chance to recover.
His skull was fractured but the sur
geons were unable to ascertain Friday
night whether the bullet had entered
the head.
Mr.. Hcflin explained at the sta
ton his reason for going armed. He is
author of a "Jim Crow car law in
the District Of Columbia and says
that since he introduced the measure
he has received many letters Of a
threatening character, and secured
permission from the authorities to go
armed.
Mr.. Hcflin represents the fifth Ala
bama district in which the Tuskegee
Institute, Of which Booker r.. Wash
ington is at the head, is located.