The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-29

Motorman W H. Watkins, running on the Avondale line, was murdered last night about about S:1O o'clock by an unknown negro at the corner Of Avenue F and Twenty-sixth street. Circumstances relative to the cause or motive of the murder are lacking abso- lutely, and the occurrence is shrouded with mystery equally as deep as was the case in the killing of Conductor P. E. Wood on the South Bessemer line, hardly more than two week ago, on the night of Monday, April j.
 The death wound of Ine motorman was inflicted by the negro with large knife after brief scuffle between the two on the front platform of the street car. The cause of this fatal scuffle is yet unknown, and opinions with refer ence to the matter vary. The murderer is at large.
 The car on which the murder was committed was No. 416 on the Avon dale line, and was on the outgoing trip from the city at the time the deplora- ble death of the motorman occurred at the hands of the negro. At Twenty third street and Avenue r the negro boarded the street car. He never en- tered the car, but stood on the outside on the platform with the motorman from the time he got aboard until the car reached Twenty-siXth street.
 Fie> of Moments Duration. At Twen> 'ixth street the street car was stopped~ struggle between Motorman Watkins and the negro be- gan. This fight was only of mo- ment's duration. The attention of the passengers inside the car was first at tracted when the negro struck the mo torman a stinging blow with his fist on the side of the face and then again jumped at the negro and had no more than done so when four-inch blade of steel was plunged into his heart by the negro Watkins sank to the floor of his car and without uttering a single word died in about two minutes.
 In the meantime. when Conductor Nj. Courington, who was standing on the rear end of the car, saw the negro strike his fellow work man he jumped off the back step of the car and ran up to the front platform. He reached the front of the car just as the negro was about jump off. He attacked the negro, whom he did not know at that time had murdered his motorman, and soon bore him to the ground. He threw the negro squarely on his back and held him in this position for minute or so
 During this time the passengers were evidently unaware of what was going on outside, for none ran to the assist ance of the conductor, who was strug- gling with the negro at the front end of the street car.
 Conductor Struggles With Negro.
 After Conductor Courington had held the negro for few moments he began to work his arms and shoulders out of his coat and after extracting all save one arm from the garment he man. aged to struggle to his feet and free himself from the grasp of the conduc- tor He then ran off up Twenty sixth street toward Avenue G, and was last seen turning the corner at Twenty sixth street and Avenue c.
 By this time, which was very brief, the passengers on the car had taken in the situation and several jumped off of the car to see what the trouble was It was at this point that it was discovered that murder had been done. When Mo torman Watkins received first attention he had passed away. The negro was fleeing out Twenty-siXth street.
 Passenger Fires at Fleeing Man.
 One of the passengers on the ear had