The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-16
ANOTHER BATTLE
 BY THE OFFICERS
Will Cunningham Is Caught
 Near irondaIe
BADLY WOUNDED IN BREAST
Officers Suspected Him and Followed Him Down the Track, When the Negro Turned and
 Began Firing.

With but six feet separating them two officers fought a battle last night near Irondale with a negro, supposed to be
 VIII Cunningham, as a result of which the negro is lying at the Hillman hos pital wounded and chained to his bed. Cunningham is the negro who created a. sensation last week by holding up Deputy Sheriff West of Talladega county and escape, getting away on a freight train. and defying several posses.
 Cunningham rode into Birmingham from near Riverside, boldly standing in the doorway of the box car, the train crew not daring to molest him, knowing that he was armed. He was last seen as the train passed Woodlawn station, and since then the country around Birmingham has been secured for him.
 The description of Cunningham gave his height as six feet five inches, while special mention was made of his protrud- ing teeth. Last nights occurrence started when negro of this description walked into the store of M. N. George at Irondale and bought some cartridges and some food articles.
 Special Agent w. A. Crawford of the Southern railway and B. B. Borough were Iii the store and were struck with the resemblance of the negro to the descrip- tion of Will Cunningham. It was also reported that three men had been held up early in the evening around Irondale, and Crawford and Borough decided to follow the negro.
 They were armed with a pistol and a
 shotgun, and when the negro started
 down the railroad track they started after him. According to their statement the negro wheeled just before they reached him, and muttering an other drew a re- Yolver on them and fired. They respond
 ed, about 10 shots being fired altogether
 The negro shot three times, but despite the close distance failed to hit either of
 the men. Both were shooting at him at the same. time, remarkable nerve being displayed by all three, the negro not even flinching when the shotgun was leveled
 on him, and receiving a load of B. B.
 shot in the right breast. He was also
 shot in the calf of the leg.
 The negro fell when wounded in the
 breast. Dr. Howard of Irondale was summoned to the negro, who was after wards placed on a Southern train and brought to the county jail in Birming-
 ham. After his arrival at the jail the | ambulance of Lige Loy was called and
 he was moved to the Hillman hospital,
 where it was stated that his chances for l recovery are good.
 l The negro admits that his name is Will l Cunningham, but denies that he is the | one wanted for dsarming Deputy Sheriff | West. Crawford and Borough stated that l the negro shot at them three times, and
 an examination of the pistol used by him disclosed two empty chambers and three
 empty shells. The two empty chambers
 were rusty and had evidently not been
 used for some time The pistol was car ried in scabbard, while in one of the 1 pockets of the negros coat was found d metal detective badge, bearing the inl- l tials ''G. D. B. Detective Agency, Cincin-
 nati.' He wore an overall suit. | The negro Cunningham, whom Deputy l West of Talladega county arrested and | who made his escape, is wanted in Geor- 1 gia on murder charge, and is said to | be guilty of a number of other offenses. l He relieved the deputy of a Colts auto
 matic pistol, while the pistol used by the
 negro last night was 3S Smith & Wes- son hammerless.
 The officers are of the opinion that the negro is the one wanted, especially since 1 the negro admits his name is Will Gun l ningham and his appearance tallies so closely with the description given of the one who escaped.
 Special Agent Crawford is a brother l of J. H. Crawford the Southern railway detective who was killed by car robbers a month or two ago near the Twenty seventh street yards. He holds the posi-
 ton held by his brother at the time of his 1 death