The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-20
Deputy Kidnapped For
 EIeUen Long Hours
Narrowing Story Nerve Displayed by Negro Cunningham Who Marched Officer at Point of His Pistol
 for Full Half Day.
BY CHARLES FELL.

several fishermen came up. The negro cast a significant glance to the deputy, slipped the revolver into his pocket, dropped few steps behind West and they walked on Three fishermen passed the two. and so completely was Cunning ham the master of the situation that West did not once have an opportunity to sig nifty in any manner his situation to the i fishermen.
 The anglers went on their way without speaking and so did Cunningham and West.
 The route then led up into the bend of the river to what is known as Collins spring Here Cunningham allowed the deputy to sit down and rest. He rested also While he was sitting there he again began to finger the revolver and West again went through the horrible anticipa- ton of death by a ball being sent through his brain. The negro was restless and seemed to debate whether or not he should kill his victim. Presently he re- marked to West:
 "Oh, l see. This is old "lemon squeezer." That's the reason l couldn't shoot it.
 Then came the thought of West that his life had been spared so far only through the negro's ignorance of the construction of the pistol which he held, and he was again assured that i within the next few moments he would have passed to the Great Beyond
 But instead, within the next few mo- ments he was ordered to go ahe M, ot nf in the morning. Just before sunset that evening the two came to little knoll within the bend of the river. Here they halted again and Cunning ham ordered West to sit down on log to which he pointed. Here the supreme climax of the affair was reached
 The negro had apparently made up his mind. There had prior to this time, apparently been a debate in his mind as to whether or not he should kill the deputy. But the critical mo- ment had evidently come. He kneeled down on the knoll and offered a snort prayer:
 70, Lord Almighty, forgive me for all the sins 1 have ever committed in the past and for the one l am about to commit"
 Cunningham did not pray in the
  danger his position. There he kneeled on the grass, pistol in hand pointed directly a West, eyes not closed, but glaring at the deputy. The hideous- ness of the thing impressed West only in that he believed it to mean that he was about to die.
 If the negro did intend to commit murder there, his compassion, or fear, or some inner emotion, whatever it ,tr~l,F s1.l.l TI quered the evil intention, and he told West to get up and lead on. l From the little knoll where the prayer was offered the march led. after dark, to Riverside. When the railroad i was reached the negro saw an open box car standing on one of the tracks l He pointed to it and ordered West to i get in. He even took hold of the i deputy's foot and helped him inside.
 In the meantime the news of the oc- entrance at Lincoln had been flashed to all sections down the railroad to- ward Birmingham, and just Cum ningham was about to get into the car with West a posse came down the track, and he lodged under the ear and made away. West had gone into the car and hid in the back end, but when he was assured that the negro had left he jumped out and ran into the rail- road station. The Riverside posse never did get onto Cunningham's trail l Several bold actions, but of min 1T ! importance, were taken by Cunning ham after this. His flight led him to 1 Irondale, where he committed one or l two highway robberies on negroes, talk 1 ing only their valuables and money. At Irondale he went into store to 1 buy food an dammuntion and the sus- picion of men in there was aroused. i When Cunningham left they followed him, and after only a short distance l had been covered he turned, fired and a fight ensued. A number of sh ots were fired and the negro was sh ot i down, wounded in the breast by load l of B. B. shot, and in other parts of the | body by pistol balls.
 He was brought to Birming gh am and lodged in the county jail, where he IS said to be resting well.
 He has confessed to the authorities here that he Is the man who h cid the deputy sheriff at the point of tn pistol l for Ii long and most terrible hours, but claims that 1t is his brother who is
 wanted in Georgia, not himself.
 Such was the part the negro is said to have played in one of the most re- | markable affairs on record.