The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-08-03
SHOT WHILE IN
 THE PUPLIT' Negro Preacher Hit and Slightly Wounded. ASSAlANT IS UNKNOWN Shotgun Fired From Outside ot
 Church. Consteraation Created Among Nesress By Unexpected rneisent--servlces sooa Resumed by Wounded
 Preacher.
AssAHANr IS UNKNOWN

while nreaching to congregation of aoa ar 800 negroes in the Bethel Rantist Church, located on the Mophe Road on the outskirts of Montgomery 1sssc Tountain, the pastor, was wound ed in the head just behind the right ear. by a single shot from snotsuh fired at about o'clock last night oy some unknown person concealed on tne outside of the building. The wound
 was trivial and after the excitement incidental to the happening had sup sided the preacher proceeded with the service. No clue as to the perpetra- for of the outrage could be opiaineo hv inc police. although several of the oficers were despatched c. he locality immediately after the shooting was re- ported. and upon their arrival thsIS made a thorough investigator of tue circumstances. .ho Rafh el Church for several months ana twice recently arrests of members oL fha congregation have been mace TOT Aiefurbine worship. It appears that certain element of the congregatlon is very much opposed to the pastotate oL Fountain, and determined enost nas heen made by them to oust the preacn- CT. The fact that within q snort ,.a..ss V wllr,s th selection of a pastor for the comlns year will be made. is believed to nave nrecinitated the incident of last ntgnt, the ahiect of the attack being, the noiice believe, the intimidation oA Eo,,ntain and the consequent elimIna- tion of him from the list or candidates for the pastorship, .,v,aa
 The gun fired at Fountain was aitne9 through a window of the ouilolns' anu nS, tha neraon who discharged the weapon ss helieved to have been a consideraple distance away. A peculiar feature oL the incident is that although OmceE S.,,rtis examined ninutely the interior walls of the church, he was unable to aiscover any sign of shot. Ills opinlvn was that with the intention ot nsreiz frightening Fountain, the toao lD.s. n hasy,. removed from the shell. the snot a.s,,cl[ the negro having remained there h,, chance. In no other way could he sxnlain the lack of shot indents In the "S.a ro,nc,deut with the tragedy of the o.cnrrence of last night was touch of cufnedy. Conducting, ID collaporas tian with Fountain, the serVlces ~ was another negro preacher wnose anns nanas conld not be learned--inF fact, OmceFs cI,rtis and searcy express the opinion fhat he has himself forgotten 1t. when fhe boom of the gun sounded on tnal nerross ears, and he became cognlzant ~ the fact that Fountain had been SUounded. he wasted not single sec and in surveying the situation but dived headlong through the glass panes If a window, carrying with him the sssh. No trace of him had been seen. aftar his abrupt departure from the church, up to a late hour last night, and it is regarded as possible. though hardly probable that he was wounded. No one had an opportunity to md out whether or not such was the case.
 Jessie Moore, a negro who was con- cerned in some of the previous dis tt,rbances connected with the church, was arrested after the shooting by Off, fcers Curtis and searcy on the charge of suspicion.
 Moore disclaims any knowledge of the afrair and declares that he was not in the church at the time but was at home.
 Because of the pandemonium result ing after the firing of the gun, the poe lie were unable to learn anything def mite in regard to the matter. It Is expected that developments during the next few days will throw some light upon the identity of the negro who fired the shot.