The San Francisco call., 1908-03-28
Congressman HELM
Shoots to Kill
First Shot Accidentally FeHs
HOrseman; Second Drops
Drunken Negro

WASHINGTON, March 27.-In des
nue. car a negro and a white man
were shot by Congressman Thomas j.
Hef1in of Alabama. Thomas Lumby.
the negro. was shot in the head and
is in a critical condition, IND Thomas
McCreary, New York horse trainer. is
shooting of McCreary was accidental.
Hefln was arrested and taken to the
Sixth precinct police station. where
charge of assault with intent to kill
was placed against him. Later he was
released on $1,000 bail.
The shooting occurred shortly after
o'clock as the car reached the cor
ner of Pennsylvania avenue and Sixth
street bound for Capitol hill. Congress
man Hefin, accompanied by Congress-
man Edwin ]. Ellerbe, had boarded the
car at Twelfth street and Pennsylvania
avenue, Hefin being his way to
deliver temperance lecture at the
Metropolitan Methodist Episcopal
church at Four and a Half street and
John Marshall place. Upon boarding
the car he observed two negro pas
sengers, one of whom was Thomas
Lumby, and who was in the act of
taking a drink from a bottle of whisky.
There were number of other passen-
gers. including several ladies. Hefiin
says he demonstrated with Lumby and
asked him to stop drinking. saying:
Don't take that drink; there are
ladies here and it is not right. 1t is
against the law for you to do this
thing in a streetcar, and l hope you
will put that bottle away"
The other negro, who was sober, at
tempted to take the bottle away from
his friend, but failed. 1t Is said that
Lumby became offended at Helms re-
monstrances and applied vile epithets.
AS the car reached Sixth street and
PennsyIvania avenue Heflin and Lumby
were engaged in = desperate struggle.
Helm. who is a large. powerful man,
succeeded in throwing Lumby OF the
car as 1t came to stop. Most of the
occupants Of the car hastily alightsd,
including Mr.. and Mrs. Thomas Nc
Creary. The negro fell to the ground
on being pushed of the car. He rose
and. 1t Is said. began cursing Helm
again and made a motion for his hip
pocket as II to draw a pistol, where
upon Helm fired at him through the
car window, missing the negro and
hitting Thomas McCreary, who was
about 20 feet from the car. Hef1in fired
once or twice again, one of the shots
striking Lumby in the head above the
ear. Lumby ran short distance and
fell. An ambulance was called and he
was taken to an emergency hospital.
The conductor of the car disappeared
and a policeman took charge of the
car and ran 1t to Third and Pennsyl-
yania avenue. Thence Hefiin was es-
corted by the police to the Capitol
hotel. and later was taken to the
police station in a cab. He was not
locked up. McCreary's wound Ii not
serious, and after treatment at q hos
pital he will be returned to his apart
ments.
At the emergency hospital 1t was
said Lumby, though badly wounded and
unconscious. has a chance to recover
His skull was fractured. but the sur
geons were unable to ascertain tonight
whether the bullet entered the head.
Hefiin explained at the station his
reason for going armed. He is the
author of "Jim Grow" car law in the
district of Columbia and says that
since he introduced the measure he
has received many letters of threat
ening character and secured permis-
sion from the police authorities to 20
armed.
Helm represents the Fifth Alabama
district in which is situated the Tus-
kegee institute, of which Booker T..
Washington Is the head