The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-20


 dime novels" Direct information re- garding the melo-dramatie oeenrances has not been forthcoming but recent visitor to Birmingham from Lincoln tells 1 the story as it was told to him by West, and it possibly stands unparalleled. Al though no violence was inflicted upon | West by the negro the terrifying sensa- ! tions. the touches of the dramatic, the composure of Cunningham, his complete mastery of all situations, the horrible punishment endured by West through mental exeruciation. the delberation and almost admirable tactics of the negro, and the situations that were almost hu- morous at times, are practically unheard of and possibly unknown to man, other than Deputy West himself.
 Several days ago Walker Henderson of Lincoln was a visitor in Birmingham, the guest of E. R. Collins, an attache of the office of clerk of the criminal court and a man who has for a number of years been prominently connected with the work of the Jefferson county courts. MT. Henderson is engaged in the mer- cantile business at Lincoln and eonverseo with Deputy West after he had returned from a trip the like of which would De calculated to turn the hair gray in a night. MT. Henderson related the story of the sensational affair to MT. Collins as it was to told to him by Deputy West. A few of the incidents of the horrifyins experience which the deputy sheriff en- dured were repeated by Mir Collins last night:
 Deputy Sheriff West had heard that Will Cunningham was wanted in Carters- vile. Ga, for an offense of serious na- ture and having located Cunningham on his farm near Lincoln, secured war rant for his apprehension and went 10 the negros home to arrest him Wlth @ view of gaining the reward offered
 Deputy West found Cunningham busiiy engaged blowing his fields with another negro. He allowed Cunningham to finish out the row he was blowing and then addressed him and told him he had a warrant for his arrest.
 Read it." commanded the negro.
 Deputy West drew the warrant from his pocket and began to read the charge preferred. The negro marked his time and at an opportune moment leaped upon the deputy and disarmed him before he had time to resist A struggle followed in which West caught hold of Cunning hams little finger and almost bit the end off. The negro struggled loose and then commanded West at the point of the Distol to march ahead. He marched the deput. up to his (Cunningham's) home
 xx,ffk f, ind injured finger, all the time holding West at the point of the pistol. When the finger had been dressed Cunningham or dered the deputy 10 lead straight on.
 West in front and Cunningham follow ing closely at his heels, with the pistol drawn and aimed, the march led onward in almost bee-line. over fields, through valleys. down into gulleys and ditches' over fences and boulders the trail led The first climax of the affair was reached when the two men were completely out of sight of civilization. Cunningham or dered the deputy to halt, which he dld' He turned to the negro and saw nm lingering the pistol. The scene was desolate one. surrounded by wooded land. West expected at any moment to see the negro raise the gun, which he Kne" meant death to him, but sald notlihs' The negro hesitated for minute or two and then commanded West to go straight ahead.
 Tn the meantime the negro who was working in the field with Cunningham at +he lime he attacked the deputy, gave the alarm. and practically everyone in Llncoih | turned out in posse. They struck the right trail but were kept unaware through the remarkable presence of mind and woh- derful composure of the negro whom they | sought.
 MT. Henderson states that West told him the posse was within 90 yards or nm and the negro several times, but Wheh- i ever Cunningham heard voices or the 1 cracking of twigs and the rustilhg oi | leaves he would command West to "drop." whereupon both would drop into | the grass until the posse passed on. lhis
 was repeated several times according to | the story. Then the trail led on From this point the route chosen by l West at the command of the negro lea
 into possibly the most desolate part or | Talladega county, what is known as Col l 1ins' bend, where the Coosa river makes a | great horseshoe bend of some 10 or F miles The trail led directly through the | dense forest Apparently the negro was
 avoiding any paths or roadways. west was lost. Still the trail led onward anu | under the intense mental strain west
 began to weaken physically, and within l the distance of a few miles he had to sit | down several times. A few miles mol e
 were covered and the deputy told Cum ningham he would have to rest. You're sittin' down too much said l Cunningham. Better go on"
 West climbed the long hill at the point | of the revolver, unaware of the direction, ! and after covering some distance suddenly | found himself on a great high bluff over-
 looking the Coosa He thought his end l had come.
 "The negro" he thought. had chosen
 this spot to kill him. so that he might 1 first murder him and then throw his body | into the river away down below, and mo- | body would be the wiser"
 The thought weakened him and he sal i down Then the negro pointed to the ] river. which could be seen for eight oi 10 miles winding in and out among the 1 hills and compared it to a snake This | .1Ioua1 xNeet few nomentS' rest 'Thf