The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-02
Murderer of Motorman Wat kinS Gets Away After Long
 Chase Through Woods
TRAIL OF BLOOD LEFT
 WHERE OFFICERS FIRED
Negro Preacher and Two Daughters
 Are Arrested For Harboring Crimi- naI-Partial Confession Ob- tained From Them.

l in locating him, James T. Randolph, the supposed negro murderer of Morton
 man R. II. Watkins, succeeded in maS- l ing good his escape for while at
 least, yesterday morning. The negro
 was located at Smythe's camp Thursday
 night, about seven miles from Birming-
 ham, and was wounded by Deputy l Sh eriffs Luclen Brown and George i Courson as he dashed out of the house
 in which he had been staying.
 Thursday night was one of the dark
 est of dark nights and the negro suc-
 ceeded in eluding the two officers. 1 Bloodhounds were placed on the trail
 three hours afterward, while several | large posses secured the woods, a
 group of 25 men following the hounds. 1 The trail was run for six or seven
 miles, when the hounds yielded to 1 temptation and switched off to a fox 1 trail with an old white fox hound who
 had been chasing the fox all night. When the hounds took the fox trail 1 things began to get hot. The posse 1 tn ought sure they had the negro and l the dogs were followed close for at l to back track and circle, the dogs be- 1 gan to bay, the posse at a dead run ! spread in all directions in order to rope 1 in the negro, who they were sure could
 be heard running through the under brush. Excitement reach ed fever pitch i; l the posse spread out in great array
 and waited for the oncoming of the I lac Nf de err,a aAr
 louder and fiercer, the running noise 1 great, every man was crouched ready
 to take the desperate negro murderer dead or alive, then
 A gray fox went across the road like a steak of lightning with the blood l hounds close hundred feet behind. Ran For Several Miles. | The hounds made a magnificent run ] for several miles, doing especially well | in number of instances in picking up the trail after it had been lost by the | negro running down a. creek. The run ] was exciting, a determined crowd of l deputies street car Plen and citizens 1 generally, including an Age-Herald re- 1 porter, following the dogs at a trot | through the thick underbrush in the ! swamp through which the negro was making his course.
 The negro Randolph lived in half block of the scene of the killing, which occurred at Twenty sixth street and Avenue F, when keen detective work soon pointed suspicion at him as the negro who did the killing. Following
 
 one of whom has partially confessed that Randolph is the murderer. Other persons have identified the knife, and the old white hat worn by the negro and which were left behind by him Tn his hurry to escape after the killing. The two women arrested are the daughters of L. V. Ellison, a negro preacher, who lives at the Smythe camp, and in whose house Randolph was spotted.
 Started After Negro. Upon being convinced that the negro Randolph was the murderer-and the coroner and sheriff are sure he is Chief Deputy Sheriff Lucien Brown and Deputy Sheriff George Courson were sent to the camp Thursday night tc get the negro, driving out in a two horse surrey and accompanied by a negro driver. The camp, while but seven miles from the center of Bir- mingham, appears about as far re- moved from civilization as the farth- est backwoods settlement, and is located on the south ern slope of Red moun- tain.
 Deputies Brown and Courson reached the camp shortly after 10 o'clock, and se- curing negro guide, went to Ellison's house, which is located nearly a half mile from the station. The approach to the house is through a long alley, and their approach was made known to the occupants by the loud barking of yard dog. The deputies quckened their pace, and just as they reached the house El- lison's wife opened the, front dor.
 Randolph could be seen sitting in front of the fireplace fully dressed the fire light falling upon him, while no other light was in the room Courson started around to the rear and Brown called to the woman to make a light. As he called out Ran- dolph made a break for the back door and went out of 1t just as Courson round- ed the corner. Courson fired at him twice with his shot gun, the first shot setting fire to the negro clothing. The negro kept on running however, and Courson emptied two revolvers at him. Brown in the meantime had come around the house and emptied both barrels of his shotgun at the negro and also emptied his re- volver.
 Jumps a High Fence.
 The negro jumped high fence land ing on wagon on the other side, and from that he jumped to the ground and continued his flight. The deputies fol- lowed close behind but lost him in the darkness. After several minutes search Brown remained on the scene while Cour- son went in search of telephone or tel egraph station to send for the hounds. He could not get at one then and Tagged freight train coming to Birmingham.
 As soon as the news was received in Birmingham Sheriff Higdon was commun- icated with and every deputy called The Louisville and Nashville officials soon had a special engine and coach in readiness. and the posse, numbering fully 5O started for the scene with the hounds. The trail was taken in few minutes after reach Ing Smythes. while the men were divided