The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-17


  One of the most shocking hor1iicides of recent date occurred yesterday morning shortly before 10 o'clock. when Police Officer William P Reynolds shot down and mortally wounded John Mclean in the latter's furniture store 4O4 South Twentieth street
 The cause of the shooting was the al- | leged circulation of an accusation about the city that Officer Reynolds was a | ''scab and an ex-convict," and the killing of Mclean followed very brief interview
 between the two men, in which it is stated that Reynolds attempted to have Mclean come down to police headquarters and correct the statement which was at tributed to him.
 Officer Reynolds states that four or five days ago Chief Bodeker called him
 Into his office and told him of the accu- ! sation which had been made and ques- tioned him relative to It. stating that if
 the charge was true he could not remain on the police force. The officer denied the charges stoutly, Chief Bodeker was
 satisfied and nothing more was thought
 of the matter
 1 A day or two later, however, Officer
 Reynolds became worried, and he went | to Chief Bodeker and demanded to know
 who had told him of the accusation Chief
 Bodeker told him that he had received the
 information through Detectives Perkerson and Larue, and Officer Reynolds went to the two detectives. Yesterday morning the officer confronted the two detectives and asked them who had told them that r he was "scab and ex-convict" It seems that Detectives Perkersons and Larue fin ally informed the officer that Mclean iahad given them the information.
 But One Shot Fired.
 Immediately upon receiving this infor- nation Officer Reynolds went to the fur niture store at 404 South Twentieth street. run by Mclean, and after a few words with Mclean, drew his revolver and fired upon the man whom he charges had wronged him. Only one shot was fred the bullet taking effect in McLean's abdomen,S passing through the liver and lodging in the wall behind the wounded man. Mclean was rushed to the hospital | in Shaw & Sons ambulance, but he died
 while on the operating table. The conversation between Officer Reyn- 
 moments duration. Officer Reynolds
 states that he went to Mclean and asked | him if he had made the statement that | he was "a scab and an ex-convict.' Ac- | cordng to Officer Reynolds statement | Mclean tried to evade the question, but | Mclean is said to have finally stated that | if any such rumor had been circulated l somebody had either misquoted or misun- | derstood him.
 |, Reynolds is said to have told Mclean that two men had told him he had made l the statement and that he wanted the l false accusation refuted.
 "I can't go now" Is the statement said to have been made by Mclean Then do you refuse to go?" Reynolds | Is said to have asked
 | It Is said that Mclean declined to come to town on account of the matter of leav- ing his business, whereupon Reynolds fired upon and mortally wounded him. Sister Was Present. The shooting occurred in the office of the furniture store. and Mrs. F. Herman Braune, a sister of the deceased, was present and could hear the conversation. She witnessed the shooting of her brother. The brevity of the conversation and the coolness of the two men is shown by the fact that Mrss Braune heard the words between the two men, and fearing nothing
 
 the shot was fred
 It Is understood that Mrs. Braune was sitting at a desk watching her brother and Officer Reynolds. When the officer fired the shot she jumped from the stool upon which she was sitting and when her brother reeled after he was shot she caught him. During the course of the movements of the two men she came partially be- tween them Reynolds is said to have still hod hand. Mclean, seeing this, said:
 Don't shoot again, you have killed me now" These, 1t is understood, were the last words of the deceased. Lowering her brother to the floor Mrs. Braune immediately rushed from the
 store and securing an automobile which was standing in front of the store hur-
 rledly drove to the home of John Mclean, 7O5 South Twentieth street, to inform the wife and daughter of the wounded man of the affair." The women hurried to the
 hospital where Mclean had been carried.
 The wounded man expired immediately after being placed on the operating table. He was never conscious after he was removed from his store.
 Surrendered to Officer. Immediately after the shooting Officer Reynolds left the store and surrendered to Police Officer Stokes. He was taken to police neauqudrleTS Wheie NhiSl ioouc- ker was informed of the affair. Upon learning the facts in the case Chief Bode- ker relieved officer Reynolds of his badge and gave him notice of his suspension | from the police force.
 1 Officer Reynolds remained at police 1 headquarters in the custody of an off | cer until yesterday afternoon, when he was committed to the county jail. He | was removed to the jail in carriage 1 which drove up Third alley to the jail to | avoid the curious crowd which had as 1 sembled.
 | When asked yesterday afternoon if he | and Mclean had ever had any previous I difficulty Officer Reynolds replied: "I formerly. worked under Mclean | when he was in charge of affairs at the Eureka Stove works at Avondale Dur ing that time we had a slight msunder- standing which was settled, and since that time we have been friends" The two men involved in the fatal af- fray were quite prominent and popular in the communities in which they re- sided. e The deceased man was the son of John Mclean, a member of the firm known as | the Eureka Stoxe works, ats. Avondale. He was about 3S years old, and is sur vived by a widow and daughter, Miss Marian Mclean, and several sisters He was man of excellent standing and had
 many friends in Birmingham, where he has resided for 15 years
 Officer Reynolds resides at 4213 First avenue and is a man of family Previous to his election as a member of the Bir-