The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-06-19
TWO DEPUTIES ARE
SHOT BY PRISONER
Desperate Encounter in Cut
Near Banner
NEGRO MAKES ESCAPE
Rolled Into River When They Shot
But 1t Later Developed That
He Made a Get Away

Deputy Sheriff Dave Kennybrook is at
st. Vincent's hospital suffering from two
bullet wounds and Deputy Sheriff Bert
| Roberts has wounded finger as the
result of an encounter with a desperate
negro escape from the county jail yes
terday near Banner mines The negro
IS at large wounded, supposedly with
three bullet wounds in his body
1t was thought for a while that the
negro had fallen into the river dead after
he was shot, but it was later learned
that he had escaped. One bullet inflicted
three wounds upon Kennybrook
Another strange occurrence was that the
negro coolly sat down upon large rock
after knocking Roberts TO the ground,
and deliberately emptied his pistol at the
fallen man, vino was not more than six
feet away, then reloaded his weapon
and emptied it again at the deputy, but
only one bullet took effect. Roberts in
the meantime had fired all but one of his
cartridges Two had struck the negro,
Roberts thinks, but they never feazed
him. Then Roberts, still lying upon the
ground and with shattered finger took
careful aim at the negro's heart
at the shot the negro threw up his
hands, toppled off the rock andNrolled
down the embankment to the river. Rush
ing to the top of the bank Roberts and
three negro prisoners saw the water
ripping and felt sure that the ne
gro had rolled dead into the stream La
h Ia
into some nearby bushes and gotten away
| into the wild mountain country
The shooting of Kenny brook was cold
blooded and deliberate. The scene of the
affair was between Flat Top and Ban
ner, in a cut about a mile from the latter
place A railssad track runs through
the cut, one side of which is noun
tain while the other is directly above
the river.
Kennybrook. who is the deputy in
charge of that district sent word 20
Sheriff Higdon that he would need help
on Saturday and Deputy Bert Roberts
was sent down to assist him. A large
number of arrests for violations of the
prohibition law and other charges had
been made. The two officers were re-
turning to Banner with three negro
prisoners, two of whom were charged
had Just reached the cut when they met
the negro, Ed Easley, coming from the
opposite direction.
Il have a warrant for you, Easley.
Kennybrook said, and took hold of the
negro. Easley had his coat off and IL
scabbard hanging from his shoulder.
where is that gum Kennybrook asked
him.
At the question the negro suddenly
81. l, ic no int trousers
| jerked out revolver
.eThere it is he said with a curse, and
| fred twice.
| One bullet struck Kennybrook in the hip
and the other in the shoulder, the latter
making three distinct wounds, passing in
and out of the feshy part of the right
breast and entering the right shoulder.
Kennybrook attempted to draw his re-
Volver and had it partially out of his
| pocket when one of the negroes bullets
struck him in the shoulder and paralyzed
his arm, rendering him helpless.
| The egro then turned his attention to-
| ward Roberts. He rushed the deputy and
knocked Him off his feet prone upon the
| ground. Then he deliberately sat down
UPON a large rock and pointing his pistol
down at Roberts, emptied it, then reload
/ ed and emptied it again. Kennybrook
| helpless with his paralyzed arm, was get
/ tag out of the cut, and probably all that
saved his life was Roberts sudden draw
| Ing of the fight in his direction.
Roberts was positive that the negro had
rolled into the river and was dead, there
| being every indication that such was the
case. Il did not seem to the officers that
| The negro could have gotten away up the
side of the bank. Later in the day. how
| ever Deputy Sheriffs Curl and Vaught
found traces showing where the negro
had fallen in the mud and then hid in
some bushes. He was seen a short while
| afterward by some negroes working on a
trestle some distance away.
Kennybrook was taken into Banner and
| his wounds treated at the hospital. Rob-
| erts was also attended there. Sheriff
Higdon sent an automobile to Banner to
bring the wounded men to ST. Vincent s
hospital, and they arrived in birmingham
late in the afternoon. Mrs. Kennybrook
accompanied her husband
| At St Vincent's it was discovered that
none of Kennybrook's injuries was seri-
Gus, though exceedingly painful The Of
icer has a splendid physique and is in
perfect health, which had much to with
keeping his wounds from having any ex-
| tremely serious effect.
| Deputy Sheriff kennybrook has made
an enviable record during his connection
| with the sheriffs office, which has been
for a little over two years. He is popu-
lar with the people of his district and
well liked by his fellow officers.
Sheriff Higdon in speaking of him said
Deputy Kennybrook has lasted longer
in his district than any other deputy, the
7 others having been killed or finding the
territory bit too hot for them. He is
a fearless officer with a cool head His
district is one of the worst In the county
having some of the most desperate men In
the country in it. Kennybrook has beer
shot at from ambush repeatedly, his
house has been dynamited, charges OF
dynamite with time fuses have been sci
for him on trestles and at other places
but his nerve has never failed him. There
is constant danger of being killed by some
desperado but Deputy Kennybrook has
never fiickered at his duty"
At an early hour this morning it was re.
! ported that Kennybrook's condition was
good.
Balloon Lands Safely
Canton. o., June 1S-The balloon Sky