The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-28
ALBERT HALE IS
 SHOT BY ELLEDGE Two Men Make Very Different
 Statements HALE CANNOT RECOVER ElIedge Says He Fired in self-Defense, While Hale, at Hospital, Says There Was Absolutely No
 Revocation

Albert Hale, young white man abou 25 years old was shot and fatally wound ed last night shortly before 9 o'clocH by William Elledge, special agent ol the Frisco railroad, at the corner oi Twenty sixth street and Second avenue north. But one shot was fired, the bullet entering the abdomen and puncturing the intestines in several places.
 Hale was rushed to St. Vincents hos pital in Loys ambulance, where he is in an extremely critical condition. The doctors state that there is no chance fol his recovery Elledge gave himself ur to Captain Egan and Officer Bagley. He was carried to the city jail, where a charge of assault with intent to murder was placed against him.
 The accounts of the shooting differ widely Elledge claims that Hale, in company with another man, stepped out from behind building, threw a pistol in his face and told him to hold up his hands Upon this, states Elledge, Hale fired at him, and Elledge, so he claims, returned the fire with fatal effect.
 A statement was obtained by Captain Eagan and Officer Bagley from Hale as he was lying on the operating table at St. vincents hospital. The statement is as follows:
 q know I am going to die and I swear to God that I am telling the truth. He shot me for nothing. I was sitting ou the steps at the corner of Twenty-sixth street when he came around the building and asked me What have you got?' said I had nothing. He said, I have got a bigger gun than you have and shot me- I had never seen the man before. swear that this is the truth"
 Elledge's statement is as follows: q was coming from the Terminal station and when I arrived at Twenty-sixth street two men stepped out from a dark place and one of them told me to put up my hands. He then fired at me but the bullet went wild. I pulled my own gun and returned his fire. The man who was with him ran across the street and disappeared. I could not tell whether he was a negro or a white man."
 An empty revolver was found by the side of Hale, but according to the of ficers 1t had not been fired any time recently. Hale was found lying on his face in front of the place where he claims he was sitting.
 Bill Bailey, a negro, was standing be- side Hale when he was shot, and his statement to the officers coincides exactly with that made by Hale at the hospital.
 The officers are skeptical about the rob- bery story, but are at a loss to know what was the motive of the shooting. Hale stated positively that he said noth- ing to Elledge and had never seen him before According to the officers the holes in Hale's coat shows that he was either stooping over or lying down when he was shot.
 There are several holes in his overcoat, which he states was held across his arm. Both his overcoat, coat and revolver were taken in charge by Captain Martin Eagan and will be used in the case against Elledge. The weapon used by Elledge was 45-caliber Colts.
 Hale is we'll known in Birmingham and has several brothers. who reside in Ems lev Hale lived at Twenty-fifth street and Second avenue, and had been em- ployed in the city.
 Elledge is also well known to the po- lice department. He Is special agent of the Frisco railroad and was formerly a patrolman on the force. He worked for some time under Chief W. E. Weir, and resigned to accept the position with the Frisco. He was well liked by the de- tectives who had dealings with him, and was respected when on the force.
 At an early hour this morning Hale was still alive, but the hospital authorl- ties state that there is no chance for his recovery, and that it is merely ques- ton of hours before his death.