The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-04-10
OFFICERS PREVENT
 lYNCH|NGS BY THEIR
 COOLHEADEDNESS Huffman Negro Arouses Con- munity When He Enters
 Little Girls Room
PAYMASTER IS SHOT
 AT ISHKOODA MINES
J. W. Armstrong of Tennessee Company Is Probably FstnIly Wounded. Both Negroes Safely Landed
 In the County Sail

There were two near-lynchings within 10 miles of Birmingham yesterday, but coolheadedness of officers prevented vio- fence in each case
 The scene of the first one was at Huff nan, several miles beyond East Lake. negro, about IS years of age, named Coleman Smith, entered the room of 12- year-old girl. Josephine Harrell for whose mother he worked, about midnight Friday. The girls screams frightened him away. A crowd collected and wanted to burn him, but officers succeeded in getting him to the county jail
 The second one occurred at 2S0 yes terday afternon at Ishkooda about eight miles west of Birmingham, in one of the most rugged and dismal looking sections of Red mountain. J. w Armstrong. clerk for the Tennessee company, was paying off, when he was shot by one of the negroes. Dave Seay. The affair was a coldblooded one and within a few min utes large crowd of men had collected and wanted to lynch the negro. officers foiled them, however, and succeeded in tiiC iiC6AO III Ailt COQfty ldll. Armstrong was probably fatally wounded
 In both cases the crowd of men which gathered were in a greatly infuriated condition and it is surprising that they did not carry out their intentions At Huffman 1t was decidedly so The little Harrell girl had been awakened by some one touching her hand. She saw the negro and screamed. He warned her not to wake her mother, but upon her con- tinued screaming he left the room The child's mother came to her and called a neighbor, E. C. Cook, who responded with two other men.
 The negro had been working for the Harrell family for about two weeks, coming to Huffman from Dadeville He occupied room on the premises. MT. Harrell died a week ago and the negro had continued working on the place.
 When the neighbors arrived they found the negro awake in his room. He ad- mitted that he had been in the child's room but stated that he broke in to steal a pistol. Constable Taylor arrived on the scene shortly and took charge of the negro. Matters took on a threatening look and he rushed him to East Lake where he kept him the remainder of the n1Bnt, pound nand and tOot Yesterday morning the negro was taken back to Huffman, further evidence secured and when things began to look squally again Taylor rushed the negro to Birmingham and placed him In jail.
 At Ishkooda there was great excite ment all the afternoon. The shooting oc- cured about 2:2o o'clock. The negrp Dave Sea, had fallen into the long line of men waiting in front of the pay masters office, where Armstrong was paying off. When he reached Armstrong he presented an order for the pay of his brother-in-law. Armstrong told him the order would have to be receipted by his brother-in-law. and Seay asked Arm strong to lend him a pencil. When Arm strong told him that he had only one the negro became rowdy.
 Armstrong ordered him to get out of the line but the negro stubbornly refused There were some POO negroes in line at the time. Armstrong then raised the window and showed the negro. away from the window. After mouthing a bit the negro moved of and Armstrong had paid off a number of others when the negro returned and fell into line near the front When his turn came he stepped up on a box by the window and. slipping his hand under his coat, pulled a gun from a scab- bard under his arm and fired once through the window. The bullet pene- trated Armstrongs neck just above the shoulder, passing completely through from