The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-04-16
Clothing Burned oft
Two Hours After Murder
Murderer of Officer Anderson Prevented
cape BY Catching Fire In Feld-Three Wildcatters
Brought to Birmingham and Confess Guilt

The story of Wednesdays tragedy In
the wild mountains of Walker county
as revealed by the deputies who re-
turned yesterday with the confessed
murderers of Deputy W. A. Anderson,
reads like a sensational tragic narra-
tive of the days of old backwoods war
fare.
Almost like providential fire called
down from heaven. the escape of the
which caught him in the field and
burned his clothes from his body with
in two hours after the crime.
Lying in ambush on both sides the
road, waiting for revenge upon the
revenues" who had the day before de-
stroyed their still. the Gurganus fam
ily sh OF for blood Betrayed by a boy,
after they had denied their guilt, Ma
rion Gurganus, the leader. finally con-
fessed his crime All this, after the
grandfather of the tribe, John Cur
ganus, a justice of the peace with an
inquest jury composed chiefly of mer,-
hers of the Gurganus family, had in
vestigated the death of the deputy and
concluded that he came to his death
at the hands of some man from
distance, declaring that there was mo
such gun in that settlement
Marion Gurganus and his son. Will
with John Gurganus. son of Wyndham
Gurganus, who is Marions uncle, all
typical illiterate mountaineers. were
brought to Birmin CHAM yesterday at
noon following their preliminary trial
before the commissioners court at Jas
per to be held without bond. With
them returned Deputies T. w. Powell
Smith and Kennemar. The full story Is
told by Mr.. Powell in detail.
On Tuesday Anderson. Smith and Mont
gomery went into the wild mountainous
country, with a letter, written by Mr..
Hocombe, who lived about five miles
from the Gurganus settlement, in which
he gave them way bill'' to a number
of wildcat stills.
The deputies went to the home of Wynd-
ham Gurganus, arrested him, and de-
stroyed quantities of beer and the still,
which was stored In a nearby smoke
house Returning to the house, they
found Wyndham's wife, dragging Win
chester rifle, and in an excited manner,
p1epa ring to shoot, but they succeeded
in disarming her.
Smith and Montgomery proceeded to
Jasper with Wyndham, but Anderson
turned from Oakman back with Deputy
Sheriff Putnam, to catch another still
further up the valley, which had been
Indicated in Holcombe's letter.
He was proceeding along the county
road, but the news of his approach was
telephoned ahead, and when they ar
rived at the hill below Wyndham's home,
the crime was committed. The woman
armed the murderers and urged them to
defend her from the revenues"
The party of deputies which left Biz
mingham Thursday met the body of An
derson at Oakman. where 1t had been
brought by Candidate Hudgins who Is
running for sheriff of the county. They
Immediately set out with warrants and
when they reached the scene, cut all
telephone wires separated into three
parties. and went after the suspects.
John Gurganus, the 16-year-old son of
Wyndham, was caught three miles from
tho scene of the crime. On the way back
to his home he confessed. to 'Kennemar
that he with his Uncle Marion and his
cousin Ike had committed the murder;
that Marion, the leader, used the VIM
chester rifle, and that Ike ussd target
rifle, while he carried the shotgun He
said he only fred one shot. and that into
eooA>
the gun from him and fired two shells.
He declared that Marion, concealed be-
hind an oak tree, opened fire at about 65
yards as the buggy came up the hill, that
he killed Anderson and pursued Putnam.
With this honest, frank childish confess
sio1, to fall back on, the deputies went to
the home of Marion Gurganus, about a
mile away, and found him suffering agony
from some awful burns about the legs and
hands. He stoutly denied any knowledge
of the killing and was kept away from
John until the preliminary hearing before
the commissioner at Jasper.
Here Putnam appeared and identified
Marion as the man who took deadly aim
at him the day before. He told how An
derson jumped out of the buggy and both
| cried. "Quit shooting, we are not after
you'll When he saw Anderson was killed
he ran toward the hollow, ard was pur-
sued by Marion at least 70 yards be-
yond the body of the dead man, but es-
I capped into the woods.
Marion was thel nut on the stand and