The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-03-08
Trouble Originated in Dispute
Between White Man
and a Negro
ARMED CITIZENS HUNT
DOWN ALL SUSPECTS
Omcers Are Shot Dead BY Fleeing
Negroes and Two Other White
Members of Posse May Die
From Their Wounds

Tampa, Fla, March with three me-
Eroes dead as a result of race riot In
the neighborhood of Palmetto, the wrath
of the residents of that section seems
to be assuaged. The sum total of deaths
is three negroes and two white men, with
one white man in the emergency hospital
here with bullet hole through his
head.
The last of the three negroes implicated
In the murder of the two deputies and the
fatal wcunding of the third. was lynched
at dusk this afternoon in the palmettos
on the banks of the Manate river. He
had fallen asleep and when he awoke
was gazing into the barrels of dozen
rifles and shotguns. Even then he
showed resistance and reached for his
rife. In second he was riddled with
bullets.
The dead:
Samuel stribbling, contractors super
intendent.
Deputy Sheriff Matthews.
Wade Ellis, negro
Sam Ellis negro.
Unknown negro.
Probably fatally injured, Deputy Sheriff
J. B. Morgan.
Seriously injured. Deputy Sheriff Max
Burnette.
The trouble which has resulted thus
fatally grew out of a dispute Sunday
between Stribbling and a negro named
Rudy over wages Rudy shot and
killed Stribbling and Sunday night
Deputy Sheriff Matthews was killed by
either Ruddy or one Of the Ellis negroes,
when the officer. at the head of posse.
Hounds had tTaisa 92usa y IS Mnlen e3abb fb
bling
The country was aroused and hundreds
OF citizens heavily armed have secured
the country for the past "a hours. To-
night seversl hundred of the men came
into Palmetto. the scene of the first kill
ing, and reported that the two Ellis
negroes. brothers. and Ruddy had been
killed, and their riddled bodies were left
in the swamps.
charge with the responsibility of the trou-
BILE, was riddled with bullets by a posse
today, not. however, before he and his
brother, Wade Ellis, had mortally
wounded Deputy Sheriff ]. B. Morgan
and seriously wounded Deputy Max Bur-
nette. Wade Ellis escaped.
At daybreak Deputies Morgan and Bur-
nette, who were placed on guard at a
bridge. saw two negroes approaching and
commanded them to halt. For answer the
negroes opened fire, and Deputy Morgan
fell mortally wounded Sam Ellis seized
the fallen mans gun and raised 1t to fire
on Burnette. Burnette was too quick and
shot the negro through the head. This
shot was not fatal. Wade Ellis opened
fire on Burnette, seriously wounding him
In the face.
When the desperate had emptied his
gun he disappeared in the swamp
Burnette tied the wounded negro to a.
tree and carried his fellow officer to a
nearby house. A short time later the
posse arrived and after learning of what
the negroes had done, ridded Sam Ellis
with bullets.
After shooting the negro to death plans
were laid for the capture of the other
brother. The posse composed of several
hundred men. was divided so that a cor
don of heavily armed men was drawn
around the swamp. where the negro took
refuge. At dark the negro had not been
captured.
The negro now at large is the one who
killed Paymaster Sam Stribbling yester-
day. 1t is believed also that he fired the
shot from the house which the officers
had surrounded Sunday night, killing
Deputy Edward Matthews.
The entire community is thoroughly
aroused over the killing of the white men.
and rumors are afloat here to the effect
that q general attack will be made to-
night upon all of the negroes who are
even suspected of being in sympathy with
the Ellis brothers. The posse now In pur-
suit of Wade Ellis is being augmented by
arrivals from all of the small settlements
within radius of 90 miles.