The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-07-18
SURE NEGROES ARE
ONLY TOOLS IN THE
HANDS OF WHITE MEN
Deputies Spend Entire Day in
Pursuit Of the Red Noun
tain Bandits
SAW TWO WHITE MEN
GIVE THEM PISTOLS
OFFICERS Bring In Seven Negroes and
Think That Some of the Noun
tain Gang Are Included
in the Haul


revelation was made last night by Dep
uty Sheriffs Parker and Hamilton when
they produced evidence that shows that
the famous Red Mountain bandits are
led by two unknown white men. Deputies
Hamilton and Parker claim that they
actually saw two white men in company
with some negroes among whom was
the notorious tall yellow negro" who
heretofore was supposed to have been
the rngieader of the gang, but who Is
now believed to be only tool by whlch
the two white bandits carry out their
remarkable series of bold and cunning
crimes.
All day yesterday Deputy Sheriffs Ham
iiton and Parker followed the notorious
tall yellow negro bandit of Red Noun
tain. From early morning until the rain,
in the evening compelled them to give
up the trail the deputies dogged the steps
of the boldest highwayman known TO BIZ
mingham for many years and he just as
doggedly and cunningly eluded them at
every turn until last night they returned
to Birmingham, knowing little more
about him than before the all-day chase.
AS a material result of the all-day chase
through the Red mountain district, seven
negroes were arrested late yesterday att
ernoon by the two deputies and locked
in the county Jail charged with Sunday
gaming 1t is believed by the officers
that some of the negroes can be identi-
fed by people who have been held up
as being members of the bandit gang.
Persons who have been robbed will be
summoned to the county jail today and
an attempt made to identify some OF
the gang.
Early yesterday morning Deputies Ham
ilton and Parker went to the Red noun
tain district quietly and unassumingly to
attempt to get at the cause of the crime
wave They had been detailed by Sher-
if Higdon to work on the highway rob-
berry case. After working all morning
they finally got onto the trail of the Dig
yellow negro, whose very description mas
a sound of terror to residents Oh the
community. He was in company WIN
two other negroes and the deputies fol-
lowed the trio for hours.
down the mountain and once crossed over
and came down toward Birmingham. IN
spite of all their tricks and attempts
to cut them off and corner them, the
two deputies never got close enough 10
the gang to halt them. Instead of COM
ing into town the gang went back east
ward along the foot of the mountain
with the deputies in hot pursuit. Every
time the officers tried to cut them OH
and get in ahead of them the gang slipped
away and instead of coming out and
meeting the deputies they would be seen
still going, far in - distance.
1t was after the deputies had followed
the negroes for several hours and they
were going through woods up on the
mountain that two white men were seen
to join the negroes in a concealed and
lonely meeting place. which 1t Is believed
had formerly been designated. The two
parties talked for a few minutes and
the white men were then seen to give
the negroes two pistols, which the ne
groes Immediately concealed in their
trousers Before the deputies could get
to the place, however, the meeting had
broken up. IL seemed that ldte was
working against the officers.
The three negroes went one way while
the two white men quickly disappeared
in another. Soon after darkness began
to fall and a rainstorm came up which
compelled the deputies to give up the
chase for that day. The officers were
greatly elated over the new developments
in the case and they feel confident that
the meshes of the law are slowly but
surely closing about the gang of band
Its.
The deputies late in the day went to
where they had previously seen the
other crowd Of negroes In an old house
and brought them to Birmingham They
were Lew Dardin, Joe Thomas, Cleve-
land Highley, VIII Moore, Charles
Grimes, Weston Murdoch and Liga Will
liams. These negroes were found play
ing craps in an old vacant house near
Red mountain on the Oxmoor road.
Two Other Negroes Arrested
Jesse Grim and Jake Hall, two negroes,
were arrested yesterday afternoon by De-
tectiyes Gates and Burge and locked in
the city jail, charged with highway rob-
perry. The detectives claim that they