The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-06-28
Three Officers Lose Their
Lives In Attempt to Ar
rest Fugitive
STUBBORN TO THE LAST
Man DIES FIGHTING
Georgian Named Bostwick Defies Police
BarricadiDg Himself in His Own
Home Fires Fatal shots at
Those Besieging Him
Victims of Tragedy

= victims of Tragedy =
. The dead:
y ]. P. McInnis, sheriff of Irwip =
y county.
= 8. Davis, chief of police of Ocilf =
y Deputy Sheriff Sheffield of Try =
- county. =
y W. H. Bostwick. victim of 81 ! =
y fired into his home. .
y The injured:
y James Gill, seriously wounded in =
y final battle today =
= Deputy Sheriff T. Bass arm =
y broken and shot in abdomen =
= Deputy Sheriff Wyatt Tucker, =
= injuries slight.
Irwinville, Ca, June Dramatically de-
fiant even while the shadows of death
closed around him and volley after vol.
ley from the new Springfield rifles OIL
two state militia companies made a siege
on the walls of his humble home, W. H..
Bostwick, the white desperate who OBJ
served his last sabbath day by the mur-
der of two officers of the law and the
serious wounding of three others, paid
the penalty of death shortly after
o'clock this morning. He succumbed to
many wounds received from the voileys
fred into the building early in the nigAt
by a mob of infuriated citizens or from
those of the militia which began an at
tack after four o clock this morning. Al
most at the same moment Sheriff j. r.
McInnis, of Irwin county, who was
wounded yesterday while making des-
urnt
fellow officer from the range of Bost-
wck's deadly fire, expired. James Gill,
another officer, was added to the list o.
wounded during the early morning fusn
lade but 1t is believed that he will re-
cover.
Fought to the Inst
Surrounded by his six little children
wheur- he held prisoners almost to the
end of the siege, Bostwick, who had de-
clared the intention of dying rather than
submit to arrest on the charge OF at
tempting to murder his brother-in-laN v
because of dispute growing out of the
settlement of his wifes estate, fought
the battle to the last ditch, add not once
did word or sign of surrender pass
his lips or appear in the expression OF his
determined features Knowing that death
was near. the desperate man finally al
lowed the fear stricken children to leave
the narrowing experiences of the night,
still held their father in such fear that
they would not reveal one incident of the
night even after they were under the
protection of the militia Officers.
Captain Chas. A. Delang. commanding
the Fitzgerald Guards. the first militia
to appear on the scene by order of Ad-
tutant General A. ]. Scott, described
the battle of one desperate man against
an equally determined host In vivid
manner.
Captains Instructions
Captain Delang's original Instructions
from Adjutant General Scott were to
await the arrival of the Albany Guards,
before taking any steps to capture Bost-
wick. Upon arriving at Bostwicks home,
however. he found the mob in such a
temper that he deemed immediate action
absolutely necessary. He first called up
on Bostwck to surrender. offering him
protection from the mob but the demand
was stoutly refused, even though accom-
panied by threat to take the beseiged
man dead or alive. The officer then
demanded that the children be allowed
to leave the house, but Bostwick replied
to this demand In an equally determined
manner. The little ones had spent the
entire night huddled close to the floor,
fearing at any moment that they would
be victims of bullets from the guns of
the enraged populace.
Captain Delang ordered his men to fire
a vo1ey into the roof of the house. fol-
lowing which another demand for sur
render and release of the children was
made upon Bostwick, who replied with
a shot from the three weapons with which
ne was armed. Then came another vol
ley from the soldiery which caused Bost-
wick to ask that the lives of the children
be not endangered The six children.
oil f1,av 1aft fha In, 1,rtf1d
ing and went into the cook room. Prob
ably in answer to call from their father
however three of the children ran back
into the house, but they returned to the
cook room later. They would not leave
this shelter until Captain Delang had
threatened to burn 1t. They were finally
induced to come to a fence $50 feet dis
tant, where they were taken in charge
by the soldiers. They would answer no
questions. however, admitting that they
held their father in fear. The oldest
daughter Jennie, who had spent the long
night attempting to shield the younger
children, cried because one of the young
er boys had been forced to leave the
house without his trousers, and the Oldest
boy was III.
Children Saved
The children being taken to place
of safety. Captain Delang again demand
ed that Bostwick surrender but the only
reply was shot from the besieged man.
Thon the soldiers fired volley into the
lower portion of the house, intending to
kill Bostwick If possible. A moment later
officers observed that shinge had been
removed from the roof; this probably be-
ing done by Bostwick In order to fire to
better advantage. A hail of lead was
thrown into the roof. followed by thVd
which indicated that Bostwick had fallen
to the floor. Observers then called atten-
tlon to the fact that an object was seen
10 move through a hole in the floor and
a volley was fired In that direction.
rush of the troops was then ordered, the
belief being that Bostwick had been In
1ured. but this was stopped by SHOT
from the, building, which struck Deputy
James Gill, who was cared for by a ply
scan in the crowd
Delang's men then fred into the build
ing several times, the .volleys tearing
locks fand hinges from the doors. Sew
eral men then attempted to enter the
building, but were greeted with a final
shot from Bostwick
Rush BY Soldiers
The Albany company then appeared on
the scene and a rush upon the building
was made from all directions. The doors