The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-01-02
CORONER'S BOOKS
SHOW GHUESOME
RECORD FOR YEAR
Total of 142 Homicides Prob
ably Exceeds Any Previous
Year in County
BRASHER INVESTIGATED
408 CASES DURING YEAR
Death Almost Invariably Resulted
From Gunshot Wounds-SmalI
Proportion of SIayers Cap
tured Notable Feature.

A glance through the record kept In the
office of the Coroner of Jefferson county
tells the story of the violence of the year
1909 in this county. On Coroner Brasil
er's books for the past year there IL
probably recorded more crime than has
ever been the case in Jefferson In one
year.
During the twelve months which have
Just come to a close Coroner Brasher
docketed over 400 cases. Many of these
cases, while bearing suspicious features
which necessitated an official investiga-
ton by the coroner, proved to have been
deaths which resulted from natural
causes, but at the same time the grim,
bloody record of 142 outright homicides
within the course of twelve months stands
out boldly and badly.
A great majority Of these homicides
were, according to verdicts returned, no.
thing less than murders and bad fea-
ture is the small number of the alleged
slayers which were captured. OF the to-
tai number Of homicides. recorded the
great majority involved negroes. The
violent and Illegal death of 30 white per-
sons is shown by the coroner's docket,
while the lives of 10 negroes were UNI
lawfully taken during the past year.
Accidental Deaths 112.
Accidental deaths recorded and which
were Investigated by the coroner number
H. OF these "A were white people and
IS were negroes.
During the year there were nine sui
cides, seven white people and two ne
groes
Deaths resulting from natural causes
which were Investigated numbered 145.
The exact number of cases investigated
by the coroner during the year was 40s
The total number of homicides during
the year gives an average of about twelve
every month, or more than one killing
every three days.
1t is to be noted In the list of killings,
both negroes and white people. that death
almost invariably resulted from gunshot
wounds This fact serves as an example
in the matter of the number of people,
especially negroes, who are carrying con-
cealed pistols.
Coroner Brasher declares that through
out the year he has been busy investigat-
times during the past tweive months he
has been called out night after night to
conduct a preliminary investigation of
deaths. That he has done his work with
dispatch is bespoken by the fact that only
one of last years cases remains to be
investigated
Following is a list of the homicides
which Coroner Brasher has investigated:
White Homicides.
white-C. A. Bush, shot in Victor hotel
by W. c. Sparks; William Harvey Rhea,
shot from ambush near Bessemer; John
Taylor, poisoned at East Lake; Luigi
spellucd, poisoned; Alfred Edwards, shot;
and killed at Bessemer; A. M. Earnest,
shot and killed by his son at Wylam:
]. D. Merrill. shot and killed by I'M
known parties; John Mclean, shot and
killed by W. P. Reynolds on South Twen-
tieth street; Roy Martin. body found
with head crushed. concealed at William
son furnace; Mrs. J. c. Wilson, mystic
riously shot and killed near Warrior; J.
v. Spraul, remains found on Shades
mountain; Ina May Baker, poisoned at
East Lake; Harry Stevens, shot and
killed on North Twentieth street by C.
D. odum: Ngeed Tinnevvi. shot and
killed by negro at Leeds: unknown white
baby; J. z. Grimes. motorman. shot. and
killed on North Ensley car line near
East Thomas; unknown white infant;
Pete Papas, shot on Southside by an
other Greek; John C. Carper, shot and
killed at Boyles by VIII Sparks; d. w.
Sparrow, shot and killed in lower end
of county by w. L. Stages; unknown
white infant; Joe Wagner. shot and
stabbed to death; J. w. Handley, shot
and killed at Ensley; y. B. Howton. shot
from ambush and killed In western part
of county: ]. T. Myrick, shot and killed
by Doc Murphy, near Sayre: Robert KEEL
Ter, shot and killed at Ensley; Fannie
Swami, poisoned; M. NJ O'Bryant. shot
to death by negroes on the Southside;
1. ]. Marvin, shot on Southside; Frank
Connsll. shot and killed. J. B. Ken
nedy, shot at Jefferson hotel.
Homicldes Among Negroes.
Negroes-Bul Hicks, shot by Son How
ard; Henry Sanders, shot: Morris John
son, shot; Alex Rogers, shot by John
Wren; Enoc Tolbert. shot by deputies;
Wesley Davis. shot; John Hill, kicked
by wife; VIII worthington, shot; Lu-
Their Wilson, shot; Henry Thomas, shot;
stabbed to death; Ed Hamilton, shot:
Jim Brown, shot; Homer Goodwin, shot;
Joe Hopkins. shot; win Tails, shot;
Frank Catalan. shot; Charles Anderson,
shot; Fanny Mabry, shot; w. Price.
shot: Richard Hickman. shot; John
Bryant shot; Fanny Mabry, shot;