The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-08
BOY FELL DOWN
 ELEVATOR SHAFT
Escape From Death Was Due Only to Fact That Elevator Was Ascend-
 ing-Takcn to Hillman

| Willie Williams, son of Dr. s. l.. Will
 Hams of 33O1 Tenth avenue, North Sir
 rningham, had a dangerous fall yester- day afternoon when he accidentally stepped over the edge of the elevator shaft in Blachs department store. He rlunged from the fourth floor down tc the top of the elevator, which fortunate. ly just at that momsnt was ascending
 making the whole distance of the fall about IS feet. That the boys life was saved is due to the fact that the fall was thus broken
 | He was badly bruised and shaken up by | the fall. but his injuries were said to be not very serious by the authorities at the Hillman hospital where he was quick | ly removed in the ambulance of Shaw & | Son. He is about IS years of age. >~-~-~~~~~~~>~~~~~~~~ | wing on the ground near the spot where | the wounded man fell, and that this had | been picked up by some other unknown | member of the crowd. Sergeant Bagley gave the further information that the | motorman of the car made a statement
 to the effect that he had seen a revolver
 lying by the side of Smith after he had | fallen to the pavement.
 | 1uOSO1, Iu6 COHuuClOT, IdS a very DDy- | sh appearance and manner. He was
 somewhat excited when interviewed las
 night at the jail. but maintained eni.
 1 rhatically and decisely that he had beer | compelled to the act by a sense of sell | protection. He stated that he was sorry | that tho whole affair had happened SO l hut he declared he would not hesitate to. take the same course if he should be placed again in the same position Hud- | son is 2S years old The number oi 1 Hudson's badge is 403.
 State,nents Fly Witnesses MT Smith is 25 years of age. He had | been married only a year in December | His young wife is heart-broken | "As I understand it, said Frank w Smith, my brother was practically shot | in cold blood There was positively nc excuse for the affair.
 ]. E. Russell, the only eyewitness | who was standing on the rear platform | at the time, refused to make a statemen | for publication, although he described | the circumstances to lockers on who ar | rived after the shooting. He declared ] that it was, unwarranted and called i | brutal murder"
 | He Is quoted as having declared tha Hudson attempted to get 'awav with the pistol" but that MT. Russell took Il away from him. It is said that wher some one suggested that the patrol be called several people In the crowd sug gested Let's get rope and attend to him ourselves"
 | MT Russell was very careful in taking down the facts, using his notebook an( | going over the scene several times. ''l | will tell the story to the jury and no | hefore,' he said. He semed to fear tha any newspaper quotation might damage | his evidence
 Passengers Heard Words | John V. Coe, who was on the car, said l q didn't hear the discussion. After the | car had stopped I simply caught the words, If you get off the car I'll xii ycu.' I turned and saw the two men 1T | a .fisticuff scuffling in the dark I was l in the fourth fifth seat on the gate side I lost sight of them for a second | and then heard the pistol shots. I saw | the conductor then step up on the car | He said he did it in self-defense. William B. Allen. who was sitting or | the seat just behind MT. Coe said. q heard the words You will get off the | this car, too' Then I heard a blow and | saw the conductor fire the shots though it was in the dark and I could not see plainly"
 | The physicians state that MT. Smith was not under the influence of alcoho l and there was no sign of his having i'm bibed. The conductor was also perfect | ly sober.