The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-27
MAN FOUND WITH
 BULLET IN HEAD
J. D. Rumph of Perote Was Probably Cleaning
 Revolver

Union Springs, September 2f.-(SpeciaLl The little town of Perote, in the southern
 part of this county was thrown into great excitement yesterday morning when
 it was learned that J. D. Rumph, one of the most prominent citizens of the place, had been found dead at his home with pistol bullet through his head. Mrs. Rumph had gone to spend the night with
 her father and Rumph was left in the house alone. A pistol shot was heard in the Rumph home about o'clock in the evening by neighbors, but nothing was thought of it.
 When found yesterday morning the
 body of the deceased was lying in fhe room with a bullet hole directly between
 the eyes. An automatic revolver was ly-
 ing by his side.
 Suicide was the theory held by many
 at first, as Mir Rumph had been in bad
 health for a long time past. It had only
 been about two weeks since he returned from Battle Creek, Mich, where he spent
 some time on account of his health. Subsequent developments, however,
 have tended to explode the suicide theory.
 In the first place, it is said by those who
 examined the wound that such wound
 could not have been self inflicted It is also said that no man who had ben try
 Ing to commit suicide would have shot
 himself in the spot where the wound
 was as 1t is one of the hardest parts of
 the skull to penetrate. Another thlns
 that goes to indicate that the shooting was not done intentionally was that the magazine had been taken from the pistol and was lying near by
 It is said that Rumph had just cleaned up his typewriter and it is thought that
 he was engaged in cleaning the revolver when it was accidentally discharged. l. is believed that a cartridge was left Tn the barrel which he did not know or greasy rag which he had evidently been using was caught under the trigger
 The death of MT. Rumph is greatly de- plored. He was young man Of spiehdld qualifications. He resided in this city last year and was valued employe in the probate office. He leaves wife, Who is a daughter of D. A. HiXon of Perote. ]. H. Rainer of this city has lost three valuable horses in the past few days ana it is supposed that they were poisoned. Two of these were beautiful shetiaHo ponies which were the pets of ms achii- dren Another, large family hofse' was affected eXdcIly dS luC PoiiiSS WI feed which had been fed the ponies was sent to Auburn to be examined ana par of the stomach of one of them. MT Rainer is doing this in an effort 10 de- termine whether the horses were pols- oned.
 Deputy. Sheriff G. A. Ritch came neal losing his life while engaged in Keeping order at a negro camp meeting at Salem in the southwestern part of Bullock coun- tv. yesterday afternoon Besides M IT, Ritch there were two other deputies there. J. T. Knight and Eugene khoWlss
 They had arrested a negro named rec Wells. from Pike county, Tor druhhsh' ness and disorderly conduct. ihis th'
 ra sed other negroes, his companions wnc demanded of the officers that he pe turned loose One negro advanced upon Ritch with knife and cut nm throusl inc collar inficting a painful wound oi the left side of the neck. He scratched the officer on the stomach and about the hands None of the wounds, however will move serious. MT. Ritch shot at the negro five times with a revolver, one sho' taking effect. The negro was borne away hv his friends and it has not yet peeh ascertained how badly he was hurt. Ihe officers held the prisoner arrested ano brought him to town. He refuses 10 sNe the name of the other negro.