The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-16
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
The Tragic Death of Three Negroes

The Tragic Death of Three Negroes
 To the Editor of The Age-Herald.
 The first day of 1911 was cloudy with drizzlng rain during the afternoon, and at night we had a heavy and unusual rainfall. The rain continued the second day, but ceased in the afternoon, and it began to get cold, and on the morning of the third we awoke to find the ground frozen deep and hard with sleet and ice everywhere. Prairie creek was out of the banks on the morning of the second, and reached one of its highest floods during the night of the second. On the after noon of the second Beverly Willis, a tenant on the Oak Grove Place near Prai- rieville, in Hale county, Alabama. with a companion, rode on mules, Beverly rid ing a small blind mule into the creek bot tom in search of cattle.
 The two men amused themselves catch ing rabbits; 1t Is well known that in times of high waters the rabbits take refuge on top of logs and stumps, and VI en they are in this straight they can te easily caught. Having caught sack l of rabbits, the men floundered in de- pression or slough in the woods. Rev. | erly swam out and his companion caught l hold of the tail of his mule and landed safely. Beverly's mule landed on the op- posite side of the slough from himself ana he decided to swim across the slough and get his mule. His companion urged him not to go, and insisted on his getting up behind him as they could easily get home cn one mule. But Beverly decided that he must not leave his poor blind mule to the mercy of the rising waters. so he swan toward his mule, but the mule evaded him and went off in the woods. He then found 1t necessary to take to a snpling and told his companion that his nerve had left him. and that he could rot swim further From his perch in the tree he urged his companion to ride In and get him on the mule, but his com panion thought that discretion was the best part of valor, and answered that he could not come, that he was afraid. It was now getting dark, and Beverly told his companion to tell Tom Todd to come and get him.
 Tom Todd was notified. but Beverly's companion Is not further connected with this story. Toms wife begged him not to go. She was afraid he would be drowned. It was pitch dark, sleeting, the creek was nearly mile wide. and rising. Tom slipped off from his wife, and getting his mule rode to Presley Wilson's home, near the edge of the water artl about a half mile from where Beverly was up the tree. Presley consented to go. So together, on rsules, with lantern, they waded toward Beverly. the water swimming them in several places. They heard Beverly's cries for help and hollowed to him tp stop calling as they were coming. After this nothing more was heard from Tom and Presley. The lantern was seen to go cut at o'clock near the place where Beverly was in the tree. Beverly's cries for help were heard through the cold, dreary, sleeting hours of the night until a. m. twill no one come and get me?' "Help' "Help!" Please come and get me-" "As many brothers-in-law as I have won't none of them come and get me?' 70, Jesus," and from over the water came the dread answer You bet ter call on Him, we can't come to you"
 Borne by the wind over the water the heart rending cries of Beverly were heard a mile and a half away. No one needed them, or if they did, contented them selves with thinking that he could hold out until morning. or that someone other than themselves would go>to his relief There was no other Tom Todd to att tempt his rescue The good and faithful friend was gone, he mad given his life in an attempt to save his friend.
 The next morning we received our first intelligence that the men were missing and we rode into the creek bottom, but saw nothing of the missing men, except the shoes of Beverly hung on the limb of tree, and several trees near each other having the appearance of being climbed, the limbs being bent, broken and bruised, as if stood upon. We went again the sec ond morning, after the waters of the creek had receded and there under one Of the trees. which appeared to have been occupied by man, we found the body of Beverly partially covered by water. but having the appearance of being frozen in an awkward position. A few yards away on the banks of a little slough. was the body of Tom Todd the brave friend, stretched at full .ength. face downward, with all his clothes on, frozen stiff, but with head turned toward Beverly, and spurs sticking up behind giving the appearance of warrior fall ing in battle with face turned toward the enemy. From the little slough ,o on. ttc