The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-09-16
N0rwOOd Highwayman Is Later Captured and Put
 in the City Jail
PALMER WENT OUT TO
 LOOK FOR PROWLERS
Negro Jumped from Behind Board Fence and Covered Him With Pistol-Desperado Is Later
 Found Near the Scene

Recorded as one of the most daring was that of Saturday night in Norwood, when John Wallace, believed by the local police to be one of the darirg negroes who have been terrorizing cer- tain parts of Tennessee and Georgia. held up Patrol Driver John Palmer about o'clock near the corner of Tenth avenue and Twenty first street, north. The negro highwayman relieved the officer of his pistol and $1.05 in cash, and then backed off with both weapons holding the patrolman at bay. Details of the affair were not made public by the police authorities until yesterday.
 Immediately upon the matter being reported to the department headquar- ters, Chief Bodeker obtained a descrip- tion of the negro from Officer Palmer and sent it out over the whole city to every officer.
 Six hours later, at 9 o'clock yester- day morning, telephone messages from wheel scouts on the Northside notified the chief that John Wallace. the negro highwayman, was arrested, and had been placed in a private cell at the city jail. Palmer Identified the negro and secured his gun. Wallace. though he disputed the officers word as to the minor details, admitted the crime
 Mother Worried by Prowlers
 About 7:S0 o'clock Saturday evening Officer John Palmers mother. from her home at No. 1928 North Twenty first street, called up her son at headquar- ters and told him that two men, look ing like a white man and negro, were prowling around the house and had been to the door twice. Officer Palmer, anxious for his mothers safety. ob- to use a motorcycle to go to his home and if possible find the men.
 He arrived there about 10 minutes later, and began a search of the prem ises. Dressed in dirty overalls in which he had been working on the patrol wagon, from his appearance no one could have told that ne was an officer. After a thorough search he could find nothing. and had started back to his | iiouSc. III lhc Sdiu Ol lUlO 4NOTlfi Twenty first street, however. he thought he noticed some one moving and taking his pistol from his hostler, placed 1t in his belt, then pushed open the gate This gate was a high board one, and persons going through could not see on the other side. As he opened the gate and stepped in negro. tall. yellow and having the features of a China man. showed big black pistol into his stomach and said: Don't you move, d. you. don't you move" The officers hands went up in the air. The negro reached over with his free left hand and drew Palmer's revolver from his belt and with a curse, warning him not to follow him, backed off down Tenth alley
 How Negro Was Caught
 Immediately following this headquar- ters was notified and the entire police force was warned to look for the high wayman. Officers Moser and Wilson deserve the credit for the catch. Go- ing down Tenth alley about l o'clock in the morning they looked through the window of negro house. Two re- volvers lay on the table, and a negro was sleeping in bed. After some de- liberation they went back up the alley, telephoned for the patrol wagon and another officer.
 Officer Moser was stationed at the back door and Officer Lyons at the front. Officer Wilson then opened the front door and went in, calling to Of ficer Moser. Then all three patrolmen stepped into the house. The trapped ne- gro sprang from bed, and made a lunge for one of the revolvers but Moser was too quick. A fight followed in which one of the officers was slightly cut, and the negro was quieted by a blow on the side of the head. He was brought to the station in a state of semi-consciousness
 All the way to headquarters Wal lace denied the charge, and stated that he had just come from Selma. At head. quarters, however after some persua. sion on the part of Sergeant Donelson. he admitted that he had held up the white man, and when told that it was an officer, the negro dropped to his knees in fright.
 Wallace is being closely watched at the city jail, and will probably be turned over to the county some time this week. It is the opinion of the men at headquarters that he is wanted elsewhere for similar crime.