The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-08-05
Robert L. Taylor Badly Cut
BY Unknown Person at
2017 Fifth Avenue
MEN UNDER ARREST
CALL OTHER NAMES
Room Found in Greatest Disorder
With Furniture and Bed Clothing
Smeared With Blood-Find
Footprint in Blood

Robert L. Taylor, secretary of the To-
cal Brotherhood of Painters. and fore
man employed by the Henry Uhl Co.. is
seriously injured as the result of fight
which is alleged to have aiken place In
an upstairs room at 20l7 Fifth avenue
early yesterday morning at about 2;3o
O'clock Taylor was found by the Fourth
avenue patrolman at 2:S5 in the Green
wood cafe on Twentieth street, with
knife wound just below his heart He was
rushed to the South Highland infirmary
In the ambulance of the Johns Undertake
ing company. where he was attended at
once by DIR. Moreland.
Immediately after tho injured man was
taken to the hospital. Officers Kicks Ivey
and Wilson were detailed by, Captain De-
vine TO find IL possible, the place where
tho fight took place. and arrest the man
or men who did the stabbing.
The three officers went TO house on
Fifth avenue, at 2ol7, an alleged blind
tiger, run by o. Il. Stadt. After carefully
searching the place. tho officers entered
room on the second floor at the tack. a
scene of wild disorder met their gaze.
cenltI ldplS NHltH Huu pSSH III tlS hfiuuic
of the room was broken and lay on its
side near the hearth; one chair was
broken, and the sheets had been torn
from the bed, and were stuck 10 the floor
with blood. A mans hat and coat were
lying on the floor covered with clots OF
dried blood. Near one corner OF the room
where another coat was found. pair of
dice lay In a pool % blood A gasjet
burning htfully, threw ghasty light over
the broken furniture, the disheveled.
blood smeared bed and the clotted gar
ments. No one was in the room.
Evidence as Collected
The coats were collected as evidence,
and the room examined carefully. OFFICER
Kicks, as he was examining the floor,
found the print of a mans foot In blood.
and calling to his partners. they followed
the trail, Step by step it led down to
the first floor, to the back of the house
and out the back door. Out In the yard
they found 1t, too, and It led then around
the house TO side window. There 1t
stopped. Leaving Wilson TO guard the
window, officer Iyey and R,cks went back
In the house, and knocked at the door
of the room. At first there was no re-
Spouse. but after two or three minutes hGsd
passed and officer Kicks had pounded
on the door with his pistol, IL was opened
WHAT do you want7' he asked.
rs there anyone else In The room with
your" asked the officer
"Only myself
Just then there was q sound In the
room AMI the officers pushed past the
man and entered. Two other men were
there, crouehed up In bed. One was
in his shirt: he was covered with blood
and both hands were red with IL. Al
though the officers questioned the men
carefully they all said they knew
nothing of the cutting Nor would the
man who was covered with blood
stains say how they had come there,
Taking the coats and tho dice the
officers led the three men to police
headquarters. where they were turned
over to Desk Sergeant Donelson.
Gave Names TO Officers
Tho men gave their names as Wal
ter r. Talley and Carl *. Talley, and
the man whose hands were covered
with blood said that his name was Lee
Johns. They all gave their occupation
as painters. and said that they had
been employed on the new city jail.
Sergeant Donelson then got into
communication with Sergeant Newman
and together they questioned tho three
men. Johns then made the following
statement, II was coming down Tween
tieth street about 2;30 o'clock when
! met this man whom you say was
cut. He did not have on a coat and
his shirt was torn in front, and he
was covered with blood. The man was
staggering and I helped him down to
the Greenwood cafe. where the patrol
man found him. After that I went back
to my room where you later found me.
That Is all that / know OF the mat
ter.
Injured Mans Statement
An officer was sent over to the in
Urinary and there he talked TO the In
jured man. Taylor said: II was up
stairs In Stadt's house. There were six
men in the room, but / do not know
which stabbed me-" He could not talk
any more and the officer was unable
to find out from him which one had
done the cutting and what the fight
was over.
After more questioning. Carl TalIey
was released by the police and the
other two men. Johns and waiter Tai
ley, were put In the city jail, charged
with assault with attempt TO murder.
Later in the morning. when the men
were questioned by Chief Bodeker,
they confessed that they had witnessed
the fight and told who had done the
cutting. They were then released on
bond TO appear at court to Identify the
man, II caught by detectives.
The cutting yesterday caused much
discussion about the city, as Taylor
had many friends and was an active
lodge member here. There is some
rumor at headquarters that the house
where the fight took place Will DO
closed by the police, Taylor lived on
the Southside and has wife and fam
lily Although he was taken home
yesterday afternoon In an ambulance,
the doctors state that his condition is
very serious as the cut evidently made
by a long blade, entered very close to