The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-12
A. S. Howell and ]. A. Rob-
inson Arrested Charged
With Assault
WILLIAMS EXPLAINS
CAUSE OF TROUBLE
Saws Smith Resented HOwelPs Attack
on President of Union and Was
Assaulted After Turbulent
Meeting Broke Up

George H. Smith of 525 South sixty
hrst street, a union carpenter, was as
ssulted and stabbed last night about
s:45 O'Clock in Fraternal hall, on Third
avenue, near Twenty street, at
the close of a turbulent weekly meet
ing of the carpenters union Local No.
1os. A. S. Howell. a union carpen-
ter. living at S142 Bernie avenue, was
arrested by Officers Richardson and
Stone a half hour later near the scene
and locked up. charged with assault
with intent TO murder in connection
with the cutting of Smith. J. A. Robin
son, the organizer of the carpenter 5
union, was also arrested on the charge
of assault and battery.
Following the assault and cutting of
Smith, his assailants fled and the car
penter's meeting, which had just ad-
1ourned in a discord, broke up in the
greatest confusion Friends of Smith
carried him to the street out of the
exciting scene in F'raternal hall and
brought him to Gums drug store az
Third avenue and Twentieth street
Johns ambulance was summoned and
Smith was removed to the Hillman hos
pital, where it was stated that he had
several deep cuts under his left arm
pit and his head was terribly bruised
from a blow with a heavy stick. 1t
was stated that Smith would undoubt-
edly recover.
At the hospital Smith said: Howell
behind with hrs walking stick after the
meeting" He would not state the cause
of the trouble.
According to w. j. Williams of 3611
Avenue e. who was acting vice pres
ident at the carpenters meeting, the
trouble grew out of attack by Howell
on the character of George Grogan,
president of the carpenters union.
Howell attacked President Grogan
In a speech while Grogan was absent,
and could not defend himself" said
Williams, "and George Smith resented
the remarks of Howell, and asked that
the presiding officer rule Howell out Of
order in making such a vitriolic attack
on the head of the union The presid-
ing officer ruled that Howell was be-
yond his rights in talking as he did
and requested him to sit down The
attack that Howell was making was
very bitter and insulting.
This attack on the president of the
union threw the 40 or SO members pres
ent into an uproar and a few minutes
later the melting adjourned. Imme-
diately after this Howell and Robinson
made a rush for Smith and hot words
followed. / saw Robinson hit Smith
over the head with his heavy stick, and
then Howell, l think, stabbed him.
There was so much excitement and con-
fusion that I could not tell what was
actually happening for the next few
minutes"
At police headquarters. where ]. A.
Robinson was brought by Policeman
Camp, he would make no statement.
Upon being told that Smith had said
that he (Robinson) had struck Smith
over the head with his stick, he said
vehemently: ITS lie. l was not any,
where near the fight. I was taking
drink of water about 40 feet away"
A. S. Howell was asked in the city
jail for a statement, but refused to
speak. He stated that he would have
attorneys make any statements to the
press that would be desirable but that
he preferred not to make a statement
at the present time.