The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-22

Hit in Head With AK
From the same precinct also came the
report that Will Smith, negro, had
been hit over the head with an ak yes
terday mornngy by John Brody, ne
gro who escaped, at Thirty-ninth street
and Second avenue The negro Smith $
skull is crushed and doctors state that
he cannot live over a few hours.
At s o'clock last night Macon Colquit,
negro. came home and found a strange
negro in his house. This excited Colquit,
he drew his knife and made lunge
at the stranger, who dived out of a near
by window Disappointed Colquit turned
his attention to his wife. who had lin
gered and cut her nearly in two before
lie Gained himself. According to the po-
lice it was the bloodiest tragedy they
had encountered during the day. There
was blood everywhere, it seemed, IN that
negro shack and the negro Colquit was
as bloody as his dying wife. After a
prolonged waiting spell a negro ambu-
lance arrived at the scene and the COL
quit woman was removed to the Hillman
hospital, where no hope is held for her
to live Colquit surrendered to the police
and was locked up on the charge OF as
sault with intent to murder.
City Physician Charles Whelan. who
was on the scene of several of the cut
tings and shootings, was highly indig-
of homicides for one day.
An Outrage
"It's an outrage" he said, that in a
Christian community a half dozen dam
eerous assaults, of which four of the
victims are already dead. should take
place in one day. And it is only o'clock.
Nho can tell how many more Will be
killed or wouned before morning? The
grand jury should investigate such a
fs.l1lf lad
before that body to give my opinion OF
what remedial measures should be taken
as preventves to these numerous muir
ders.
"Now, I am excited perhaps, as this
is unusual 1 don't mind one murder
a day because we are accustomed to that
In birmingham. but a half dozen is too
much-entirely too much"
Chief of Police George II. Bodeker had
very little to say about the killings ex-
oept to state that the state and county
should see to it that Coroner Spain should
have some assistants.
There ought to be at least four cor
oners in the city of Birmingham" said
chief BoGeker, and the county> board
OF revenue ought. in justice to the pub
lie, provNe such a number. 1t is a ply
steal impossibiity for one man to attend
to all the cases that come up and it
might be said that it is disgrace to
the county that such a condition of af-
fairs exists.
s'As to the numerous killings yesterday,
why they can't be helped. The negroes
are liable to xiii each other at any time
and at all times However, We will have
all the parties responsible for the killings
In Jail within a day or two"
Coroner's Views
Corone,~Charles l.. Spain, when finally
located last night about 10 o'clock stated
that he was too busy to grant an inter-
view. 1t seems that Coroner Spain had
been tramping all over birmingham, Ems
ley and Bessemer since ) o'clock yester-
day morning, Investigating homicides, and
he was in no humor> to talk.
IT am home,' he said, land I'm going
to stay home until morning, no matter
who else is killed. Today / have lost
count Of how many deaths have in
vestigated and my assistant, Jim Smiley,
has also been busy, as we'll as Deputy
Coroner Jacobs of Bessemer. However.
the killings have come SO quickly that we
could not attend to all of them and |
am off to bed right now"
Asked a question to what he thought
about the numerous killings, the coroner
answered:
"Well. as the murderers are very sell
dom caught, why | think that provides
an incentive to kill and therefore am
not surprised at the casualties. of to-
Ray. Now, good night I'm gone" and
down came the telephone receiver
1t Is understood that the unusually large
uumber of homicides yesterday will be
looked into by the grand jury, which is
At present in session. number of cit
zens last night We're emphatic in their
u opinions that the grand jury should be
presented with all the facts.