The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-05
M'CAULEY KILLED
BY WILL RAGSDALE
Fatal Shooting at Thomas
Yesterday Morning
WIFE WAS A WITNESS
Mrs. McCauley Saw Husband Shot.
Ragsdale Cut Several Times--Ac-
counts Conflict as to Who
Was Aggressor

| Following difficulty the night before,
James w. McCauley was shot and almost
instantly killed by Will w. Ragsdale,
and Ragsdale was seriously but not IA
tally cut by McCauley, about O'Clock
yesterday morning outside the commits
! sary of the Republic Iron and Steel
company at Thomas.
Ragsdale was later arrested on the
charge of murder by Deputy Sheriff ]. G.
Hartsfield and brought to the county Jail
Later after a consultation he was re
moved to Hillman hospital under guard,
| where at late, hour last night he was
| reported as resting easy.
| The widow of McCauley is prostrated
as the result of The tragedy.
| The affair yesterday morning is alleged
| to have been caused by a dispute over
| the time of men working at the furnace.
Ragsdale, who is young man 20 years
| old, was an assistant timekeeper at the
| Thomas furnace, McCauley was a fore
man of a stove repair gang. The two
men are said to have had fight Tues
day night over a disagreement as to the
number of men McCauey was working.
| AS to the actual tragedy accounts vary
as to how the trouble started. 1t is
stated by some that McCauley started
cutting Ragsdale and Ragsdale shot in
self-defense while others say that Rags
dale was the aggressor. The shooting
and stabbing occurred Immediately in
front of the commissary and only few
| feet distant from the residence of Nc
Cauley 1t is said that Mrs, McCauley
was a witness of the killing of her hus-
band.
| According to Mrs. McCauley she and
| her husband were the porch of their
home about 8 O'Clock yesterday morning
and suddenly her husband perceived
Ragsdae standing In front of the conf
missary. McCauley had been telling his
| wife about his fight the day previous
and on seeing Ragsdae he exclaimed:
| There's that fellow"
| Mrs. McCauley made the following
statement yesterday:
| "Some words We're passed and Rags
Gale came toward my husband with
gun in his hand and he and my husband
grappled in front of the commissary. One
shot was fired and my husband cut Rags
dale with his knife, but after the shot
was fired my husband said: I'm shot;
don't shoot again" I went out in the
road and separated my husband and
Ragsdale and this gave Ragsdale the OPP
portunity to shoot and kill him.
| Following the shooting and cutting DR..
| Powell the physician of the Republic
Steel and Iron company, came to the
scene and found that Ragsdale had been
cut five or six times. He dressed the
wounds of the man and said that if there
was no infection Ragsdale would live.
| McCauley was found to have been shot
twice and according to DR.. Powell either
/ shot would have been fatal. Both shots
were in the breast and the bullets which
| were steel-capped 25-caliber, pierced the
body. An automatic Colt revolver was
! used by Ragsdale.
| While his wounds were being dressed at
the commissary Ragsdale was arrested by
Deputy Sheriff Hartsfield but following
| q conference at lhe county jail between
DR.. Hambrick and Sheriff McAdory the
wounded man was taken to Hillman hos
ptal in Shaw's ambulance. warrant
charging murder in the first degree was
sworn out for Ragsdale by A. T. Nc
Cauley and this caused q special guard
| to be placed over Ragsdale at the hos
pital
| r. B. Ragsdale CT Bessemer, father of
| the young man, stated yesterday that his
son had acted In self-defense in killing
McCauley. He said: This man Nc
Cauley had my son on the ground and
was cutting him in the back when VIII
| shot at him in self-defense."
McCauey was married man, about 81
| years of age. A widow and four children
! survive him The funeral services over
his remains will be conducted from his
! late residence this afternoon at 2 o'clock.
| Interment will be in Union cemetery
| near Woodward, at o'clock. He is also
| survived by five brothers and half
| brother. Three of the brothers live In
| Ensley.
| VIII Ragsdale is a son of r. B. Rags
dale OF NBessemer. who is well known in
| that community.