The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-02
Man Who Killed Pat ROney
Will Plead Self
Defense
ELLIS TRANSFERRED
TO THE COUNTY JAIL
Brother of Roney Says He Does Not
Believe Dead Man Had Pistol
on Him at Time of
Shooting

| yesterday morning that the shooting was
not the outcome of an old feud. The
shooting occurred In front OF the Flor
ence bar and not in front of the motel,
as previously reported.
Hugh II. Ellis. a brother of Ed Ellis,
stated late yesterday afternoon that he
would enter a plea of self-defense for
| his brother and seemed confident that he
would sustain his contention. He said that
the statement of w. b. Roney, brother
of the dead man. in which he was quoted
as saying that his brother had been
mixed up with the Brooks Fuller scrape
in Montgomery a year ago was a mis-
| take Mr. Ellis said: THE statement that
my brother was in any way connected
with the Brooks Fuller killing at Mont
gomery is wrong. If any accusation to
this effect has ever been made, l have
not heard of it. We intend to plead self
defense and believe we will sustain the
plea Further than this 1 hava nothing
| to say"
| Ed Ellis was transferred to the county
Jail yesterday morning on warrant is
sued by Judge Abernethy, charging mur-
der. Chief Deputy Walter Metcalfe swore
out the warrant on information and be-
| lief. No bond was allowed
Exchanged Pleasantries
1t was learned last night that Ed Ellis
| was in the Florence pool room about 10 30
o'clock Thursday night Pat Roney was
| playing a game of pool with man said
to be named Lloyd Roney and Ellis cx-
changed pIeasantries and Ei1ded" each
| other all during the game. only one game
of pool was played. After it vas over
Roney and Ellis walked out of the pool
room together and both seemed in the
best of spirits This was about 1910. 1t
Is said that Roney was carrying his coat
siung across his shoulder when he left
gun was in sight.
II was 40 minutes later that Ed Ellis
began shooting while the men were in
font of the bar room, which mad been
closed for the night. 1t is sdi that Ro-
ney exclaimed; "Oh, Ed. Ed don't do that
| don't shoot!' One of the scots took ef-
| feet in the left forearm, going in at the
wrist bone and coming out Just below the
elbow on the under side. 1t was said
| that hole large enough for a maa to
thrust his entire hand in.o was made in
| Roneys back
| w. b. Roney, brother of the dead
man, was seen at Warner & Smiley 5
undertaking parIors yesterday after
noon. At first he seemed very calm
and collected and questioned the cor
oner closely to the law on indict-
| ing a person. He asked Coroner Spain
| If the inferior court could return
bill against ellis charging murder in
the first degree and if this same court
could release Ellis on bond. He was
told that the inferior court could eth
er bind the defendant over for the
grand jury or release him on bond If
the offense was not of a very grave
character.
| Mr.. Roney talked on different topics
| for a while, but his mind seemed to be
continually wandering back to his
brother, who was lying in the next
room looking calm in death as
though he were asleep. Mr.. Roney said
that he had left his brother only 80
minutes before the shooting occurred.
Statement of Brother
Mr. Roney dramatically declared: IF
| the kid treferring to his brother) had
| had half chance--I don't mean a full
chance. just half one-he wouldn't
be lying back In that room now. If
| he had even had a gun ION his person
| Ed Ellis would be lying beside him
on that cot. My brother is a crack
shot with a revolver and had he had IA
gun on him when Ed Ellis shot him
| he would have killed Ellis while he
was lying on the ground. He is as cool
as ice and as cold steel. Why, when
he shot this man Lewis Smith in Mont
| gomery last year he pumped five shots
INTO him in a space you could cover
with dollar Smith stepped up to
him and placed his pistol against my
brothers abdomen and the kid caught
Smiths gun with one hand and reached
for his own with the other hand He
! iired five shots into him before the
crowd of people could grab the weapon
away from him.
! Mr., Roney said he didn't wish to
make any accusations or to insinuate
| that anyone had placed gun under
! his brothers body, but he stated sew
eral times that he did not believe his
/ brother had gun. He seemed confident
that IL his brother had been armed
there would have been a double kill
| ing.
He said, III the kid had had gun
when Ed shot him, I would go TO Ed and
say, old boy, you got the best of r. he
had an even break and 1t was lust vour
luck to come out a winner. Here's nv
hand. I'm for you.''
| Coroner Spain said that he didn't see
where he had any room to make a state
ment. The coroner seemed very tired and
| haggard. 1t is very evident that his ardu-
Gus duties of the past two weeks are ..get-
ting on his nerves."
Body Sent to Montgomery
| Roney's body will be sent to Montpom-
cry this afternoon, accompanied bv w. r.
Roney. The dead mans full name wa 6
William Louis Roney. He was born at
Iuskegee and was % years old. He had
been engaged in the brokerage business
In Montgomery up until the time of tn,
trouble with Smith, and for the past few
months he has been travelling for the
Leslie-Judge company
| The deceased is survived by his motber
Mrs. Martha Lenora Roney, four sisters
Mrs. r. o. Edwards, Mrs George Rainev'
and Mrs. Sam Gordon, all of Montgomery
Mrs. Holstein of Chicago. and three
brothers. w. B. Roney, Sidney Roney and
l. II. Roney. all of Montgomery.
| 1t was said that FIVE walls of rnornhine
were found upon Roney's person. Sew
eral letters were also found, but there
was nothing in any OF them that shed
new light on the murder.
| Officer J. A. Moore was an eye witness
| to the shooting and said that the first ~
timation he had that there was any trou
| BILE between the two men was when Ellis
began shooting and Roney asked him not
to shoot.
| Sergaanf Shirlev and Do troI,oa,,