The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-20

cepted the appointment with many forebodings as my wife and all my friends felt the gravest fears for my safety and I had a sort of panicy feel ling running up and down my spine when first I patrolled that section of Fort Payne.
 The Trouble Begins
 'The very first night trouble began A negro came along and started some- thing just to see what l would do and he quickly found out as nearly brained him with my club. That ended all my troubles for that night, all though on the second night, I heard murmurings that the negroes were not going to stand for my presence there and l was to be driven off-as all other officers had been-or killed. I told my partner that 'Buzzard Roost' had to be broken up sometime and that we might as we'll be killed in trying. can't say that my partner was too en- thusiastic over the proposition.
 "On the third night there was a mas querade ball at Gamers hall and about 200 'niggers' were there. I guess about the grandest collection of cutthroats ever gathered together were there mingling and drinking with the danc- CTS. My partner and I were stationed near the dance hall when a fight
 
 went to arrest the fighters.
 'As we advanced on the motley crowd the negro whom I had clubbed the first night came at me with a pistol in his hand. He fired point blank. I drew my pistol but a negro grabbed it and sought to wrench it away. Then the shooting became general and bullet whzzed all about my head as I struggled with the negro that held my pistol and the one that was shooting at me. Finnal1y I wrenched my left arm loose and reaching in my rear left pocket where I had another pistol, I managed to get 1t out and it was immediately goodnight for the nigger who was peppering' at me. shot him right through the forehead and then the negro who was holding my right arm let go and I started shooting in the crowd of negroes with both pistols.
 Surrounded by Dead
 There was whole lot of shooting but finally the negroes were stampeded and I was alone with several dead and wounded about me. I suddenly looked up. fee1irg presentiment of danger, and there was the proprietor of the dance hall, the worst of all the negroes, stand ing in the doorway and leveling a shot gun at my head. I felt that there was one more bullet in my right hand gun and I snapped it at him and he toppled over with a .44-calibre bullet through his mouth.
 'During all the shooting my partner had disappeared but he later turned up in Fort Payne and reported that I had been killed. My wife was also informed that I was dead.
 "A posse was quickly made up and started for the scene of the shooting met them about halfway and spoke rather severely of my partner for his desertion He was later tried on charges resulting from his assertion and dismissed.
 Another Bad "Nigger"
 'The next morning there was a coro- ner's inquest and at the inquest there was a negro sitting in a rear seat with a shotgun in his lap muttering to himself. A friend came along and told me that the negro was mutteriug threats about me. So without awaiting the verdict of the coroper's jury I jumped up and go- ing to where this tough nigger was sit- ting broke his own shotgun over his head and then the jury brought in ver- dict stating that I had been justified in defending my life against the attacks of the wild negroes
 Since that time I have never had any serious trouble and have never fired my pistol at any person, white or black.
 Any police officer who uses judgment will never have to fire his pistol except in->yery rare cases. All men about to shoot or stab betray themselves by some movement and the careful police officer can always prepare and frustrate the attack. Many men have drawn pistols and knives on me but their actions had warned me in time and a quick blow with the butt end of ny pistol always suf- feed. Excitable officers would kill under such circumstances"
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