The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-08

~ UR1NG the last week of May, in
1913, murder was committed
- at Gate City, suburb of Bir-
mingham. The murdered man was
never identified and his murderers or
murderer is at the present time at
large, 81 free man. untroubled by any
thing save the pangs of conscience, if
any.
Yet there is always the legend, or
is it legend-"that murder win out"
BY this is not meant that the mys-
tery about the killing at Gate City
has been solved at last or that the
identity of the unknown has been un-
covered; it means rather that certain
rumors and various theories have been
run down and found to connect with
the following tale.
There was a man murdered at Gate
City several months ago. That is an
inoontrovertible fact This man, who
appeared to have been about 45 years
of age and stockily built, was struck
down from behind with a railroad iron
coupling pin. His skull was crushed
like an eggshell, showing that a pow
erful man dealt the death blow. The
fact that the man was struck from
the rear and given such a powerful
blow proves conclusively that robbery
was not the intent. Robbers as a rule,
do not fracture the skulls of their vic
Tins to obtain possible few dollars.
No. it appears very clearly that this
unknown was struck from behind and
therefore there could have been no
quarrel or previous struggle: that the
assassin lay in wait and killed his
victim as the opportunity presented it
self. The motive for the killing appears
plainly as revenge.
And revenge for what? is the ques-
tion. Here is a poorly dressed indi-
Nidual murdered in a railroad yard.
What could he have done to merit such
vengeance as was inflicted on him?
IT revolves to the French theory of
"cheche la femme" The female of the
species was at the bottom of the Gate
City murder. 1t is a very pathetic
story.
About five years ago race track fol-
lower lay on a bed of pain and fever
in Montgomery infirmary. Excesses
in youth had sapped his strength and
1t seemed that there was no hope of
stopping the ravages of the consuming
fiery fever-death was at hand.
However. when physicians gave up, a
little wan faced nurse sat by the bed
Of the delirium driven gambler and
watched silently. What interest she
could have in this human wreck is not
kIONn Dul SHt WdtCntu clOSeIN I0e 1e-
yer stricken gambler. 1T was her
knowing hands and keen eye that noted
the first slight change for the better
and from then on with jealous care
the little white-capped nurse slowly
but surely brought life back into the
human that had been given UP as lost.
In week consciousness returned
and the race track man recognized the
goddess of his feverish dreams as the
little white-capped nurse by his side.
He murmured his thanks and out of
his eyes glowed his appreciation. Dur
ing his convalescence he and the nurse
got to be great friends and at the end
OF a few weeks they were in love.
The race track follower confessed to
being without funds. The little nurse
brought forth her savings which
amounted to few hundred dollars and
turned them over to her lover. This
w9s the end of the romance, for as
soon as the gambler got hold of her
money he disappeared. The shock
brought the little white-capped nurse
to bed and for weeks she occupied the