The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-06-15
NEGRO KILLED BY PASSENGERS AS HE CREATES A PANIC John Wynn Shoots at Con- ductor When Asked to Move From White Section MANY SHOTS FIRED
 ON A TUXEDO CAR One Man Handed Conductor Pistol, Which He Was Unable to Use.
 Several Passengers
 Shoot

John Wynn, negro, 4os Eighth avenue, north, was shot and killed on an Owenton Ensley car yesterday | morning at o'clock near Tuxedo Junction after he had caused a panic among passengers by shooting several times at W. D. Peoples, the conductor. A number of shots were fired at the negro by passengers on the car. Three bullets from different calibred pistols were found in the body, any one of which would have been fatal. The conductor was shot in the hand by the negro. who is said to have become angry when asked to move from the white section of the car. Detectives said late yesterday they had not obtained the names of the participants in the affair. There are no clues the detectives can work upon, all persons on the street car at the time of the shooting having left it either before reaching the city or before officers began their inves- tigation.
 CAUSED INTENSE EXCITEMENT The shooting on the crowded street car caused intense excitement among the women and children. In the car were several women. who made an effort to get to the rear platform when the negro first began shooting at the conductor Men in front and the rear crowding toward the negro, who cool ly stood firing at MT. Peoples, cut off the exit and the women were forced to take seats.
 Wynn's insistence that he be al- lowed to sit in the white section ot | the street car is said by officers to have resulted in the shooting of the conductor The negro got on the car l inbound. at Tuxedo Junction. For a short time he stood onthe platform and when he had paid his fare he is said l to have gone beyond the negro section I to the white section.
 Reports at the police station are conflicting, the statement being made that Wynn sat down by lady, who asked him to move. Another report is that there was other person in the seat when Wynn sat down. Conductor Peoples, in his report to the police. said he asked the negro to move back to the section provided for negroes. At this request the ne. gro is said to have abused the con- ductor, telling him that negroes were imposed upon down south. The con
 
 away, again asked the negro to move. Becoming angry, the negro whipped out revolver and fired at the con ductor.
 Peoples. unarmed. held his position | in the aisle while the negro fired sew eral times. One bullet struck the con ductor's hand. severing one finger
 HANDED PEOPLES A REVOLVER 1 An unidentified white man, a pas senger on the car. handed Peoples a 1 revolver. The safety spring had not been reversed and Peoples made fu- l tile effort to fire at the negro Realizing it was impossible for the conductor to use the revolver, several passengers on the car joined in the shooting. The number of shots fired possibly will never be known. but it | is believed that three, possibly four 1 or five Joined in the shooting with several standing nearby with drawn revolvers.
 The shot that ended the negro's life was fired from over the shoulder of Peoples. who. during all the excite ment, had not moved from the aisle. Investigations showed that the negro was shot three times with different calbire pistols Each wound would have caused death, officers state. During the intense excitement sev- eral negroes left the street ear through windows
 Officer Lowery, who was notified of the shooting while patrolling his beat on Third avenue, met the street car and questioned the conductor Peoples was brought to the office of Chief Eagan of the police and later was carried to the Hillman hospital, where his wounds were dressed. The body of the negro was taken in charge by
 Shaw & Son.