The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-02-21
PRISONER IS ALSO FATALLY WOUNDED BY DEPUTY THOMAS
BufoTd Opens Fire on Officers When They Permit Him to Enter House to
 Secure Coat

J. G. Thomas, deputy sheriff of the Bessemer office, was instantly killed, and I. A. Buford, died shortly before midnight last night as the result of a gun battle yesterday afternoon when Deputies Thomas and John Kemp went to the home of Buford to serve a warrant charging vagrancy, according to reports from Bessemer. Buford it is said, was formerly an inmate of the state in- sane hospital. The vagrancy charge, it is stated, was technical, it being the intention of the authorities to ex- anime Buford as to his sanity with view to recOmmitting him to the asylum.
 The case was very similar to that of two weeks ago when Deputy Sheriff Bob Smith was shot to death by Will Briggs, a negro, in Avondale.
 After the warrant was served Bu- ford Is said to have asked the officers
 
 his coat The warrant. alleging triva1 charge, the officers consented. After a few moments the deputies looked toward the house and Buford is said to have been standing in the front door leveling pistol at Thomas Both officers Immediately began firing reports say Thomas and Kemp both emptied their guns before Buford fell who also empticd his pistol.
 Thomas Hit Twice
 Thomas was hit twice. one ball striking near the heart and the other entering the stomach. Buford is said to have been using a SS Colts pistol Five or six bullets lodged in Bufords body. according to reports from the Elizabeth Duncan hospital where the wounded man was taken. One bullet entered just below the chin. breaking the right jaw and coming out through the ear. The other bullets entered the chest and abdomen.
 Deputy Thomas Is s7 years of age and is survived by his wife and two children. He has heen connected With the Bessemer branch of the sheriffs office for two years, and prior to that time he was chief of police at Bes- semer for two years. He has been on the police force for a number of years, serving at times as patrolman before holding the office of chief.
 Chief Deputy Sheriff Will Kemp of the Bessemer office said last night that Deputy Thomas was one of the best officers ever connected with the sheriffs force. "The affair."" he said, "is very regretable, but no one would have thought that Buford would attempt such thing, the charge was of such insignificance. however it is getting to where an officer will not be justifiable in ex- tending any courtesy to anyone arr rested"
 Deputy Sheriff Smith. was shot three times by Will Briggs, q negro The negro had been arrested at Fifth aveneu road and Forty -secand street, Avondale on a charge of murder
 tH He was permitted to go to the tele-5 phone to call up the Southern Rail- road, by whom he was employed, to inform them of his arrest. As he was leaving he turned, it is said and drew .38 calibre pistol firing three times. Deputy Smith was struck in the right arm, right leg and in the abdomen. He died three days later
 Briggs escaped and was later found hiding by Police Motorcycle Scout John Helton and Deputy Sheriff J. D. Matlock In the firing that took place Helton was wounded in the right thigh. Other officers in the squad Joined in the fight and the negro's body was riddled with bullets, He died A few hours afterward.