The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-01-28

himself or his wife.
 You probably think you have heard of all the attacks. but you haven't.' said Charley Baldone. 733 North Twenty-first street. Just four weeks ago one boy, Sam Dipiazza, was knocked down unconscious, and the would-be murderer didn't get dime"
 Think They're Negroes
 It seems to be the general impress sion, l gathered everywhere, that the guilty persons have been negroes. or one negro, in all cases of the ax mur- ders. still others felt there may be a dozen Henry the Hackers" being urged on to their crimes by a gang of white thugs.
 Most everybody felt there were at least two or three persons or gangs responsible for the murders already done, arguing that one crime follows another and that negroes are great imitators. Hearing how one Henry the Hacker" got away with a crime, another would take up the idea as an individual or as q group. Many are convinced it is one maniac negro.
 Make dead line against the ne- groes-trat's what I say"
 Must Stay Up
 J. w. Ray was speaking, grocer at 701 North Nineteenth street. T stay in my store all the time, but have to sit up very late for fear that my windows will be broken in for s3O or $40 worth of cigarettes. am in favor of the mass meeting-but more in favor of the dead line. I am not afraid, but am prepared to protect myself"
 What other precautions do you take?"
 He laughed.
 If a negro or a suspicious locker comes in late for an apple or an orange Or something which reposes in ticklish place, I wave my hand and say, Help yourself" At that hour it doesn't make any difference to me whether he picks the prettiest, big gest one in the lot. Pm not turning my back to get that customer any thing.
 So far, I have never seen anyone l thought might be the ax man. l know The Age Herald may not agree with lynehing, but I say lynch the guilty ones."
 Not Alone
 T don't think the ak murderer IS working alone"
 This from F. ". Bransby, grocer, at 715 Nineteenth street. north.
 But l think it's negroes undoubt- edly, though I feel sure the better element of negroes would be anxious to help catch the guilty ones. It's reflection against their race. Also. I believe in making these negro hoboes move on at the city hall, or make 'em work. I believe the ax fiends are ne- groes, because l have often heard of such crimes in Mississippi Negroes would kill their boss men. These do not sound like white mems crimes"
 J. Rehberg, butcher in the Bransby establishment, believes in the work of the Ku Klux Klan. T don't believe In showing these ax murder crim- inals that we are afraid of them. Let us organize squads of men to hunt them down. Let's have some squads of citizens to go around through our various communities each night sew eral times and constitute themselves guards to see that all Is well. You better believe I don't turn my back on any customer these days. And r m prepared with firearms. too.'
 Andrew Frankos, at 1901 Eighth avenue, Is the foreign merchant who believes in stopping everybody after o'clock p. m., finding out their DuSlneSS anu seeing IT t0Gy are Cak rying concealed weapons.
 Let Citizens Carry Guns
 In this instance, Dr. NJ. Schwartz has this suggestion: Let every man who Is a good citizen be permitted to carry a gun these days"
 MT. Schwartz has a drug store at I70o Fifth avenue. 'I think 1t is ri- iiculous that one of our commission CTS says everybody she'tld close shop 1t o'clock. Frankly, l have wife and baby to support, and like many others, am not financially able to close up. Again. I'd be ashamed of myself to run home and lock myself In. I'd 100 per cent rather die stand ng my ground than to know l was a weak kneed quitter. We find that though we are so close to the city nall, it takes the police an awfully ong time to get here. l think US a mistake to hire and fire policemen to politics. We let expe- fenced men go and put green men in heir places. They let men go and turn around and hire men back who are worse,'
 P. G. Gellert, attorney, standing by, felt that the police hadn't been doing all they might. But we certainly ought not to hire men who are not trained to be detectives and policemen"
 Suggests Meeting
 It was T. F. Thornton. former po- lice commissioner, who first sug- gested the mass meeting. He has been a grocer many years.
 of conditions do not improve, the citizens should assemble to try to1 prevent occurrences of this kind" he averred. Its the only way"
 Mir. Thornton, whose place Of bus ness is also near the city hall, related how yellow fever was stamped out here back about 1887 or 1888, when a mass meeting was called. and the citizens formed themselves into wig lance committees which went out and made a perfect cordon around the town to keep persons with yellow fever from coming in.
 "And 1t ended the disease here,' he said. "we got results when all the people got busy"
 'Every man should be an officer n these times" was the expression of many persons What is done should oe done publicly and en masse. It's l shame and a disgrace to Birming- nam that conditions are " such state of terror You can't call 1t any thing eles. People who do not real ze the seriousness of these crimes, and who do not feel like shouldering ! gun, and who are careless just so long as 1t is not their own folks who are being killed, are not worthy of the name of men,
 Early Closing
 T. J. Grimes, grocer at 2o0S Eighth avenue, advocated early closing hours. From my experience. late hours do not pay. I always close early. I ion't believe any white man did the ,rimes."
 Miss Susie Bozeman. bookkeeper in the store for 10 years, said:
 IL .i,.ex a.l,. lao a