The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-01-28
4SHOOT ID KILL" IS
 GROCERS' ATTITUDE
 TOWARD AK PEND
Even Women in Stores Are Armed-Many Suggest a Mass Meeting to Get
 Joint Action
By MIGNoN HALL

Citizens all over Birmingham arC beginning to make themselves heard in no uncertain terms on the a1 murder question.
 Not only are they talking. but ths people-men and women-are back ing themselves up with guns, pistols knives and implements 10 protec their lives in practically all grocery stores, corner drug stores, or stores doing drug, lunch stand or drinf business.
 Rolled down, these are some of the demands that are being made,
 "A mass meeting Of citizens should he called at once! The sooner the better. Let that mass meeting discuss ways and means. This is no chiId's play. Our citi- zens are being knocked promis- cously in the head for a dime!''
 "Let that mnss meeting call upon the smaller peighborh oods to meet In their school houses and take up the protection of the merchants and grocers in their community. Something ought to he done to protect the poor, the convenient grocer, who many times is not able to make Iiv- ing unless he keeps shop at night"
 "Stop everybody after o'clock at night and examine them for any weapons they may have. Show them the inside of the jail if they don't talk right. or If they seem in the slightest degree sus- pIeious characters.e
 "Let squads Of ONT men parade the town-in various sections- seeing that everything k all right tiiI inte hour.
 'it's the peoples business now. The police have done practically nothing-or seem not able to. It's the community's Iob.r
 Let the I<u KIux I<Iap keep up It's good worl<.''
 ''IIang few."
 "HeIp your neighbor! yoInn- tecr ns guArd!"
 Have you seen anybody who looks suspiciouss Who is try ing to help the police, anyhow. Is everybody going to sit downf''
 More Guards
 Many persons are calling for thu putting on of more policemen. Others favor deputizing civilians. Others ad vocate calling for volunteer civilian guards.
 Mothers are expressing open re solves that an ax murderer comine into their places of business will find them determined to sell tn, lives of their babies, their husband, and themselves as dearly as possib e "I remember the Civil war times, cried one aged woman. Women wer, to defend their homes a the point of the gun, If we did i then, we can do 1t now
 Another woman related that ther. were several members in her family and that one of them was always or guard at secluded point of vantage And we have made the resolve Shoot to kill'," she declared
 I am carrying gun, or keeping f within reaching distance. The whol, family is. l have already had {, order three suspicious negroes of with it. l will shoot to kill if neces sary"
 The above paragraph was the senti ment yesterday of plucky 17-year old girl, whose father. John DeCarlo Keeps grocery at 22oi Eighth ave nue.
 Wanted Two Things
 The negroes came in here asking for potatoes and bread. They acted fery ugly. My mother and siste, were out in the store at the time. Before that we had trouble ant am sure I saw the real ax man. Fl, tried to conceal the ax under his arm He wanted some bread. too, but he didn't get It."
 The father of the girl. in speaking of the murders, became very mucf wrought up. He rushed over to one
 tContinued on Page TenD