The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-05-02
HELENA IS BACK To
NORMAL AFTER DAY
Of GRIM TRAGEDY
Still Unable To Explain Kings
Action As He Had Not
Been Drinking


Citizens of Helena, Ala, Tuesday
forwarded the remains of Charlie
Phillips, % years old, Roebuck, Ala,
miner, to Ashby, Ala, for interment;
gave respectable burial to the body
of John Morton King, IS years old
negro, Helena, miner. and settled
back down into their routine man
ner of living as the aftermath of the
shooting fray which lasted from 2:30
o'clock Monday afternoon until s
o'clock at night, and in which two
white men and one negro were killed
and two white men injured.
Following the staying of John
King, aged negro, who precipitated
the fight Monday night by posse
comprising 200 officers and citizens
of Helena in a battle between the
negro barrieaded in his house and the
rounds of ammunition were said to
have been fired, the citizens of the
town and surrounding territory
settled down, and little trouble was
anticipated as the outcome of the at
fair. Tuesday morning Kings home
was in ashes, having been burned to
the ground by the attacking force.
His wife and daughter, who left the
house before the fighting started
Monday afternoon, were mt seen
Tuesday, and it was not known
whether they had even attended
Kings funeral.
Few of the citizens conversed about
the matter Tuesday. The general at
tftude seemed to ue that it was a
past occurrence, and that discussion
would not help the situati Mines
at Helena were closed all day Tues
day in observance of the death of
Allen Abernethy. son of T. s. Aber-
nethy. president of the coal company.
Abernethy's Funeral.
Funeral services for Allen Aber-
nethy, % years old, Birmingham,
the first victim of the shooting. are
to be held from the residence of the
parents, Mr.. and Mrs. T. S. Abernethy.
2OoI Summit avenue. Greymont, at
10:6 o'clock Wednesday morning.
The remains will be buried in Elm
wood cemetery, Lige 10y in charge
Allen Jones Abernethy is survived
by the father and mother, Mr.. and
Mrs. T. S. Abernethy, one brother.
Dyer Abernethy, and one sister, Mrs.
R. NJ. Allison. all of Birmingham.
Pallbearers who will officiate at
the funeral services Wednesday
morning are: Claud Walker, Edwin
McDee, Staunton Candy, AL Derrng,
Carlo De Funiak and Nelson Thomas.
The services will be conducted, by
Rev. ]. A. Bryan. pastor of the Third
+ Presbyterian church.
Conjectures As To Cause.
1t was announced Tuesday that
there was little probability of a cor
| oner's Investigation being made of
| the affair.
| Conjectures as to the cause of
Kings shooting Abernethy failed to
reveal any logical reason for the
affair. 1t was said that the time
| office of the Paramount Coal COM
| pany gave each worker a time check
| for his work at the end of each day.
Jim Tonnelson, Jr., who is in charge
| of this phase of the work left the of
| flee and came to Birmin CHAM before
| the men were out of the mines, and
| therefore none of the workmen re-
ceived any time check for the day. 1t
is thought that King, not receiving
| any time check, Ycame to the conclu-
sion that the company was trying to
beat him out OF his daily wages and
| became enraged, which of course was
false. The amount involved could
| not have been moro than IS or Sc at
Sheriff Faulkner and Law En-
! forcement Officer Tom Williamson
! stayed in Helena all Monday night
and Tuesday left the situation in
| charge of Helena Chief of Police
! Demeth Kirkland. The miners prob
! ably will go back to work Wednes-
day, and little trouble is anticipated
j. w. Roy, former deputy sheriff
at Helena, and his son, Colley Roy,
both of whom were wounded In the
shooting Monday, were reported as
being much improved Tuesday from
the Birmingham hospitals where they
were taken following the shooting
The elder Roy suffered gunshot
wound in the arm. while his son is
suffering from numerous pepper
shots in the face. Mr.. Roy also re-
ceived shots in the side and In one
eye
c. T. Davidson, general manager Of
the telephone company at Helena.
declared Tuesday that King was not
drunk as he was reported to have
been, and had not even been drink
ing He said that he had known
King for IA years, and had not
known him to be drunk in all that
time. King was very peaceable
negro, he said, and had never caused
any trouble. Also he had worked all
day Monday, and this precluded any
idea that he was crazed from the
use Of bad whisky.