The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-08-13
 IN GUN BATTLE AT CARBON HILL Suspect Fights Duel With
 White Man, Sheriff
 Telephones CLINT OF HUMOR
 PENETRATES HUNT Road Blocked To Capture
 Deputy Hill, Who SluTnbers On

A pistol battle between a negro, believed to be John Milton, hunted ax slayer, and an unnamed white man at Carbon Hill, Walker county, shortly before dark Tuesday afternoon, was reported to the office of Sheriff Shirley here by Sheriff Guy O'Rear, who telephoned from Jasper late Tuesday night.
 Sheriff O'Rear said that the negro was barefooted and an- .swered the description of Milton forwarded to him by Sheriff Shirley. He informed officials here that he would raise a posse and pursue the negro, who fled after the white man had emptied his pistol.
 Tuesday night the road leading from Albany-Decatur to Birmingham was cut by armed men. They parked mo- tor cars across it's width to force nov ing vehicles to halt The bulwark was formed about one mile north of Lewis burg on the Newcastle road with the announced intention of preventing Chief Deputy Sheriff Henry s. Hill from gtaking John Milton to Birming- ham, TO Search Raalraaa Train Behind the bul Vark were score of determined mountain men, who stood guard all night long with theig guns in their hands. Earlier in the evening they searched |. train at Newcastle from the Twin Cities in the hope of finding Mir. Hill and John Milton aboard.
 Informed that negro who was cap tured Tuesday in field near Albany Decatur was Willie Carr, or Columbus Butler, wanted at Florence for an at- tempted assault on a young white girl July %, they shook their heads and remained sternly on guard. They be- heved the denial that the negro taken in Morgan county was Milton, pur- posely was spread by Mr. Hill to en- able the chief deputy to bring the man to the safety of a Birmingham prison cell.
 A reported for The Birmingham Age Herald came upon the bulwark while he was attempting to find a rumored race riot in the vicinity of Newcastle. The race riot wasn't, but the bulwark was.
 'That wasn't Milton; that Albany negro was wanted in Florence" the reported informed the possemen.
 Clint Of HumOre
 Well, maybe" they answered. "But we'll tell you this: Hill and Milton Il never get to Birmingham"
 K. O." said the reported, and add ed, T hope I do"
 The reporter rode back to Birming- ham, leaving the. grim posse under the faint stars, and found Mir. Hill slum- bering in his office at the county Butler, or Willie Carr, as the negro called himself, had been safely escorted to jail at Florence.
 This serio-comedy lent glint of humor to an otherwise tumultuous day of rumor, report and exaggeration re- garding the capture of the hunted mur- derer. The outstanding feature was the arrest of the negro wanted at Florence.
 This is the negro who Monday was captured by T. J. Pinson, section fore man on the Louisville and Nashville railroad, near Flint creek. He escaped from a handcar upon which he was be- ing taken to Hartselle, and later out distanced posse of 300 armed men and deputy sheriffs.
 Captured Again He was taken again Tuesday by w. T, South and w. K. Gilchrist, who thus far have collected reward of $200 for his capture and will receive additional remuneration from the public-spirited citizens. The Birmingham Age-Herald's s correspondent at the Twin Cities was informed that J. W. Lotion, Q brother ih-law of the Morgan county sheriff, an- nounced he would send $50 to the captors.
 Failure of the hundreds of men who are beating through the woods of the Birmingham district to obtain a trace of Milton lends color to a growing be- lief that the ax slayer has escaped.
 Meanwhile, the highhanded methods of irresponsible men and boys posted (COntinued On Page TwO.l l ~AfA mn HVn RAV0KYVm