A Murderous Assault
- Title
- A Murderous Assault
- Source Type
- Newspapers
- Publisher
- Tuskaloosa Gazette
- Publication Place
- Tuscaloosa, AL
- Publication Date
- 04/05/1888
- Transcript
- A MURDEROUS ASSAULT. The GAZETTE on Friday gave: rumor to the effect that three white men more or less under the influence liquor, shot and severely wounded two colored men on the railroad about three miles from the city in the direction of Cottondale, and the rumor was that they did the shooting without any provocation. Since then we have learned that was not merely a rumor but fact. The party doing the shooting was we learn, young man by the name of Edward Thompson, a son of Mr. Wiley Thompson, of Cottondale. Who his companions were we have not been able to learn, more than that one of them was named Robinson The facts as related to us were that these three young men were all drinking, that they left town in a street car going in the direction of the Lake, and that when near the Asylum they raised disturbance with the conductor. After leaving the car they went in the direction of Castle Hill, and meeting negro woman and two negro men, young Thompson without provocation commenced shooting the woman, but fortunately without effect. He then turned his attention to the negro men shooting both of them, striking one the left breast just below the nipple and the other in the right side of the abdomen, inflicting; very serious and probably fatal wounds. It stated that one the party made every effort to prevent the shooting but could do nothing with Thompson this is true statement of the facts it was certainly most outrageous and uncalled for murderous assault that cannot be condemned too strongly. No excuse can be offered for and the perpetrator of such an act should have the extreme penalty of the law meeted out to him. The fact that they were negroes in no sense lessens the crime. We have not yet learned whether not the negroes are still living. We have heard different rumors in regard to their condition, but whether they live or die their assailant should, if possible, be arrested. It is said that he boarded midnight train at Cottondale going towards Meridian, Miss., on the night of the shooting and left for parts unknown. The officers of the law should leave no effort untried to effect his capture. The father of the young man, Mr. Wiley Thompson, is a most estimable citizen and his many friends sympathize with him in the trouble that his outbreaking son is visiting upon him, but all good, law abiding citizens have only words of condemnation for such lawless conduct.
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