| OCR Text |
Show TROUBLE OVER WATERMELONS Negro Has Committed Number of Murders Because of Destruction of His Melon Patch. Nows has Just reached Heflln, Ala., that four men were killed and nlno wounded In Randolph county tho latter lat-ter part of last week by a desperate nogro named Sledge. The 'sheriff and posso nro In pursuit, but havo not yet been ablo to capture tho murderer. Tho trouble started ovor a difficulty In a watermelon patch. A party of white men were working on tho public pub-lic road at Beaver Creek, near Lamar. Sledge has a watermelon patch near tho road, and when tho men finished wroking they asked permission to eat a few melons. Sledgo told them to help thomsolves, but requested that they, take care not to destroy tho vines. As soon as the men entered the patch they began to cut and slash melons in every direction. The negro warned them to stop, and then went aftor a gun. Returning, ho emptied the weapon into the crowd, wounding nlno out of eleven. Immediately aftor the shooting Sledgo fled. A posse ovortook the negro noar Wodowee. Ho was ordored to surronder, but replied by firing his shotgun, Instantly killing Thomns Ebbltt and Robert Ford. Later Sledge wos accosted on the road by James Moore and Bud Wilson. Without warning tho nogro raised his gun and fired, instantly killing Mooro and fatally wounding Wilson. |
