LAUDERDALE COUNTY, ALABAMA
COPS AND ROBBERS - [MOSTLY ROBBERS]
JAMES B. FOSTER,
Deputy Constable
Contributed Jan 2006
by
Kaye Sass
KILLED
On Saturday night last, near Rodgersville, Bill Brown, a colored man, shot and killed Jas B. Foster, a deputy constable.KILLED THE CONSTABLE
James Foster Shot by a Negro at Rodgersville
WHILE DISCHARGING HIS DUTY
Intense Excitement and Crows Searching for the Murderer
James Foster, a special
constable at Rodgersville in the county was shot and instantly killed at twelve
o’clock Saturday night by a negro named Bill Brown.
Foster with several companions went to Brown’s house to arrest him on the charge
of stealing chickens. It seems the negro was expecting the officers and had
prepared himself to arrest them for when they called at his house he met them at
the door and without warning fired at Foster killing him almost immediately.
Brown then made his escape in the darkness.
Foster’s companions started in hot pursuit, arousing
the neighbors as they went. Before daylight the whole community was aroused and
large crowds of armed men were scouring the country for the murderer. Word was
sent to Florence early Sunday morning and Sheriff Hines, Deputy Bayless Pomeroy
and several others started out at once.
It was thought the negro had made his way toward
Florence and they he would watch his opportunity to cross the river below this
city. All points where it would be likely he would cross, were closely watched
and every possible place of concealment was searched.
The searching parties were out all day Sunday and the search has been vigorously
prosecuted.
The murdered man was a young man and very popular in
his neighborhood. He was a cousin of Mr. Bayless Pomeroy and was well known and
greatly liked in Florence, so that the news of his death caused sorrow amongst
his friends here.
Brown, the murderer, bears an unsavory reputation and
has often been suspected of robbing hen roosts in the neighborhood. Foster had
been specially deputized to arrest him and doubtless had no idea that the negro
would act in so desperate of a manner.
There has been intense excitement at Rodgersville and
Foster’s friends have been untiring in their search for the murderous negro.
(The Florence Herald, Thursday, April 11, 1895)
WILL BROWN CAPTURED
He Resisted the Officers and was Shot.
OVERTAKEN NEAR SHOAL CREEK
Foster’s Murderer was Pierced With a Score of Balls
Will Brown, the negro
who murdered Constable Foster near Rodgersville Sunday, was captured Tuesday
morning.
A posse who were in pursuit of Brown came upon him on
Shoal Creek. The negro had with him the gun with which he had killed Foster and
then the men approached him he attempted to shoot them. The crowd was too quick
however and Brown was riddled with shot before he could discharge his gun.
After the capture of the murderer, a telephone message
from Center Start notified officials in this city.
Sheriff Hines was one of the first to respond.
Accompanied by Bayless Pomeroy and several others, he left early Tuesday morning
for the scene of the capture.
On the arrival of the Sheriff, a courtesy was shown him
by the posse. The negro was in a sage grass field and when Mr. Hines came up,
several of the crowd approached him and said, “There’s the man, out of respect
for you we surrender him.”
The sheriff had previously told the crowd that the
negro was under arrest, that the law must take its course and that he held
himself responsible for the prisoner. The he went to placing his hand on the
prisoner and led him to the buggy. The Sheriff was the first man to approach the
negro and when he did so, the crowd respectfully retired.
Brown was brought to Florence Tuesday morning and place
in jail. He presented a fearful sight as he was carried through town and a large
crowd gathered at the jail when he was led from the buggy into the jail door.
Dr. Arnold, who was near at hand, was called in by the
Sheriff to dress the negro’s wounds. There were no less than seventy or eighty
large shot in him and he was suffering intensely. Sixty shot were probed out
from his side, arms and neck. The shot were squirrel size and Brown received the
load as he was running on one side.
There was but a little excitement around the jail when
the negro was taken in and he did not appear to be at all afraid. (The Florence
Herald, Thursday, April 11, 1895)
...Sheriff Hines, out of
abundant caution, has placed Bill Brown, the murderer of Mr. Foster, in the
Huntsville jail for safe keeping. The feeling against Brown in the Rodgersville
neighborhood was very great, and while Mr. Hines had no special to believe lynch
law was contemplated after the murderer was jailed , yet he regarded it prudent
to take every precaution that nothing wrong should occur. (Short Local Items in
the Florence Times, Saturday, April 27, 1895)
...Constable James Foster of Lauderdale County was shot
and killed last Saturday night by a negro whom he was tempting to arrest.
(Sheffield Standard (Colbert County, AL) of Saturday, April 13, 1895, P. 5.
"Neighborhood Notes")
James B. Foster |
William Brown's Stay of Execution
The Florence Gazette, Thursday 28 Nov 1895, p.3
Contributed by Lee Freeman
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