Mobile Stirred By Murder Mystery Man Who Appealed For Protection Later Found Dead With Throat Cut With Rusty Knife

• Walter Clayton (Attempted Lynching)

Special to The Birmingham News.

MOBILE, Dec. 27. – Detectives from central police station have been laboring industriously since Tuesday morning running down every clue obtainable in an effort to solve the mystery surrounding the murder of John McKenzie who was found with his throat cut early Tuesday morning in the northwestern part of the city and within a block of the city hospital. McKenzie’s movements have been traced by detectives up until shortly after midnight Monday night but from then until the time of the finding of his body all trace of the man is lost.

McKenzie visited the home of Deputy Sheriff Fatch early Monday night and when there stated, so the deputy, says, that three men, Charles Barrett, Willie Lewis and a man named McKean had threatened to kill him and that he was certain that the deed would be done the following morning. McKenzie aske dthe loan of a pistol with which to protect himself. Detectives have worked upon this clue and lodged Lewis in jail Tuesday night upon the charge of being dangerous and suspicious. Late Wednesday Charles Barrett was arrested and held on a similar charge. When placed under arrest Barrett exclaimed that he was not surprised in the least, in fact he said he expected to be arrested in connection with the murder, but claims that he will have no trouble in establishing an alibi. Both are young white men.

Where the body of McKenzie was found there was not the slightest indication of a struggle. The police believe that the rusty case knife which was found beside the body, was thrust into the unfortunate man’s throat with deadly force before he could make a struggle, jerked across the wind pipe and juggler vein the victim falling in his tracks.

“Mobile Stirred By Murder Mystery; Man Who Appealed For Protection Later Found Dead With Throat Cut With Rusty Knife.” The Birmingham News (Birmingham, AL), December 27, 1906.