Nine Surrender To State Men In Emelle Clash

NINE SURRENDER TO STATE MEN IN EMELLE CLASH MONTGOMERY, ALA., July 10- Under the protection of the law, nine negroes tonight were in Alabama pri- sons while state law enforcement of ficers pressed to a close their investi- gation of the Fourth of July disorders at Emelle, Ala., that cost the lives of six persons-two whites and four negroes. The negroes, all members of one family, surrendered to officers volun- tarily, six of them after several days of crouching in a cornfield near Em- elle without food or water. Seven of the negroes, Jacob, Jor- don, J. W., James, Elbert, Andrew and Frank Robertson, were brought to Kil- by prison. The other two, Andrew and Philip Henry Robertson, were taken into custody at Birmingham. Six of the negroes in Kilby prison were brought here secretly at night and hteir presence was made known only today, while the seventh and first was brought here Monday night. The negroes, all members of the families of brothers, Tom Robertson and John Newton Robertson, who was killed resisting efforts to search his home, sought safety in flight after Esau Robertson, son of Tom, had been lynched. Precipitated Trouble It was Essau’s quarrel with Clarence Boyd over payment of an automobile battery that was credited with pre- cipitating the clash. He was seized by bystanders after Grover Boyd, uncle of Clarence, was slain as he went to his nephew’s assistance. The disorders, according to reports, followed Clarence’s seigure of the bat- tery for non-payment, and an attack on him by Essau, his father Tom, and two brothers. Charlie Marrs, the second white man killed, was believed to be the victim of a member of the posse. Cap- tain Potter Smith of the state law en- forcement officers, said his investi- gation disclosed that Marrs was shot in the back of the head while facing Robertson’s house. After Marrs was discovered slain, the house was burn- ed by a posse that believed some of the negroes sought had taken refuge in it. The other two deaths occurred Sat- urday night as armed bands roamed the countryside seeking the fugitives. One, a negro woman, was shot as possement fired on the automobile of her husband, James, when he failed to answer a command to halt. The other was an unidentified negro who was slain in the railroad station at Narchetta, Miss., when he fired on possemen who sought to search him. Governor Bibb Graves today said when the report of Walter McAdory, chief state law enforcement officer, is completed he will study it and make a statement. Governor Graves declared action would be taken against those involved in the outbreak. Officers who brought the negroes to Montgomery said they were near exhaustion from their days of skulk- ing in the cornfield and that they had surrendered voluntarily to get protec- tion. Reports from Emelle stated that all was quiet there, and that at no time during the disorders were negroes mo- lested other than those sought in con- nection with the attack on the Boyds. NINE SURRENDER TO STATE MEN IN EMELLE CLASH MONTGOMERY, ALA., July 10- Under the protection of the law, nine negroes tonight were in Alabama pri- sons while state law enforcement of ficers pressed to a close their investi- gation of the Fourth of July disorders at Emelle, Ala., that cost the lives of six persons-two whites and four negroes. The negroes, all members of one family, surrendered to officers volun- tarily, six of them after several days of crouching in a cornfield near Em- elle without food or water. Seven of the negroes, Jacob, Jor- don, J. W., James, Elbert, Andrew and Frank Robertson, were brought to Kil- by prison. The other two, Andrew and Philip Henry Robertson, were taken into custody at Birmingham. Six of the negroes in Kilby prison were brought here secretly at night and hteir presence was made known only today, while the seventh and first was brought here Monday night. The negroes, all members of the families of brothers, Tom Robertson and John Newton Robertson, who was killed resisting efforts to search his home, sought safety in flight after Esau Robertson, son of Tom, had been lynched. Precipitated Trouble It was Essau’s quarrel with Clarence Boyd over payment of an automobile battery that was credited with pre- cipitating the clash. He was seized by bystanders after Grover Boyd, uncle of Clarence, was slain as he went to his nephew’s assistance. The disorders, according to reports, followed Clarence’s seigure of the bat- tery for non-payment, and an attack on him by Essau, his father Tom, and two brothers. Charlie Marrs, the second white man killed, was believed to be the victim of a member of the posse. Cap- tain Potter Smith of the state law en- forcement officers, said his investi- gation disclosed that Marrs was shot in the back of the head while facing Robertson’s house. After Marrs was discovered slain, the house was burn- ed by a posse that believed some of the negroes sought had taken refuge in it. The other two deaths occurred Sat- urday night as armed bands roamed the countryside seeking the fugitives. One, a negro woman, was shot as possement fired on the automobile of her husband, James, when he failed to answer a command to halt. The other was an unidentified negro who was slain in the railroad station at Narchetta, Miss., when he fired on possemen who sought to search him. Governor Bibb Graves today said when the report of Walter McAdory, chief state law enforcement officer, is completed he will study it and make a statement. Governor Graves declared action would be taken against those involved in the outbreak. Officers who brought the negroes to Montgomery said they were near exhaustion from their days of skulk- ing in the cornfield and that they had surrendered voluntarily to get protec- tion. Reports from Emelle stated that all was quiet there, and that at no time during the disorders were negroes mo- lested other than those sought in con- nection with the attack on the Boyds.