Shot at Bay Minette

• Walter Clayton (Attempted Lynching)

Bay Minette, Ala., April 28. – An old negro named John, who lived in the wilds of Raft river, when accosted by a party of citizens who had heard that he knew the whereabouts of the negro Walter Clayton who criminally assaulted Mrs. Joe White threw a gun to his shoulder and aimed it at the party, whereupon he was shot dead. The citizens of Bay Minette heard Saturday that the negro knew the whereabouts of Clayton and getting a promise that he would tell the hiding place at once went to his home below Hurricane station in Baldwin county. The home is said to be situated on the very bank of the river and is completely surrounded by a heavy growth of brush and wood. While the party were getting dinner at a nearby place the old negro slipped from them and when their boat reached the landing in front of John’s place he met them with a gun and presented it. Being requested to throw it down he at once raised it to his shoulder and the result was that it required a coroner and jury to pass on the cuase of his death on Sunday morning. Old John had promised to meet the party at his home and instead of disclosing the place where Clayton was said to have been hiding, he played the part of fiend himself and was no doubt behind a scheme to do injury to the party. It is rumored that several other negroes were hidden behind the house when the party arrived and but for the timely action of the crowd there would have been serious trouble for several. The sheriff was at once notified that a dead negro was at the place and he sent a deputy coroner to investigate. The verdict of the negro died from gunshot wounds received at the hands of parties unknown.

“Shot at Bay Minette.” The Brewton Standard (Brewton, AL), April 30, 1908.