1931 Birmingham homicides

This is a List of Birmingham homicides in 1931. It includes homicide cases occurring within the city limits during the calendar year. Note that not all homicides are ultimately ruled to be murder in courts of law.

Birmingham had 148 homicides in 1931.

There were 8 in January, 6 in February, 8 in March, 11 in April, 12 in May, 6 in June, 8 in July, 8 in August, 3 in September, 13 in October and 9 in November.

At the time, Birmingham was twice the area of Atlanta, Georgia, but only had half as many police officers.

Listing

• January 19: Ralph Pilcher, a deli clerk in Five Points South, was shot to death on a residential street in Southside. No arrest.
• March: Dennis O. Keith died after falling from the sixth floor window of a hotel. Tom Renfroe and Otis Stephens were indicted on murder charges connection with the death, but the charges were later dropped.
• Ella Lamar Williams was shot to death. Fred Stokes was charged with murder.
• John Fields was shot to death. His wife, Ella and John C. Baird were charged with his murder.
• An 18-month-old boy died in a fire at the home of Lawson Lee in Southside. Edwin Larson was charged with arson.
• May 20: Grady W. Deas, a night watchman, was found dead at the industrial plant where he worked. No arrest.
• July 4: Lettie Leola Black was found dead at her home on 20th Street North. Police considered her death a suicide, but the Jefferson County Coroner determined that homicide was the cause of death.
• July 11: Edward F. Van Merkestyn and another male were killed in the bombing of a milk plant. The police charged a suspect.
• July 11: Richard Richardson was killed in the same incident
• September 24: William R. Todd, a bus driver, was shot at the wheel of his bus at Avenue F and Center Street South.
• December 1: William C. Stiff was shot to death a half block from his home on 6th Avenue North, possibly from a passing car, or during a hold-up. No arrest.
• December 2: T. E. Morris, s streetcar conductor, was killed by a shotgun would suffered near his home in Central Park. No arrest.
• December 7: Findley Tate was found dead in a wooded area near Vanderbilt Road in Inglenook. No arrest.
• December 17: James F. Green was found dead with a bruise on the side of his head in a ditch in West End, near his usual streetcar stop. Police considered his death a suicide, but the Jefferson County Coroner determined that homicide was the cause of death.

The listing above does not include "eight persons killed by automobile hit-and-run drivers who have not been apprehended"

References

• "Killings Are Probed" (May 10, 1932) The Birmingham Post, p. 2
• "24 Slayings Here Unsolved As Year is Brought to End." (December 30, 1931) The Birmingham News, pp. 1-2

See also

• List of homicides in 1931
• Birmingham homicides by year