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The Atlanta Constitution,

Saturday, 30th May 1914,

PAGE 10, COLUMN 2.

John Black was stabbed in an encounter with a desperate shoplifter. Chief Detective John Black, a prominent figure in the Leo Frank murder case and one of the city's sleuths detailed on the Phagan murder investigation, received several severe cuts on Friday morning in a terrific struggle with a Negro shoplifter whom he had just arrested in a Decatur Street store at the corner of Bell Street. Detective Black received one cut across his face, which will probably mark him for life. He was stabbed by the Negro prisoner in several places about the body.

Both the Negro and the Detective were sent to Grady Hospital. The Negro, as a result of the blows he received from the Detective's billy club, is reported to be in serious condition and did not regain consciousness for several hours. Detective Black's wounds were dressed, and he was later sent home.

Detective Black and his partner, Detective J.H. Davis, had gone to the store to answer a call. When they arrived, two Negro shoplifters were pointed out to them. Davis seized one of the Negroes, John Mc Coy of No. 331 Fort Street, and Detective Black the other, Joe Wilson, a notorious police character. Davis had started out of the store with his prisoner when Wilson suddenly attacked Detective Black with an open knife, slashing him across the face.

The city sleuth reached for his pistol, and in the struggle with the Negro, the pistol fell to the floor. The Negro quickly reached for the pistol, and as he did so, Black walloped him with his billy club. The Negro fell, stunned. In the struggle, which had lasted only a minute, the Negro inflicted several minor knife wounds about Black's body.

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