A Nighttime Siege Ends in Surrender
Alonzo Reeves, who shot a deputy sheriff, surrenders after an overnight standoff in his barricaded home.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Alonzo Reeves, who shot and killed a deputy yesterday when the latter attempted to serve papers on him, surrendered this morning after defending his house for the entire night. Deputies had surrounded the house after Reeves refused to comply, leading to an exchange of rifle fire. This morning, officials attacked the home and attempted to smash the doors. Reeves appeared at a window and fired a shotgun at the officers. Reeves was struck by a charge of shot in the face, and a few minutes later, he gave himself up. It is believed that Reeves may be insane; it was also learned that he wrote numerous letters threatening President Roosevelt.
“Reeves appeared at a window and fired a shotgun at the officers.”
This incident reflects the lethal intensity of rural law enforcement interactions at the turn of the century. The mention of mental health struggles in the context of political threats provides an early, albeit primitive, example of how the media framed 'desperado' violence against authorities.
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