Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-09-21
SERIOUS DIFFICULTY.
An Old Citizen Shot By HIS Brother
ln-Law This Morning.
Colonel Coleman Boyd wounded I'm
GNb r~o Plaee~.5 OSA

An encounter took place at half-past
nine o'clock this morning in, the Cotton
offeelof Boyd, White Il Davis, at 1896
Front street, between Col. Coleman
Boyd, an old and well-known citizen,
and his brother-in-law, James II. Ash
ford, book-keeper at the large grocery
house of Brooks, Nicely & Co. The
results are serious, but it is hoped will
not, prove, fatal, Colonel Boyd was
wounded in the left side and the right
shoulder A LEDGER reporter visited
the Office soon after the occurrence
and found Col Boyd lying on counter,
propped up by a chair-cushion, and rest
ing easily. The doctors had already
examined the wounds and applied a
dressing Of cold cloths, but had not
probed the wounds, hoping that it would
not be necessary. The statement we
gathered from the wounded man, and
others, Ii substantially as follows: Col.
Boyd was sitting at the desk in the inner
Office, writing, when Mr.. Thomas Bacon,
his brother-in-law brought him letter
from Mr.. Ashford another brother-in-
law, the contents of which have not been
made known. Suffice it to say that a
difficulty has been imminent for several
weeks, and Col. Boyd states that Ash
ford had been threatening to shoot him
some time. Mr.. Davis was present, and
the little son of Col. Boyd In a few
minutes Mr., Ashford appeared, and
made a hostile demonstration. 1t is
alleged that he made a motion to draw a
pistol Mr. Bacon got up to interfere,
and took Mr. Ashford out through the
main office and into the wide hall at the
head Of the stairs. There they turned
into Dick Lightburne's steamboat Office,
to the right Col Boyd followed with a
pistol in his hand. Messrs. A. NJ. Boyd
and Davis tried to stop him, but without
success. Mr.. James Franklin, of Light
burne's office, met Col. Boyd at the
door, and also tried to turn him
back. At this instant Ashford came
to the door, and Boyd fred at him over
Mr.. Franklin's shoulder. The ball
struck the door-facing and entered the
door, which was partially open. The
direction of the ball shows that the pis-
toll must have been elevated the hight of
mans shoulder when the shot was
fred About this time the non-combat-
ants in the vicinity-who we're trying to
make peace, peace where there was no
peace--took care of themselves, and
made such successful efforts at, lodging
bullets as the dangers of the occasion
would suggest Colonel Boyd fell back
to the front door Of the main Office, a
distance of twelve or fifteen feet. Mr..
Ashford came out of Lightburne's Office,
or to the. door at least, and fred two
shots almost at once, and then ran
down stairs and disappeared. Colonel
Boyd did not fall, but walked back
into the office and laid down. Mr.. Davis,
Mr. A. NJ. Boyd, and others, gathered
around him to attend his wants, and in
few minutes medical aid was procured,
with the result already mentioned.
Neither wound is necessarily serious.
The doctors were non-committal Col.
Boyd complained of no pain, and at IL
o'clock was easy and rather laxative.
He remarked. ut don't hurt man
much to get shot, after all-it may kill
me yet, but / ana not suffering any pain
to speak Of H9 dZA8
The origin of the trouble was not dis
closed. 1t was family affair, which
they prefer to keep private, for some
reason. Col. Boyd and Mr.. Bacon mar
ried sisters of Mr.. Ashford; hence they
are brothers-in-law all around.
Mr.. Ashford had not been arrested or
heard from when we last inquired before
going to press, though it was supposed
that he would give himself up.
Colonel Boyd was removed about half
past eleven o'clock and taken to his
residence.