Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-09-22
SHOOTING ARRAY.
eOIsnsI Coleman Boyd Shot and Dangerously
Wounded by Mr.. !. A. Ashford.
Gaus. Of the ARRAY an Old Quarrel, Etc.

r~encOntFe between Col. Coleman Boy1
an old and well-known citizen, and Ccl
J. A. Ashford, his brother-in-law, book
keeper at Brooks, Nicely & Co.'S. Our rs
porter, being in the neighborhood, wa
quickly on the scene, and on going al
stairs into the office, found Col. Boyd ez.
tended on a cotton samplibg table AMI
bleeding ~plofusely from two wounds, on
on the right shoulder and the other OIL
the left side. He was calm and collected
and apparently not suffering much, an
in reply to the questions of our reporte
made The following statement in regar'
to the affair:
Il was sitting in the back Office, there
IA small closet-ike room in the south-eas
| corner of the main Office, containing
a desk and chair and Bacon gave me
note. / read 1t, and he vent out to tn
door. Pretty soon Mr.. Ashford came il
and spoke to me, and ! answered him civ
| iIlv, Quietly and politely as any gentle
man should. What the matter was i
/ on for some time. We came out into th'
[ office and 1 took a seat. He then shool
his fist in my face and said to me: i
/ you say another word about that i viii
| kill YOU He said this twice, and twice
he opened This vest to show me he wa
armed, or a. if to draw a pistol. I knew
/ he meant what he said. He has threat
ened my life for two weeks past
| Yesterday Tuesday, he went Il
my house and waited for me
and now 1 know it was to kill me. Well
I answered him quietly and civilly and
ne and Bacon started to go out. l knew
I he meant to kill ne, and I got up and
drew my pistol, and followed them. Mr.
Davis saw me, and asked me for Gods
sake DON'T As they got out In the hall J
| drsda shot at him, but he ran into the
office there Dick Lightburne'sG and
didn't hit him I think. l stood right in
! front of the door of this Office, when Ash
ford came and peaked his head around the
door post of Lightburne's ofice-he didn't
come out and give me a fair chance al
him, but fired at me again from there. He
fred twice and hit me both times
He then ran of. That's all I know"
In reply to the question whether the
doctor had probed the wounds, he said
"No. He didn't think that either Of
them the balls) had gone into the hol-
low"
There was no one with Colonel BOYD
al the time he made this statement except
Mr.. Davis, the reporter, and one or two
gentlemen who were waiting on him. DR..
Rogers. we believe, had already washed
the wounds, and n attendant informed
Us had gone for instruments and assist.
ance. A little son of Colonel BOyd's, who
was in the Office when the shooting took
place, was dispatched for Mr.. A. Nj. Boyd,
who was absent, while the reporter was
present.
In the course Of a few minutes Drs. A. Z,
Taylor, DR.. Rogers and J. L. Taylor re-
turned and examined the wounds, and
we learn are of the opinion that neither
of them are necessarily fatal. The
wounded man WAS removed to his res
idenoe at IIH o'clock, where hs will have
every possible care and attention.
Nj. Ashford, after doing the shooting,
went, it appears, down to the office OF
Brooks, Neely & Co., and when officer
Billy Homan went thither to arrest him,
was told that he had gone down to the
SherifFs Office to surrender himself. On
application at the latter office, the officer
wRs informed that Mr.. Ashford had not
made his appearance. Our reporter going
thi6her at three o'clock was similarly in
formed, and also learned that MI. Ash
ford's brother had been there 1.-THE Sher-
if's ofice) seeking him. He stated to
Mr.. John Miller, Chief Clerk and Deputy
Sheriff, that his brother, Mr.. J.. A. Ash
ford, had stated that he intended TO come
there and give himself up.
Colonel Boyd and MIR. Bacon married
sisters OF Mr.. Ashford.
We learn that the causes of the affair
are purely of a private and family nature,
and as such will not be made public.
THE OTHER SIDE.
The following account of the unfortu-
nate event is furnished US by a friend of
mr.. Ashford, and is vouched for as
correct:
The facts of the shooting scrspe yester-
day morning, as gathered from one who
knows, are substantially as follows:
Colonel Ashford had been desiring for
the entire day before to see Coleman
Boyd, his brOthsr-in-law, to settle exist
ing difficulties, and named in the note
what they were, and how they might be
amicably and satisfactorily adjusted.
Mr.. Bacon failed, however, TO see Cole
man Boyd on that day, but upon the fol-
lowing day saw him 90 into A. M. BOyd's
Office, and came by Colonel Ashford's
Office, and remarked that he saw Mr..
Bovd, and would now go and get the note
and deliver it.
Colonel Ashford states, that as Mr.. Ba-
con passed on, IL occurred to him that
Coleman Boyd might leave A. NJ. Boyd's
Office before Mr.. Bacon returned, sndthat
he would go down and ask him to remain,
should he make a motion to leave, as Col
onel Ashford expressed himself very un-
happy about the matter, and wanted it
settled.
Colonel Ashford remained a while in
front Of A. NJ. Boyd's office, during which
time Mr.. Bacon came and went to see
Coleman Boyd, and remaining sufficiently
long 70 have received an answer, and not
returning, Colonel Ashford went up him
self, and urged Coleman Boyd to say what
be would do in the matter, and received
-ssurances from Coleman Boyd of his will
hngness TO comply with the terms Of the
mole, stating that they were fair enough.
Colonel Ashford then told him that in
future there must be no recurrence OF
grievances.
During the conversation both parties
became animated, when Mr.. Bacon said
TO Colonel Ashford: "You do not want a
difficulty here?r To which Colonel Ash
ford said: mo" and started TO the door,
Bacon accompanying him; after
which Coleman Boyd arose, and in a slow
drew his pistol. Colonel Ash
ford then said to Mr.. Bacon: "Do you
see him drawing his pistol?" and
though facing Boyd, continued to retreat,
during which Mr.. Bacon gave Colonel
Ashford a sudden push into a side room,
when Boyd rushed up and fired one shot
over the shoulder of some one, the ball
striking the door.
The crowd that gathered in the mean
time dispersed down stairs 10 the street.
AS soon as the crowd would admit,
Ashford came out of the side
and shot at Boyd, who retreated into
.he back Office. Colonel Ashford remained
standing for a short time, but made no
attempt q follow Boyd.
Boyd returned in a very short time,
"Tl get him this time" Just
hen Colonel Ashford (who was standing
'eady) said, You will?p and tirsd-but
states that at no time did he aim at his
7itaIs, but only to wound and stop him;
furthermore, that he could haye
killed him before he drew his weapon, as
was so long in doing so.
Colonel Ashford remained in the DO
sition from whence the last shot was fired
or several minutes, and Boyd not return
ng to the door, and Colonel Ashford
having no desire to kill him, came down
he steps into the street, and after a few
hours gave himself up and was bound
in the sum of two thousand dollars.
Colonel James a. Ashford, one of the
to the unfortunate shooting affair
1n yesterday, is n of our most worthy
substantial citizens. At the breaking
of the war be, although previously a
Union man, deemed his country's cause
his own, and went forth 70 battle in her
defense. He, we understand, is a mem /
Der Of the Christian Church, and is highly
esteemed By those who know him best.
He returned from the army broken in for
q has since been ~boOk-keeper for
Brooks, Nicely q Co., one of our |
drst and most reliable grocery houses.
These facts make our regrets the more
felt that he should have been en-
gagged IN a difficulty which would bring
him so prominently before the public.
STEAM FTTFING-3I5 Second rect,
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