Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-08-29
THE SHOTGUN.
Capt. ]. I. Adams Dangerously Shot
by Gen. ]. W. S. Browne, in Sees
sells Dry Goods Store.
THE PARTICULARS, ETC.

At ten o'clock this forenoon Gen. j.
W. S. Browne, well-known plumber
and gas-ftter on Second street, walked
into the dry goods store of Seessel & Son,
259 Main street, and leveling shotgun
at Capt ]. T. Adams, an employe, fred
zone shot, and Capt. Adams fell behind
the counter desperately wounded. Gen.
Browne, after firing the shot, walked out
of the store and up toward the Adams
street station-house, where he surren-
dered himself prisoner to Capt. Athey,
of the police force.
THE WOUND.
The charge of heavy shot entered the
left thigh of Capt. Adams, Immediately
above the knee, shattering and tearing
the limb in a fearful manner. Capt.
Adams had but one leg-the left one
he having lost his right leg during our
late war. The wounded man was car
ried out of the store to his room, No.
II in the Worsham House, ON Adams
street. The medical attendants were at
once called in, and it was concluded to
amputate the leg above the knee-a dan
gerous operation at hest. AT eleven
clock to-day Capt. Adams was suffer
ing terribly from his wound. Morphine
was given him in large quantities while
the. physicians were awaiting a reaction
to take place before they commenced
amputating the limb.
THE CAUSE OF THE SHOOTING.
The representative of this journal
visited Gen. Browne Immediately after
the shooting at the Adams street station
house and stated to him that he wished
statement for publication, but desired
none which he (Gen. Browne) was not
prepared to make. Gen. Browne was
seated in the station-house yard, evil
IDENTIFY laboring under great mental ex-
citement. He said: II will state the
matter.in brief That man seduced my
daughter, and / shot him. The matter
came to my knowledge within few
days. / had FIVE separate interviews
yesterday with Mr.. Adams and my
friends had several others, trying
to arrange the matter in an ami
cable manner. Every proposition
was made by me to Mr.. Adams, but he
refused to accept any. wished to save
the honor of myself and family, and
make the offspring legitimate. When |
made proposition to Mr.. Adams that
he should marry my daughter, he said
he was too poor and could not support
her, / replied: will assist you to
do so; but that you have to do, or you
can take your life in your own hands.
He laughed in my face, and said some
thing about shooting as well as any
person, and that he would shoot me or
my son if either of us put our feet within
Seessels store. l value my honor and
that of my family better than do my
life; so when | saw that he would re-
ceive no proposition and make no
amend, l borrowed shotgun and went
for him. l intended to kill him, and
hope l have done so. l would have
followed him to the ends of the earth,
were it necessary, to kill him.
When informed that the wound was
not necessarily fatal, the old man
seemed to be much affected, but at last
remarked, "well, it is probably better
it is.
LATER.-At u m. Captain Adams
was in dying condition, caused from
loss of blood and nervous prostration.
Instead of letting him lie on the floor
quietly where he was shot, he was placed
in spring wagon and carried several
squares to the Worsham House, the
blood squirting from the arteries in
frightful manner. Doctors Rogers, Lynch
and Hatch, the attending physicians,
after consultation, concluded not to am
putate the limb, as reaction had not
taken place, and even if it did take
place, these medicinal men believed he
would die under the knife, the loss of
blood had been so great. While the
physicians were in consultation a mo-
ton was made before Recorder Scales
to admit General Browne to bail, and |
the amount of bail was fixed at $4,000,
when one of the physicians came into
the courtroom and stated that Cap
tain Adams was dying rapidly, and
would not probably live until night.
The question of bail was at once post
poned by the Recorder.
THE PARTIES.
Capt. Adams is well known in this
city, having resided here for several
years. His brother-a well-known ply
sician-is also a resident Of Memphis.
At the time of the shooting Capt. Adams
was a salesman in the dry goods house
Of Seessel & Son, No. 259 Main street.
Capt. Adams served in the Confederate
army during the war, and lost his right
leg above the knee in one of the battles
Of the war. He is a good-looking man,
and is about twenty-eight years of age.
Gen. Browne keeps a gas-ftting and
establishment on Second street,
near Monroe. In years past he was one
IF the proprietors, with Mr.. Potter, of