The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-09-23

2OS7.
they had finished, Melton entered the lowel
dining hall, where were seated George Tup
per, c. W. Montgomery and others. The cause
OF the animosity existing between Melton ant
Montgomery was the well known card of the
latter, (who is identified with the Boilers
party of the Republicans eharacterizlng Mel
ton as a liar, poltroon and coward. Melton
returned to Columbia Friday night, and or
Saturday passed Montgomery on the street
when it Is averred mutual r%eeognitions oc
CURED.
THE C0RoNlsR's INQUEST
ellclted the following testimony OF the parties
present when the killing ocourred-the cor
oner having been Immediately summoned and
a Jury empanelled after Melton, Morgan, Mont
gomery aud Upper had been arrested. The
two first named being Immediately released,
the others carried to Jail. The following
constituted the jury: John Agnew, Jr., FORE
man; W. Williams, C. D. Lowndes, ID. F.
Nixon, Jacob P. Mock, W. G. Beck, CIV.
Davis, IF. Gadsden, a. Champion, R. Rich
ardson, Joseph sTaylor, Daniel Idea, Trez-
evant Sill. and W.. 7. Wilkins.
Before the body was allowed to be moved
the inquest was commenced In the room where
! Caldwell was killed, which presented a most
| horrid appearance. The table was partly over
turned, and the blood of the Victims was ming
ling with the contents of sauces thereon,
broken crockery,, and a general disorder
calculated to awe the heart of any beholder.
Near by lay the lifeless corpse of poor Cald-
we'll, shot through the heart, and In front OF
the coroner the pistol with which the fatal
shots had been fred; while the surging mass of
friends of the deceased swayed to and fro,
eager to catch the least whisper of informa-
ton, and only kept In check by a large force of
police promptly stationed in the vicinity.
THE TESTIMONY
| elected was as follows:
Franklin a.. Elmore, Esq, testified: About
| four o'clock this afternoon, Mr.. Fielding and
MI. Taylor, at N ylnvltation, came to Pollock's
saloon to dine. Entering, we met Messrs. G.
W. Montgomery and George Upper; accepted
an invitation from the former to drink.
Whilst awaiting the return of the walter, the
| door was opened from the main saloon by
Judge Melton, who looked In, closed the door,
and almost Immediately reopened 1t, and ad-
vanced into the room to where Mr.. Montgom-
| cry vas seated, atthe south end of the table.
| He (Melton) threw bis arm around Montgome-
RVS neck, and commencing beating him in the
face. Immediately following Judge Melton
we're Major James NJ. Morgan and Captain Jno.
D. Caldwell; could not say which of the TWO was
| IN the advance. Firing Immediately commenc-
ed, but he could not say By whom. Judge Mel
ton and Mr.. Montgomery were scufling. There
| was a confused mass OF men. BE and several
of the others hurried into the northeast corner
| of the room. Two or three shots were fired
could only swear to two. Saw Caldwell press
his sides with his hands, and then fall to the
I! floor, when he gasped but Two or three times.
lin reply to a question by a Juror, the witness
stated that he could not say positively who
fired the pistol He (the witness) then went
in search of physicians: returned with DR..
Talley; found Topper and Morgan clinched In
the alley sdJacentto the saloon; said to them,
this Is no time for further trouble, as one man
had already been killed In the difficulty; they
could settle private troubles hereafter; they
then desistsd; saw o pistol on the ground near
where the scufle occurred; picked 1t up,
sealed 1t, and deposited 1t In Scott's bank.
Richard Washington, colored, a waiter at
the Pollock House, testified as follows: Judge
Melton, Captain Caldwell and Major Morgan
came down stairs. Caldwell and Morgan
walked Into the yard, leaving Melton at the
bar. While they were In the yard, Melton
came to the saloon door. Caldwell returned
to the front saloon and endeavored to prevent
Melton from entering. The Judge came In and
took hold of Montgomery. Mr.. Upper got up
from the foot of the table and fred two shots.
Witness said he would know the pistol If he
saw 1t again. Mr.. Caldwell was struck and
fell down. Morgan then took hold of Topper.
Heard Morgan tell Upper that he had shot
him (Morgan) through the back, and at the
same time pulled Upper out of the door.
Tupper's pistol then fell to the ground. Saw
Mr.. Elmore pick 1t up. ION inquiry from
Jurors, witness stated that he saw no one
shoot or have a pistol except Topper. Cald-
we'll went forward and tried to separate Melton
and Montgomery-tried to act as p~eace-maker.
And, upon further questioning, stated that Mr.
Montgomery did not draw a pistol; didn't
think he could, as Judge Melton had hold of
him too tight
With the conclusion of W~ashington's testi-
mony the court adjourned the inquest, to be
resumed at ten o'clock this morning at the
coroner's Office, and permission was given to
carry the body home. When this was done
the scene battles description.
~MUrTERINGs BY q COLeRED PEOPLE
for vengeance were low but deep and con-
tinual. On every corne stood knots of the
saddened friends Of the deceased, and at least
three hundred colored people followed the
remains. Friends broke the news to Mrs.
Caldwell as we'll as they could, but the blow
almost deprived her Of her senses. All during
last night there was much unessiness lest vio-
lent measures might be resorted to. but better
c%ounsels prevailed and everything passed off
quietly.
MAJOR MORGAN
was carried to the residence of Judge Melton,
where the ball was finally found, having taken
a downward direction from the shoulder, and
he is now doing we'll. Long before the jury