Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-08-28
SHOOTING TO KILL.
The Terrible Double Homicide in
SwninsbOro. Georgia.

1NONkAHs
The telegraph Of Thursday morning
contained brief mention OF double
homicide which had occurred, on the
10th, at Swainsboro Madison county,
Ga, in which j. G. King. Esq, a lawyer
Of that place, and Bruce Mcleod, clerk,
were both killed. The following pArtie-
ulars Of the deadly atfray were gathered
from an eyewitness, who arrived in Au-
gusta on Thursday last;
About three weeks ago, Miss Bell,
from Warren county, sister-in-law Of j.
C. King paid visit to her sister, wife
of Mr.. King, in Swainsboro. Soon after
her arrival in the village, Bruce Nc
Leod young clerk, aged about twenty.
three years, became acquainted with her
and commenced paying her assiduous
attention. As Mcleod bore a very bad
reputation, King informed his sister-in-
law of the fact, telling her that he was
worthless fellow, and advised her to send
him O note requesting him not TO visit
her again, as she did not wish his com
pany. The note was written in conse-
quence with this advice and sent TO Nc
Leod. The latter was very much eAraged,
and, meeting King shortly afterward, al
tackled him, accusing him Of influencing
Miss Bell to break of the acquaintance
ship. Some words ensued between the
two, but the difficulty was at last settled,
as everybody thought, amicably and
finally. On the fatal day Mcleod armed
himself with a pistol, and went out on
the street with the preconceived deter.
mination of shooting King. He met his
victim, Immediately accosted King and
told him that he had better raise his
family right. King replied that he
tried to do so, and continued walking
toward his Office. Mcleod followed, and
when King stepped into the piazza in
front of his Office he walked up close 10
him and repeated what he had previous
ly said, viz: that King had better raise
his family right. King answered that
he did so; that he thought he knew bet
ter how to raise his own family than any
body else; that he tried to be a Chris
tian and didn't want difficulty with
any one. Mcleod gave King the lie,
whereupon King:struck him with his fist.
Mcleod then stepped back abouta yard,
drew his pistol and fired at King. The
latter remarked, 81 il that is your game,
wait until get my pistol. He then
walked into the office, Mcleod pursuing
and firing at him, but without effect.
King got an old Colts revolver, which
had been loaded for some time, turned
and snapped it twice at Mcleod. AT
the third attempt the weapon
was discharged, the ball passing up Nc
Leod' right sleeve, then ranging down
ward and inficting a slight flesh wound
on McLeod's side. Mcleod then fred
at King the fourth time, the ball strik-
ing the latter in the right breast, pass
ing through the right lung and lodging
near the backbone. With blood running
from his nose, mouth and ears, King
turned and called out to Mr.. Ward, his
partner, asking him if there was not
another pistol. Ward threw down, our
informant stated, another pistol within
reach of King, remarking however, that
he did not think it would shoot. King
took the pistol steadied himself against
a window, aimed at Mcleod and fired
The ball struck Mcleod in the left side,
passing through the bladder and intes-
tines and lodging in his back. Mcleod |
was carried off to his home by friend
King remarked TO Ward "The scoun-
drel has killed me, and killed me for
nothing" walked down the steps and
started in the direction of his home, but
fell when he had proceeded few feet,
and expired in about five minutes. Nc
Leod died the next day Saturday.. He
said before he died that he killed King
wrongfully, but that it was all right
now, King having killed him as we'll, as
he didn't expect to live.