Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-11-12
HOMICIDE.
A Negro Named Gordon Shot and Killed
Near Commerce, Mass.-FniI
Particulars.

Tuesday afternoon DIR. White shot
and killed a negro named Gordon, near
Commerce, Mississippi. DR.. White,
learning that a gun which some one had
stolen from him was in possession OF
Gordon, who was then picking cotton
in the field near the Pigeon RoOst road,
sent some negroes after the weapon.
Gordon refused to surrender the gun,
and attacking the negroes, was about
TO kill one OF them, when DR.. White
riding up, asked the other persons why
they did not interfere and protect their
cOmrade. This exasperated Gordon,
who seized his shotgun and fired at but
missed DR.. White. This gentleman re-
turned the fire. killing the negro in
stantly. DR.. White was arrested, but
upon an examination by a magistrate
was discharged.
The circumstances of the case as de-
veloped before the examining court are
as follows:
A negro calling himself Gordon,
sometimes Thompson, with party of
! three Others, all rangers, stole a gun
! from a cOl0red man named johnson.
Another boy reported to Johnson where
| the stolen gun was concealed, or who
stole it. The man who had lost the gun
| borrowed DR.. Whites dOuble-barrel
/ gun to go in search of the stolen gun
and to arrest the thief. The gun was
! found in the woods, about one hundred
and fifty yards from Flynn and Mont
g0meTy's boat, and soon after it was
found the thief and his confedeHates
finding out who had betrayed them,
caught the boy and were beating him Sc
verely, when crowd Of persons. DR..
White being OF the number, went down
to where they were beating the boy to
interfere and prevent them from doing
so, and to quell the disturbance. When
they arrived on the ground, Jack Bar
rett, colOred, who was of the party with
whom DR.. White was, commanded the
peace. Mr.. Todd, white man, and
seven or eight colOred men were in the
crowd, ali Of whom sought to quell the
disturbance. When this third party ar
rived on the ground, and Jack Barrett
was commanding the peace, one of Cor
dOn's party, a colored boy, snatched
the captured gun out Of the hands Of
the man who owned it-having just
recaptured it-and fired if at DR..
White, shooting, however, above his
head. The man who had DR.. Whites
gun borrowed, being near, DR..
White took the gun out of his
hand and commanded the boy
who had fired on him to lay down,
which he did. About this time Cor
don came running around from the other
side OF a wagon with brick-bat in each
hand, and as he arrived where the boy
had thrown down the gun after firing at
White, he dropped the brick-bats and
stated to pick up the gun, when DR..
White said, "Let it lay" to which
Gordon replied, "No, by Cd, 1 WON'T"
and Strengthened up with the gun pre-
scented at DR.. White, and cooking the
barrel-the one which the
boy had already fired at White
discovered that there was no cap
on it. He then cooked the
other barrel, and bringing it to a |
level with his eye, the muzzle presented !
at DR.. Whites head, said, 'NOw, Cd |
d-n you, come at nae" and began pull |
ing the trigger; but, having made mis-
tske, and only half cooked the |
gun, he could not pull it down, and |
while he was Juggling at the trigger try
ing to pull it down, DR.. White cooked |
his gun, raised it and fired, shooting
Jordan in the belly near the navel, kill
ing him almost instantly. DR.. White
on the ground about three
hours waiting for 3 justice of the peace
and the coroner to come, and when they
came gave himself up and was tried be-
fore Justice Andrew Turks, who, after a
long, patient and thorough investigation
Of the case, decided that DR.. White
killed the deceased in justifable self
lefense, and accordingly acquitted him.