Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-07-16
BLOOD!t
More About the Clinton Tragedy.
CLINTON, July /

CLINTON, July IA.
= Mr.. EDITOR There never was a
time in the history of this town when
excitement ran as high as it has for
the last two days. On Saturday AS
it is well known, 81. NJ. Bonham was
killed. The facts as well as can be
gathered amid the excitement are
about as follows Some time ago,
some trouble arose about some lewd
women, and it finally resulted in the
arrest of Lee Hall, and he was ar
raigned before a Justice of the
Peace, and on the trial, BoRham ap-4
peared for the defendant, and S. o.
Shipc was witness for the State.
In his speech, Bonham made some
remarks that reflected on the integ-
rity of Mr.. Shipe, and after the trial
was over, Shipe called On Bonham
for an apology for the remarks he
had made. Bonham said he was
willing to make amends for any
wrongs he had inflicted on any one,
but he could not see as he ought to
take back what he had said. In
few days after that, Shipe and Bon
ham met and had difficulty, in
which Shipe came out rather the
worst, and from that time the
difficulty continued to grow until
Saturday. Maj. J. L. Shipe, his
son, S. O. Shipe, and A. J. Queen
er, came in town, and it is said they
all had sticks in their hands. They
came from the depot, and found
Bonham standing in the window of
shoe shop. Young Shipe walked
up behind him. and struck him a
blow in the back, and Bonham then
took the stick out of his hand and
began to strike Shipe with it, when
Queener ran in and began to take
some part in it, when general
fight followed, and the father, son
and Queener all were on one man,
the three using rocks. The fought
about one hundred and fifty yards
from where it begun to where it
ended. There were no shots fred
until it had been going on for SEINE
time, when Bonham fired the first
shot; but not until he had been
struck and his skull broken in two
places. He could not have lived
| but a short time, if he had not been
shot. The first shot from Bonham's
pistol struck young Shipe in the
right hip and passed through, com
ing out on the leftside near the same
place. The next hit Maj. Shipe on
the arm, and the other one struck in
his left side and ranged under the
arm and the ball was removed from
the back. Queener was cut in the
left arm and in the face over the
right eye. Bonham was shot nine
times, and was hit in the face three
times with rocks and twice in the
back of the head, each rock break
ing the skull. Bonham shot all the
balls out of his pistol before he fell,
and after he was on the ground and
dying Shipe went to him and shot
him in the face with his pistol, and
the doctor who examined him say
he was dead man before he was
shot. ...... .-.
Bonham died in a few moments;
S. 0. Shipe is not expected to live.
He was reported worse to-day and
his death is expected at any time.
Queener may lose an eye, and Maj.
Shipe is hurt bad, but not fatally.
Bonham was buried yesterday, and
young Shipe is at home in bed. Maj.
Shipe and Queener are in the custody
ofthe Sheriff. The grand jury to-day
found a true bill against all three OF
the men for murder in the first de-
gree, and they were arrested at
once. The State is represented by
J. M. D. Mitchell, W. A. Hender-
son, c. ]. Sawyers and J. N. Ray,
while the defendants are repre<
sented. by Gen. VIM. Cullen, Il.
R. Gibson and S. E. Young. Most
all the lawyers are retained either
for the State or defendants. Some
have declined to take a fee in the
case. The opinion seems to be that
Bonham died like a brave man.
lie had a great many friends, and if
the trial was to come off now, there
would be no question but they
would be convicted of murder in the
first degree. 1t is generally under-
stood that the proof is strong
against them. The case will not be
tried at this term of the court.