The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1880-07-03
THE COLD WATER TRAGEDY.
Memphis Avalanche

Memphis Avalanche
On Tuesday afternoon, Coldwater
Miss. on the Mississippi and Tennes
see railroad, was the scene of tragic
rencontre between two young men
for which whisky IS responsible.
Col, John s. Jones, an old and re-
spectable planter living few miles
from the village, his son Put" Jones,
and neighbor about the same age
named Burt Lutes, met in town. The
three men began drinking, and during
the day all became somewhat intoXl-
Gated.
THE BITTER REToRT.
In the forenoon Col. Jones and
Lutes happened to be together, and
the former, who was more intoxicated
than his companion, turned on the
latter with
"Burt, you've been coming to my
house drunk, and you mustn't do it
any more" :,
dignant reply.
For some reason, Col. Jones paid no
more attention to the matter, and
walked away.
The news of the brief altercat ton
soon afterward reached "Put" Jones'
ears. He was very indignant, bOr-
rowed pistol, and started in search
of Lutes. Several friends interposed
and induced him to give them the
weapon. 1t turned out, an hour or
more afterward, that he obtained ano-
ther pistol. This also was taken away
from him; but during the afternoon,
when it was believed by many the
matter had been dropped, "Put" Sc
cured pistol No. 8, and started to find
his man.
Lutes was observed standing on the
opposite side of the street. Upon see
ing him "Put" remarked, in the pre-
sence of bystanders: ,.,.....,
"Any man who won't fight for his
father is no man at all. There's only
one hill for me to go to, and | might
as well go that way as not"
A QUESTION ANSWERED.
So saying he crossed to the opposite
side, surveyed Lutes from head to foot,
and asked:
"Burt Lutes, did you call the old
man a id liar? I want to know"
his hand meanwhile Oh the handle of
the pistol, which was only partially
concealed in his pocket.
The answer came quickly and blunt
ly. Squaring himself before his an
tagonist, Lutes answered
ayes, | did, and by -, I'll call
you one, too" accompanying the re-
mark with a singing blow which
struck Jones full in the face, knocked
off his hat and sent him Keeling four
or five feet backward.
Jones was not Frustrated by the
blow. He speedily recovered, and upon
Strengthening himself he drew re-
peater, took deliberate aim and fired.
A TRADGEDY AND A FUGITIVE.
A moment after the sharp report
was heard Lutes staggered and fell.
The ball entered the face a little
to the left of the center of the nose,
and ranged downward. Twenty or
thirty men hurried to the spot and
bent over the PROSTATE form. Not
a sound came through the throat
but the death gurgle. Almost before
they could lift his head the pulse had
ceased to beat. The "old man" had
been avenged.
Young Jones did not await the re-
suit. Without hat, but with the
trusty revolver inhis hand, he darted
into an alley. Many witnessed his
fight, but no one sought to capture
the fugitive whose death-dealing
weapon still contained five leaden
of destruction. He gained
the edge Of the little town and disap-
peared. Meanwhile crowds hurried to
the scene of the tragedy to view the
form of the dead man, from whose
fa 10 tho blood oo1ad